Hi Guys,

I've bought a *MODIFIED* 2003 MCS.

Here's a list of modifications which are linked to the drivetrain only:

-mini madness cold air intake with ciwl mod
-mini madness v2 header
-intake port match and polished
-rmw street cam
-440cc injectors
-jcw GP intercooler
-invidia t1 catback
-15% alta pulley
-ferrea valves+1.25mm intake and exhaust 3 degrees
-ferrea titanium retainers
-detroit tunes bypass valve
-jcw spark plugs
-msd ignition
-nology wires

The question is, I notice my fuel consumption is excessively high comparing with other members from my forum (12 liters per 100km or 19MPG) my driving style consist of few hi rpm shift every now and then, but far for redlining all the time, and also I find my exhaust too loud for a daily driver.

This car came which a reflashing tool similar to what is sold on the RMW website, so I assume it has been tuned by RMW previously.

1. I have the stock headers in my garage, will putting it back reduce noise significantly or should exhaust also be replaced back to stock

2. Is putting stock injector or JCW, with a retune is advisable with all the amount of mods on my car? I want a compromise between fuel consumption and performance. It is also ok if I don't get the full potential of these mods as long as i'm not damaging the car's components.

What are my thoughts so far is replacing the INVIDIA EXHAUST for the sound, and even the MINI MADNESS HEADERS back to STOCK for both (because emission inspection will eventually be mandatory in my province)...And do a retune with that setup. Because I don't want to start looking for stock parts and paying labor to replace them.

Thank you in advance for your input, I will try to come by regularly for any additional info that might be useful.

 

With the larger valves and cam profile, the 440 injectors were needed to keep the thing from running so lean it would self destruct. You couldn't change to smaller injectors without at least swapping the cam back to stock and retuning. The 19mpg is definitely from the injectors, cam and tune.

 

you're going to have to retune for most of what you are looking to pull off and put back to stock.

i will trade you my '03 jcw intercooler for your gp intercooler....
you won't need a retune for that, and it's smaller and allows you to access the sparkplugs easily...
comes with a ddm diverter!

I'll even pay shipping for an even trade ;-)

 

thanks for your input ocbaud, I'm trying to minimize unnecessary removing of parts, especially for even trade, i don't have the skills or time to start swapping part that wont affect my MPG.

 

Give Jan at RMW a call, he can probably help you.
If nothing else he can check to see if your car was tuned by RMW and what the tune was working to do.
Tell him what you want and it could be as simple as getting an new tune from him. I have not talked to Jan but I keep reading how easy it is to talk to him and how helpful he is.

 

I'm sure Jan can help, but as far as the 550's.I was running them with everything you have and a little more and still got 30 mpg. Oh I'm also running an automatic. I changed back to the 380, had Jan retune it and runs great.

 

Coco Costa, I know your MINI pretty well (I bought the previous head unit from your previous car owner). This car needs a tune (because it doesn't have any). The tune it has it's the JCW tune. I got my car tuned by RMW and I got a better fuel consumption (7.0l/100km city/highway) than the stock S tune.

Here is my mods list: ported/polished head, 450cc injectors, RMW Street Cam, header 4-1 + Exhaust System, 15% pulley, CAI and RMW tune.

EDIT: Oh, by the way, I am on the way to upgrade my exhaust system for a quieter one too. I will give you news.

 

Thanks Heavy Metal for your info, I knew I wasn't crazy and something must have been out of tune, where did you go to get it tuned? In the US, or do you know any tuners in our area?

thanks

 

19mpg is really low even with the mods. i would look at your alignment or the tires you are using. we have cars with more mods and dyno at 250 wheel hp and get 28mpg with out any problems. mods don't don't always mean low mpg.

hope that helps.

Chad
Detroit Tuned

 

+1 on needing a tune. Call Jan at RMW.
Try swapping out the header to see how that does for the sound level. Just changing the header will probably get the sound level to an acceptable level. If still too loud, look for a used JCW exhaust on the marketplace.

 

Coco Costa, I replied to your pm. Short answer: I went to Norwich,CT a 1st time and to Rochester,NY a 2nd time to get my car tuned by RMW. There are 2 closest locations to tune MINI from Montréal.

 

Give Jan at RMW a call, he can probably help you.

 

With the list of mods, the car must/should be making some big hp...
those parts are worth big $$, but the tune is dependant upon them all being there...remove one...and a retune is needed to prevent some major issues...think new motor.
so imo, trade the car, and find a stock S if you want better mpg...a stock gen 1 s, driven nice, 100% highway is only a 30 mpg car at best, and maybe 19 in town...my car is modded a bit...but can still do slightly better than stock mpg when driven nice.....
A car with a bigvalve head and cam, big injectors, detuned will never make good mpg with decent tourqe and druveability...your car is a higher rpm car now...it is modded for power at high rpms at the expense of lower rpm tourqe and mpg....
So unless you swap or trade out most of the parts, including the head, then retune (at one time), you are kinda stuck....nice mod list though..should get some nice $$ from the right person if it runs good!!!

