So my motorplan is gone, i am on 80 000km at the moment, im interested to know in what can go wrong with the MCS mechanical/engine wise. i do have a 17% pulley and a upgraded IC to protect against heat soak, and do drive occasionally hard, but if i do its mainly on weekends. so yes, what can go wrong with these cars? anyone had experiences? is it bad to drive it hard at times? can more go wrong?

thanks

 

not too much if you do the reg maintenance. At 80,000km/50,000miles you will need to plan on a belt sooner then later and keep up with the oil changes. I bet you'll have more money in brakes and suspension then the motor over the next 80,000km. The MINI motor is proving to be a long term keeper. Have Fun Drive Hard and check the oil.

 

The mini engine will do well as long as you dont dwell at high rpms with your 17 and cook the head
Make sure you do regular oil changes with quality oils and filters
I also would reccomend changing your trans fluid.
Keep an eye on the powersteering pump and your good to go.
its just the suspension bushings that take a beating being they are made from rubber.

 

Good to hear the mini isnt or wont be problematic!:-D will do oil changes regularly. Round about when does the clutch start giving in?

 

The clutch life is very much based on how it's used. Some can only get 50-75K other can get well over 100K.

 

mines holding a great deal more power than stock and ive got 72k on mine
Though i will be changing it soon because of the throw out bearing is feeling a bit old.
and their will soon be some more power...

 

This is a loaded question. I have to say everything, just because I've seen it all. But in all seriousness. You WILL have to get new control arm bushings for sure. Eventually I'd say you'll need a p/s pump, and a coolant expansion tank. Also most MINI's seem to have P/S lines that eventually leak. Otherwise all the other problems can be normal, but can't promise they will fail on every car. So don't stress over it, worry about it when it is broken.

 

thanks for all the replies! ive also seen a few times, MCS being advertised and in it the owner states "new supercharger" - ive even seen 1 with motorplan notifying the buyer about this, so when this is mentioned it doesnt mean an aftermarket supercharger. Does the supercharger pack up on some models?

 

The M45 is known to pack up after a while. In the ad, they are just mentioning a new M45 charger has been installed. To install a different supercharger is not as simple as bolting on.

 

Most likely you'll know when/if the supercharger is about to go. Seems like the most common failure is caused by the eventual loss of lube in the water pump end leading to the gears tearing themselves apart. If that happens, you'll hear the "death rattle." Miniguru makes a great point - with good, regular maintenance you can enjoy the car until something breaks, then worry about fixing it.

 

The belt is due to be changed @ every inspection II or if you'd treat this guys car as a JCW package due to the smaller SC pulley it'd get replaced at inspection service. Keep up with the factory maintenance schedule and there are no surprises or thinking about doing something that's covered in the schedule.