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1st GearNew members: make an initial post and introduce yourself as you shift from Neutral to First Gear. Current members: meet some of the new members.
BMW/MINI has their own spec for coolant and it isn’t compatible with other coolants. As for the jolt when lifting off the throttle, that is likely a blown engine mount. There are a lot of posts on NAM here as to replacing that. With 45k miles on the car, the lower control arm bushings are likely to also need replacement. The Powerflex are a good choice and could be done at the same time as replacing the CV boots. Enjoy your “new” MINI. Sounds like it has a good home now.
After reading on here about the different types of coolant and all the different opinions about which is best I thought play safe and get OEM coolant. And yes been looking at PU bushes for suspension and the engine mounts. I sense a build thread coming on 😅
Thanks everyone for the compliments on the clean garage! I did kick the family car out and turn on the ac. It was such a nice place to work in!
Originally Posted by ssean72
I didn’t have any issues installing the B4’s other the the fronts I had to open up the lower mount due to the b4 base being just a little bit bigger...
The Bilstein B4s were a larger diameter than the OEM. I also needed to expand the hub/clamp. My clamp bolts came right out and I didn't remove my ball joints. Only the roll bar links and the lower strut clamp bolt were removed. Went well. Except for the cv axle bearing support. Went through 3 sets of Snap Ring Pliers. That should have been a very easy swap but it just absorbed my time.
The car feels much smoother to drive. New tires are ordered and will be installed with a 4 wheel alignment tomorrow at lunch. Can't wait to have balanced tires and a car that will track straight!
This spring compressor that I rented is awesome! I've used it now for 3 sets of struts. Here is the front strut all tore apart. Old OEM on the bottom and new B4 on the top. All put back together and back on the ground.
I am getting a pinging from my right rear brake. It changes with the vehicle speed and goes away anytime the brake is applied. I would guess a bent dust cover but there is not one at the rear. I inspected both rears discs (brand new <500 miles on rotors and pads) and there are no scratches or grooves.
Should I just tear apart the rear and lube the shaft (#2 in diagram) that the calipers float on? Any ideas?
Need a little more info about the rear end noise in order to help.
Thank you for the compliments about 2005 & 2006 being good years!
Please ignore what the video is looking at, the sound is what is important. It gets embarrassingly loud by the time I pull into my work parking lot. (This is taken in a random parking lot) Any ideas of what it might be? New pads and rotors. No binding that I can find.
Had my new tires installed and an alignment done today. I saw them perform the work, but they didn't give me before and after. Was told they forgot to print it and it is no longer available for retrieval. Really irks me when I think of it. I saw that my front right had -1.7 degree camber and the front left had -1.1 degree. The alignment guy was kind of a jerk and told me how dumb I was to put in fixed camber vs an adjustable set. Is that enough of a difference to matter?
Old vs new Found this inside my bald rear tires. Completely deteriorating on the insides! Never seen that before. Just some balancing. This was supposed to be my good tire!
Last edited by RndmGuy06; 07-11-2018 at 07:37 PM.
Reason: Organization Issues from my mobile device.
RE: the tire with all the rubber in it... that is from the car being driven with very low air in the tire, the rubber tears itself apart from the inner sidewall.
That new tire sidewall damage looks like it was made by what ever put that strange dirt imprint on it...
Thank you for the compliments about 2005 & 2006 being good years!
Please ignore what the video is looking at, the sound is what is important. It gets embarrassingly loud by the time I pull into my work parking lot. (This is taken in a random parking lot) Any ideas of what it might be? New pads and rotors. No binding that I can find. https://youtu.be/xlxaQCykz4o
OK, I will admit to having Rush/Kiss/Mountain damaged ears and can’t hear what you are hearing. But, to hazard a guess based on you saying that it sounds like a dust shield rubbing on the rotor but there is none, I would say that a brake pad clip is out of place and is rubbing on the rotor.
I had a cut in a tire that looked like that. It was in a parking lot and the tire was flat and it wasn’t a run flat tire. And it was a RE71R track tire that was on the car to go to the track later that week. Tire Rack came through for me, though.
