Hey all, I just picked up my first Mini. It's a 2009 Clubman S. I have a few questions about it that I was hoping to get answered. I'll search the forum, but I'll post the questions here too.

1. What distinguishes a 'JCW' from an 'S'.
2. I have a warranty so I'm not too worried, but I am concerned that my lifters may be making a bit too much noise. My Mini is the only Mini I've ever heard run at idle. Should the motor be nice and quiet, or is it normal to hear a little chatter? That is, a rhythmic 'ting' of sorts. It runs like a scalded dog, so I'm certain it isn't a rod or anything of the sort. If it were, I'm sure it would be louder.
3. I would like to replace some of the decals, specifically the Black Jack on the roof. Where is the best place to get one? The dealer? Or....
4. I've read conflicting data on the backspacing and bolt pattern. Is the bolt pattern 4x100mm, and the backspacing 0.40?

I think that's it... Thanks in advance for the welcome and for the input.

 

Welcome and congrats! I can take a stab at a couple of those questions. The JCW is a factory tuner car with higher output than the regular S. It has a couple of different pieces of hardware and different engine control software. It's not hard to make your S perform like a JCW. That's what sites like this are for.

The ticking sound you may be hearing are the direct injectors: they are noisy. Of course, have a mechanic listen to the engine to be sure. It is very important that you change the oil religiously! Don't be fooled by the factory oil service intervals, change the oil at least every 5K miles. At least. Trust me, that piece of advice will save you thousands of dollars.

There are some very good MINI decal guys including Todd's mods and Lyle's vinyl styles. Both of those guys are excellent.

The bolt pattern is 4X100 and I think the offset is ET41, but don't quote me on that.

Eric

 

Thanks Eric. I'll take that advice to heart. Does that apply to conventional oil, or to synthetic as well?

 

Synthetic as well.

 

Noted.

 

Welcome to the MINIacs!

Motor on!