Hi all, I'm looking at purchasing a MINI....I'm coming from an RX8 so I'm not afraid to turn a wrench if needed. Are there certain years i should avoid, mileage, etc? I've been lurking on the forums for a few days now reading here and there, so I have a general idea of problems and concerns. I also have a friend that has an 08s.... I'm kinda leaning in that direction (r56) based on his recommendations.

 

should also mention I want an 'S' model

 

so ive found an 08 MCS that has 80k on it, has had the timing chain done along with routine maintenance ,and no accidents. I m going to test drive it since its about 3 hours away..... what else should I look for on it besides the general used car look over?

 

Thermostat, valve cover, turbo oil lines, bushings, door windows. That's where all my issues were. Maybe it's all been replaced by now. But that stuff is all sooner or later type stuff.

 

I know the thermostat and water pump have been done. Is there a way to check the turbo oil lines and valve cover? Bushings and windows should stand out while driving I feel like

 

Oil line will leak at the top of the turbo, where in goes in.

 

Excellent, I'll look there and check around the valve cover to see if it is wet or dirty as well. Thanks!

 

Were there updated parts on the 09 r56 MCS? Like the tensioner guide, turbo heat shield, high flow fuel pump, etc?

 

Not sure if the picture shows it well enough, but there is oil under some of the bolts. Is this a valve cover issue or a gasket issue?

 

Looks like you need a new valve cover gasket. No new parts for 09. Next gen. For that motor was 2011. Some say the tensioner was updated during the great chain fiasco. A concave end/head is the new one.

 

It's a little blurry but make sure it isn't leaking from the valve on the top in the back. That is the pcv valve. If that it was is leaking you will need a valve cover assembly. Also it could possibly fail and stick causing lean running and mixture adaptation faults. Or a valve cover gasket if its only on the top of the cylinder head.

 

Yeah that's what I thought. Is it better to replace the cover with the gasket at the same time? Going to look at an 09 MCS tomorrow that has a few less miles

 

The dealer is looking at it on the morning..... So I'll see what he says about it. I also noticed that both the turbo lines look oiled over. So I'm guessing those would have to be replaced

 

No if it's good then it is good. Valve cover assemblies are close to $500 if I remember. Also the labor shouldn't be more than 1.5hr. It is pretty straight forward.

 

Yeah I'm hoping they come off the price some and I'll fix it myself. The turbo lines bothered me more than the valve cover. The was also a rattle/tick.... I'm thinking it's the turbo heat shield which is under warranty I think

 

The turbo line is quite a job. If you have them do it also make sure you add in the oil filter housing gaskets, cooler gaskets, and coolant(maybe .5hr more charge). They do lose a lot of oil due to the turbo and higher heat. Just make sure the oil level is okay. Also could be waste gate noise during start up.

 

At some point MINI changed the design of the valve cover to address the carbon buildup issues. If it doesn't have the new cover you'll probably want to get it instead of just replacing the gasket. I haven't done it, but I understand the valve cover and gasket are relatively easy to replace. Not sure whether there is any reprogramming to be done with the redesigned cover.

The turbo oil line is a pain to replace due to the tight space, but it is a relatively simple fix, and cheap if you can DIY.

 

Ended up with the 09 MCS. Just had a new clutch put in, so that made the deal

 

So even though my steering wheel has the hands-free bluetooth buttons I'm guessing the hifi stereo does not have bluetooth. I can't find a phone pairing option in the settings

 

Every MINI steering wheel has that button, whether the car has Bluetooth or not. BMW vin decoders will give you a complete picture of what's on your car. I had a 09 MCS. It was a strong little guy,but it did rattle and clatter. It was always fun to try to figure out what was making " that" noise.

 

That's what I was thinking and I just checked, it does not have bluetooth.