Thanks for your help so far! I will try and get a better recording. I'll admit in the video I posted, the squeak was quieter than normal. Took the car on the freeway today...it is a new car. Much more planted, smooth, and much quieter too!
Looks like 89 out of Logan might be a good test of what you have...
As far north in Utah that I have gotten is Powder Mountian , so can’t say I have tried that route. But it looks on Google like it might be fun.
That “new” car feel is great, right! Glad it is doing well for you.
Looks like 89 out of Logan might be a good test of what you have...
As far north in Utah that I have gotten is Powder Mountian , so can’t say I have tried that route. But it looks on Google like it might be fun.
That “new” car feel is great, right! Glad it is doing well for you.
Enjoy!
Yes, Logan Canyon out to Bear Lake is an amazing drive, or ride! This is one of my favorite day trips on a motorcycle. That means it would probably be a blast in the Mini as well!
(I took this route on a motorcycle after Memorial Day last year and hit a couple inches of snow about halfway through coming back to Ogden (@ Monte Cristo Campground - 9,000 ft)...had to drive in the tire track from the car in front of me. Talk about a "Pucker Experience". Riding on a mountain pass with only 6-8 inches of safe-ish road...Made it safely home!)
That is nuts,! On 2 wheels in the snow? Nope not me!
That has got the monsoon rain day I did at LRP beat by a long shot...
I never got bit by the 2 wheel bug and, in a way, glad I didn’t. I might not have gotten the MINI and then I would have missed all the fun I have had with that. And 4 season fun, too.
That route looks like the best. Up and down hill along with nice turns. Probably as good or better than the “Tail of the Dragon”. I have driven to Powder Mtn through Ogden. That run up the canyon is nice, but too many slow pickups to be much fun. And I wonder about the people living there, below that dam. Not a place I would put a house. I still remember the Teton Dam disaster in the 70’s.
That is nuts,! On 2 wheels in the snow? Nope not me!
That has got the monsoon rain day I did at LRP beat by a long shot...
I never got bit by the 2 wheel bug and, in a way, glad I didn’t. I might not have gotten the MINI and then I would have missed all the fun I have had with that. And 4 season fun, too.
That route looks like the best. Up and down hill along with nice turns. Probably as good or better than the “Tail of the Dragon”. I have driven to Powder Mtn through Ogden. That run up the canyon is nice, but too many slow pickups to be much fun. And I wonder about the people living there, below that dam. Not a place I would put a house. I still remember the Teton Dam disaster in the 70’s.
Do you ski?
Being raised in Washington where everything is hydro, I never gave a dam second thought. But going to college in Eastern Idaho, the Teton Dam...wow I would be very nervous since seeing the destruction that caused to the valley. (I rode that same bike all through Idaho and been to the old Teton Dam view point. Crazy to think about.)
The two wheel bug? I recently realized you can get a similar scenic experience out of a convertible. For me, I've been riding since I was little, and there is one thing I know to be true about motorcycles. There are only two types of riders. Those have have put a bike down, and those that are going to put a bike down. Mine was in Logan Canyon the month after being married. I ended up in the river and had x-rays but was fine. Put the bike back together and still ride it.
Been cross country but never downhill skiing. Snowboarding is a blast. Since I rode my first sled...I have never wanted to freeze on a ski lift again! A snowmobile is the most fun I have ever had on something motorized!
The tire was a little low when I trailer-ed it home but looked decent enough on the outside. I drove the hour to the airport and back like that. Crazy to think about a blow out at 85mph. Or when I did a quick sprint over 130 (In a safe place of course! )
As with a lot of things, it is what you are used to. Me, I’ve been skiing since they were wood, poles were bamboo and boots were modified leather work boots. However, I was born with fear, so I have taken a long time get to the point of being able to ski some of the stuff I can now ski. Same for driving out on the track with the car almost sliding around corners. Crazy, some would say.
That fear I was born with has helped me focus on doing things to minimize risk and to question conventional wisdom. I spend a lot on tires and brakes as a result. Hope your new ones serve you well.
Absolutely right about convertibles. My first car was a MGA and then I had a Fiat 124 Spyder. And no helmet required. Although, with the windows open the MINI comes in a close second...
