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2012 preowned countryman I picked up about 5 weeks ago, 50k miles, immaculate condition.
No issues thus far, and wouldnt say there are any, but, the few mornings its been in low 40s here in so cal, the mini really struggles to start-well, it starts but, turns over slowly, compared to warm starts.
I just put a new battery in (from mini, and registered it to the car), I use premium gas....what are some things I should check? spark plugs?
Check the build date on the VIN sticker. If the build is prior to 3/2012 then you have the older style fuel pump. When the fuel pump starts to go out, cold starts get more difficult. There are seal internal to the pump that shrink and don't seal as well when cold, making cold starts rough. But when the engine warms up, the seals will do their job, and the car will start fine.
Yes, March 2012 was the change-over date for the high pressure fuel pump. If you do indeed have the older style fuel pump, my suggestion would be to see if the dealer will check it out for you. I believe due to the issue, the warranty was extended to 10 years / 100k miles, whichever comes first. You're almost there if that the original pump!
Pop the hood, and look at the right side of the engine, on the side of the head. The older fuel pump can be seen in this picture:
Based on your picture, looks like your engine has the later style high pressure pump… When were the plugs last changed?
I bought car with 49k (only put 500 on it so far) from original owner who barely drove it and had all services done at MINI...I don't see plugs on any of the long list of records, so, not sure-if they have ever been changed. Could I pull them out one by one and do a visual check? (discoloration, gap, etc?).
