Hello All,

I became a first time MINI owner yesterday, purchasing a 2008 MINI Cooper S (Blue)! I was lucky enough to find a relatively clean MINI in Pennsylvani and had the joy of driving 3 hours back to northern VA yesterday with the car...probaby the most fun drive I have had. I am not new to European cars, also owning a BMW E30 and E90 and did get a PPI on the MINI. During the PPI, done at a MINI dealership, the following were identified as needing replacing/ fixed. If you were in my shoes, how woud your prioritize the repairs and level of severity of the issue? As the Dealership explained, they did not feel there were any show stopper or abnormal issues, as most of the issues amounted to oil leaks. In general, how concerned should I be about hunting after oil leaks and getting them addressed? Dealership recommended just keeping an eye on the oil and maitaining the levels when needed. What do you think?

- Serpentine Belt Cracked/ Worn

- Oil Leaks (Replace Valve Cover Gasket, Oil Pan Gasket, Crankshaft Sensor Seal, Engine Oil Filter Housing Gasket, Vaccum Pump O-Ring)

- Replace Transmission Right Axle Seal

- Replace Front Brake Pad Wear Sensor

Happy to be part of the MINI community!

Thanks!

 

Hi and welcome to NAM and the Mini adventure!
Congrats on your Mini purchase!
We like to see pics, so post some up!
Issues needing attention:

Serpentine Belt Cracked/ Worn: Replace immediately! (1+)

- Oil Leaks (Replace Valve Cover Gasket, Oil Pan Gasket, Crankshaft Sensor Seal, Engine Oil Filter Housing Gasket, Vaccum Pump O-Ring) These need doing. Keep checking fluids all the time, as running low on oils or coolant can be a car ender! (1)

- Replace Transmission Right Axle Seal Do as soon as possible, as there is no real good way to check the oil if it is automatic (unless you know how). If it is manual shift, low oil is killer! (3)

- Replace Front Brake Pad Wear Sensor I am guessing by this comment, there is a warning code on the dash. Don't play with brakes! They are your lifeline! (2)

 

Forgot about the pics! Thanks also for your input, much appreciated!

 

Welcome and Congrats. if that's the only issues it has it should be a good car. We stock all those parts if you need.

 

Welcome to the forum and MINI ownership. Once you get the first wave of maintenance done, stay on top of the routine maintenance, especially synthetic oil changes ever 5,000 miles. MINIs are a lot of fun to drive and the extra attention to maintenance is a reasonable price to pay.