 

if your looking for better miles per gallon sell it and buy a R50 (base) no super charger and that highly modded ride will go to someone who wants that stuff.

 

ZippyNH, Hold on. Trade the car and get a stock one? Coco Costa is on the way to find how to fix his car and you suggest him to get rid of it. So, it will be become the other's problem.

That car isn't complicated to fix. It doesn't have a tune scaled to the injectors size, that's why. Also, I know the previous owner of his car, he did it right but he didn't have time to get it done (tune it by RMW). As he (previous owner) is working to a BMW dealer, he made all the work by MINI/BMW mechanics at his dealer. He knows also Alain Lauzière who is racing in a modified MINI Cooper S 1st gen. His head unit (Ferrea valve + retainers) came up from the Alain Lauzière's racing MINI.

 

The car already has the flash tool....so unless the previous owner never got around to tuning the car, i would assume it is tune...due to the cost of a retune (dyno time plus tune about $500), i would hope jan would look at the current tune and tell you if it seemed appropriate....
but with those mods, 19 mpg is not crazy bad...heck if he got it to 25 it would be neat, but i bet it is largely dependant upon driving style, and what folks call mixed driving...
Jusy one or two redline or upper rpm excusions with those mods, and your mpg is gone....heck if the car was not tune already, i bet it would not run great...and i see no complatants about performance.
From what i have seen, if a person complains about a mini's mpg after purchase, it is because they looked at gen2 mpg specs, then bought a gen1.....
gen1 cars never got great mpg....you got eek out 29-30 mpg hiway with the right tires, but that is not whst the car is made for....a stock mini in the mid 20's in mixed driving is common....lower or even 19 with some traffic, stop signs and a some driving excitement.....19 is only 2-3 mpg off where i would expect it to be, but driving syyle or even a bad o2 sensor can account for that.
He says it is too loud....so the exaust needs to go....header too...and on a custom tune, that will decrease airflow....making the cwr run richer....so add a new tune. So $1000 for a good ear frrendily exaust (stratous or milteck), trade for a header, retune, up to $1500 just to fix the sound issue, and maybe make the mpg better.....
Adding a resionator at a custom muffler shop might help yhe sound, but unmodifed, the used exhaust/header will bring more $, and have more of an effect imo.

 

Just reread and saw you said he was not tuned as you knew the prior owner...
So 100% tune it...and see the effect...just adjust/fix the exaust before the tune.

 

ZippyNH, the current "tune" of that car is a JCW programmation from the dealer. That's all. The previous owner planed to get tune it bu RMW in Rochester,NY in spring 2010 but he didn't have time to take day off and drove back there. He was busy.

 

With those mods, and 440's, the car is screaming to be tuned...most likely the owner is lucky it runs as good as it does...the extra fuel, the bigvalve head...must kinda let it run ok...kinda a shame it was never tuned. Imo get a good exhaust...dual sideed like the milteck...then if still too loud, swap out the header, then tune...car should run great, sound better, and should be a bit better on mpg. Sounds like a great list of parts, this car has potential to be a real screamer.

 

To the op....
The car is adding (if it is indeeded untuned) in the same % injector time wot as the jcw tune (either jcw, or jcw210)....this means that anytime you are driving the car at anymore than very light throttle (cruise accleration) the computer is using the stored maps...so it is adding fuel witj the maps for the stock 340 cc or jcw210 tune jcw380 cc injectors....mostly at full flow, so you can see the flow with the 440's is a good % higher than the computer thinks...
When running at light throttle, the car uses the o2 sensor (precat) to adjust the fuel flow, and untuned you will sometimes get a fuel trim code warning from the computer if the injectors are not scaled.
Running my s with jcw380's was fine, no codes, pretune but i did gain mpg and power, and more importantly drivabiloty from the tune. The tool you have is good for one car...
Can download the tune from the computer, sendit to the tuner....this with the dyno info is sent....updated, emailed back, uploaded to the car....then run again....back a fourth for 4 or 5 times, and when done, wow, it will be great.
A general rule is, the more modded the car, the more benifical the tune. And you are modded more than 75% of the gen1 cars out there!!

 

Yes, get a proper tune before removing parts.. I assume you bought the car because of it's performance parts and paid accordingly... No use in taking them off and then buying lesser parts to put on...