R60 Reliability Base versus Turbo Engine
#1
Reliability Base versus Turbo Engine
i am considering buying a countryman. if reliability is more important to me than off the line power, how reliable is the base engine versus the turbo. it seems to me (reading through a lot of posts here) that the turbo has been problematic with hesitation issues during hard acceleration and these problems seem to get worse over time. any help would be much appreciated.
#3
Join Date: Jun 2010
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That pretty much sums it up. Drive the Base, if it feels good to you, and reliability is your primary concern, go for it! The S engines have had some trouble, although in all fairness, problems are disproportionately reported on internet forums. It's their nature. Still, I'd be wary, because thats MY nature
#4
#5
The turbo doesn't feel like it has much hesitation to me - some of that feeling may be from the throttle delay, you can get something called a "Sprint Booster" that is supposed to get rid of the delay:
http://www.sprintboostersales.com/de...MAN&engine=Gas
I don't have one myself but was thinking about getting one, someone else posted that they really liked it.
As for reliability, at this point it's the same engine that has been in the MINI for a number of years now so it's probably pretty reliable... I did buy an extended mechanical failure policy through Geico that lasts up to 100k, just in case the turbo decides to go out...
http://www.sprintboostersales.com/de...MAN&engine=Gas
I don't have one myself but was thinking about getting one, someone else posted that they really liked it.
As for reliability, at this point it's the same engine that has been in the MINI for a number of years now so it's probably pretty reliable... I did buy an extended mechanical failure policy through Geico that lasts up to 100k, just in case the turbo decides to go out...
#7
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#8
I think the real "hesitation" to which the reference is meant to describe is the "at speed entrance ramp" stumble that some folks have experienced. It appears that the cause of this is may be some "blowby" gasses and oil contaminants from the PCV valve getting into the intake manifold.
Peugeot (manufacturer of the THP150 engine used in MINI's turbo models) have recently made available a one-way PCV system retrofit that is designed to solve this problem. You can read more about this HERE.
It would be interesting to see if any new 2012 CM-S owners can confirm whether this retrofit is now coming from the factory. Check the pictures on the linked site to see the before and after.
Note that even if the CM-S engines don't have the retrofit, it is a very cheap part and can probably be internationally ordered. Of course, it would be best if MINI were to handle the retrofit, but I won't be waiting around for that if my 2012 CM-S arrives sans valve!
HTH,
Peugeot (manufacturer of the THP150 engine used in MINI's turbo models) have recently made available a one-way PCV system retrofit that is designed to solve this problem. You can read more about this HERE.
It would be interesting to see if any new 2012 CM-S owners can confirm whether this retrofit is now coming from the factory. Check the pictures on the linked site to see the before and after.
Note that even if the CM-S engines don't have the retrofit, it is a very cheap part and can probably be internationally ordered. Of course, it would be best if MINI were to handle the retrofit, but I won't be waiting around for that if my 2012 CM-S arrives sans valve!
HTH,
#9
#10
It looks as though the check valve is designed to let gasses pass (low mass stuff) through to the intake manifold but prevent higher mass stuff (liquids like oil) from passing. Basically, the design appears to allow the check valve to remain in an open state until the mass of the liquid nudges the "stopper" closed.
A commonly available aftermarket oil catch can will do the same thing, but uses gravity instead of an "active" component like the stopper. The difference is cost and ease of retrofitting, with the catch can being more $$$ and a bit more "invasive".
Providing that the check valve allows the gasses to pass (!), it is theoretically in compliance. However, I believe the US EPA must re-certify any manufacturer's changes to pollution control devices so it may be a while before we see this retrofit certified and into the MINI parts/service system.
#11
That's with a $250 deductible.
I think you probably have to have insurance, but I suppose you could try pricing out a policy that had only that...
#12
#13
Sorry,
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