Anyone in the states pick up the new John Cooper Motorsports intake? (the JCW intake with the extra flap/electronics removed)

http://www.johncooper.co.uk/JohnCoop...e+Tuning+Kits/

If so, where? I e-mailed the john cooper folks to ask about shipping chrages but haven't gotten any response...

 

i've seen this and been curious myself...looks very cool!

 

Isn't this the same concept as a Dinan box? If so, I'd think that it would be the cheaper alternative to a JCW part that you may have to import.

 

Looks like a way to have your cake and eat it to. sort of...like have the look of a JCW airbox but have more of the benefits of a typical CAI.

 

Well a couple of things

First, I didn't thing JC motorsports would ship any of that stuff to the US. I think several people wanted to buy the full 225 upgrade kit

Second, if you dont have the flap, its going to sound like an Alta open all the time ... cool if you want the noise, not cool if you don't ... a matter of taste

Third, if they do ship expect shipping to be a bit expensive

And, as it says, it will void your warranty.

Please keep us advised if you get it. Cost, etc. JCW is slow to answer Emails. When I wanted to talk to them, I just called them. Just remember the difference in time zones. They do answer the phone

 

Not in the U.S. First something has to go wrong on your car, then the dealer has to show how your mod was the cause. And in such a situation the whole warranty doesn't get voided.

 

I guess you haven't read all the MM threads yet?

ALthough it would be funny if a JCM part caused problems

 

Just get a US spec JCW intake and gut it of all the mechanical parts. seems like it the same thing as that.

BTW, you can get JCM parts, but you need to get them from a UK vendor, as far as i know.

 

I've been modifing the JCW airboxes like that for awhile. It helps it get more air to make more power. It doesn't sound bad either. No where near as loud as an Alta, as the JCW airbox can't suck enough air to sound like the Alta. Most of the time I've been installing the High flow foam JCW replacement filter at the same time.

 

And if you read the website you can only do the FULL 225 upgrade if you bring your car by their shop,as they insist upon doing the install. The UK is just a bit of a commute

 

I've done what MiniGuru has done....removed the entire 'flap' and associated vacuum lines and I can hear it breathing better without being noisier. If you have a JCW intake, take the flap off, you won't regret it.

 

I understand that some people have had warranty issues, but I honestly think part of the reason that some people run it this is b/c dealships feel like they have the upper hand. And part of it is how they view the customer. We've all heard horror stories about how women get hosed by service departments.

I'm really not the type to brag or drop names, but I do let them know that I'm not the type that would simply accept their decision not to cover something under warranty. So, when I drop my car off, I tell them that I have an OBD-II code reader and tell them that I checked it out (if I get a code).

I there isn't a code, I let them know that I had my friend look at it. BTW, he's a Porsche master mechanic and former factory rep (now retired).

And I suppose that it doesn't hurt that the salesperson we bought the car from is a family friend. My brother works with her husband and I walked down the ailse with her at my brother's wedding! If service even starts to question something or give me the run around I give her a call. This has worked pretty well.

And speaking of the sales person, she knows that my wife and I both work for a well known and pretigious national law firm (don't think less of us, we're not lawyers, just work for them). I don't see it ever coming to this, but free legal services is a nice bonus.

Would it surprise you that I've never had trouble being covered under the warranty for my modded MCS, VW, or Nissan?

 

Read here https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=49580

Its a long read but the bottom line was that it would take far more money to win than the car was worth. There are many other posts where ppl were denied warranty work just due to a pulley. Ask Skiploader if he thinks MINIUSA has the upper hand (BTW, its not the dealer, dealer shouldn't care ... they get paid by MINIUSA). He seems to have the experience in this area.

I think it would be funny if MINIUSA denied warranty work due to a JCM part and hence the warning on their website...

Motor on ... Yeah, that would be too long to drive to have the work done!

 

I could be wrong, but doesn't the dealer make less on warranty jobs?

 

I dont think so. Most jobs are done by a flat rate. An oil change cost $$$ regardless if it takes them 2 minutes or 2 hours. I believe that to be true. Diagnostic work may be by the hour.

Last time I was in the shop, I tried to argue with the Dealer about a battery and they said absolutely no. MINIUSA wil not reimburse (long story). MINIUSA pays for the warranty work, the dealer is not doing it for free. Installing the battery I was charged a flat rate (how long can it take to change a battery?) even though it only took a few minutes.

So ... I think it may be the same ... That might not be true for all cars. I dunno.

 

I assume the vacuum line can just be plugged, how about the little electrical plug? Isn't that part of the system?

 

Why not just mod the stock air box like I did?
I made the hole to the cowl area in the bottom of the box bigger too.
Pics in gallery.

I know. It doesn't say JCW on it......

 

Yes the dealer will make more money if the job is customer pay rather than warranty. They bill every job at a flat rate, but if it is customer pay they take the warranty time and multiply it by some dealer index. Usually it's 1.5 times as much. So if warranty says it takes 1 hour, and it is now a customer pay job they will charge you 1.5 hours. And since I use to work at a dealer usually if warranty says it will take an hour it will take you at least an hour if not longer. This way the dealer makes more money, but more so the technician will be more likely to get the job done in the time he will actually get payed for rather than loosing time and money.

 

Perhaps you might want to ask the managing partner at your law firm if they would take on a M-M litigation on contingency? You might be surprised at the answer....

 

It really has nothing to do with the Dealership. It has to do with the manufacturer. Mini has regional reps that pop in on dealership service departments for a variety of reasons. They have been raising stink about service departments that are doing warranty work on modded cars.

They won't care. Trust me, with all due respect you are a heck of a less less intimidating to them than the Regional Rep who they have to kowtow to. If you mod beyond what they have experienced as a tolerable limit with the Rep, your warranty is compromised - period.

Unless he's also willing to fix the car for free and moonlight as you lawyer (also for free), he might as well be the tooth fairy for all the good it will do you.

In the case of warranty denial for modifications, it really won't help either. The only way it could possibly help is if this family friend applies for and gets the Regional Service Rep position.

I can guarantee you that BMW/Minis lawyers are even scarier with a large corporate war chest at their disposal.

Please list the warranty work performed on your car and what mods were present at the time - MCS only. Having your freon recharged on your leaky AC under warranty with a pullied car is different than having a head gasket, wiring harness or other big ticket item fixed with the same mod.

 

Actually, the law firm that represents MINI/BMW relishes the opportunity to litigate - they can charge MINI/BMW for everything (even faxes and photocopying are charged to MINI/BMW...).

 

Not to get back on track here, but the new JCM intake is about $365 shipped. Go for the Dinan.

 

actually to really get back on track here; besides plugging the vacuum line what else do I need to think about when I remove the flap from the JCW airbox?

 

yes, i'd like to know the answer to this as well seeing asi will be asking my dealer to remove the flap for me this week. is that it? or do you need to remove other connections as well? i would think just taking out the flap should do the trick...

 

cooldaddy, there are just four screws to removing the flap. All vacuum lines are attached to this and I found that you need not plug anything.
The one additional mod I did was replace the JCW throw-away paper filter with a K&N universal filter #RU-3130. It slipped right over the stock 'neck' on the JCW lid and attached by the supplied hose clamp.