Decided to tackle a small repair today. My driver window would whistle at freeway speeds. It was pretty annoying, and I have a hour drive each way on Monday. I do not have a spanner wrench and was able to get the window moved with my careful hammer and flat head. Worked like a champ!
This was able to work for me because my window was not level in the rubber door seal. I raised the window and leveled at the same time.
Pulled the window trim to expose the window adjustment Careful used my hammer and slotted to loosen and tighten the window. *Use at your own risk! I take no responsibility if this doesn't work for you* The brass part of my ruler is about 5mm.
Last edited by RndmGuy06; 07-14-2018 at 02:20 PM.
Reason: Added a clarifying sentence.
As with a lot of things, it is what you are used to. Me, I’ve been skiing since they were wood, poles were bamboo and boots were modified leather work boots. However, I was born with fear, so I have taken a long time get to the point of being able to ski some of the stuff I can now ski. Same for driving out on the track with the car almost sliding around corners. Crazy, some would say.
That fear I was born with has helped me focus on doing things to minimize risk and to question conventional wisdom. I spend a lot on tires and brakes as a result. Hope your new ones serve you well.
Absolutely right about convertibles. My first car was a MGA and then I had a Fiat 124 Spyder. And no helmet required. Although, with the windows open the MINI comes in a close second...
I think fear is important. Yes face your fears, but it's a good thing to stop and think about your actions and/or the consequences. I've experienced cheap tires on my motorcycle and it was just not worth it. Went back to my double the cost, name brand tire. The same goes for cost vs worth in parts or repairs. There are certain things you just shouldn't skimp on.
It is crazy to think where you started with skiing and racing. I have young kids watching them work up to their current skill levels has been fun. My almost 3 year old son has a better grasp of steering input and the resulting direction of travel than my 5 year old! I modified the power wheels to take 24 volt Lipos (10 mph) and my son will power slide coming into the garage but last fall he was scared to even push the pedal (it was only 2.5 mph then ). I had him practise with his trike in the kitchen all winter. The fear that kept him safe in the fall has helped him to go to faster and request the faster battery!
Decided to finish up some of the loose ends. Broken side marker, replace the green supercharger gasket that did not arrive on time, and replaced the intermittent ABS Sensor. When I tore apart the interior all the speaker wires were shortened for an aftermarket amp. I took a while to run new wires and tuck them in.
Another Front End Service Mode Forgot to replace the green supercharger gasket After that I decided to fix my speakers. Little did I know I would need to tear everything out and run new wire to the head unit. This took forever!
Any experts with INPA Software? I need to reset my airbag light. I thought I could log in to the body and airbag modules, but have been unsuccessful. How can I reset this light? Also I had a service engine light prior to the green gasket replacement. (The last photo) Does this mean the O2 Sensor is going out?
Can't connect to the airbag module. Is this cable okay? This is the stored error. I think I had an air leak at the supercharger green gasket.
I don’t know if it is the same software, but there is a whole thread called NCSexpert (hope I got that right). I am pretty sure that software can reset the air bags. And has info about cables.
Are you using the MINI radio or an aftermarket? The MINI radio has a base cutout to the rear speakers. A quick fix is to switch the rear speaker wires with those going to the front speakers. The fronts do little base anyhow, so the cutout will have little affect on them.
I don’t know if it is the same software, but there is a whole thread called NCSexpert (hope I got that right). I am pretty sure that software can reset the air bags. And has info about cables.
Are you using the MINI radio or an aftermarket? The MINI radio has a base cutout to the rear speakers. A quick fix is to switch the rear speaker wires with those going to the front speakers. The fronts do little base anyhow, so the cutout will have little affect on them.
Aftermarket. Previous Owner replaced the head unit and rear speakers with Pioneer equipment. They sounds really good, but I think there are wiring issues with the fronts. No sound out of the driver except for the tweeter. I was getting sound out both of the passenger speakers.
07-09-2018, 07:06 PM
, so can’t say I have tried that route. But it looks on Google like it might be fun.
Nope not me! 
But going to college in Eastern Idaho, the Teton Dam...wow I would be very nervous since seeing the destruction that caused to the valley. (I rode that same bike all through Idaho and been to the old Teton Dam view point. Crazy to think about.)
