--

 

Lol, i know.:

 

Changed the air filter. This has got to be the dirtiest one I've ever seen in my life. It was like sludge. Prolly never been changed by the previous own. The filter said UK something something on it and was red under all that grime.

 

Walnut blasted the intake valves 2 weeks ago.




After


I had a reduced power warning and trouble code. Thanks to some info from another member I was able to find and correct the problem last night. I may or may not have broke double digit speeds on test drive...

It definitely idles smoother now and the occasion miss at idle seems to have cleared. The car has just over 64K miles. A little more pep in the step so to speak. I'm happy.

 

haha Theoretical testing on test drives!

I am approaching 120k miles on my R53 and have had zero issues. But I also use Techron fuel cleaner every 3k miles religiously. My Honda Odyssey has 170k on it and runs great as well. Honda CRX has 249k miles on it without issues.

 

Find out where that Mini lived and drove and then avoid that area like the plague. That is gross stuff that got filtered out on there. Woof.

Might want to have someone clean out the vent system, including the intake, too.

 

Wonder if that build up comes from not using Tier 1 fuel? Will Techron be able to clean that stuff out?

 

My right rear wheel seemed to have a crazy amount of camber. Turns out the lock nuts on my hotchkis lower control arms came loose and it became longer giving the wheel more camber. Glad I caught it when I did, that could have been bad!

On a positive note it's nice to know how easy it is to adjust those things! Had it fixed in about 2 minutes.

 

In the case of my R56 with the N14 engine, no. Fuel quality has no impact on the carbon build up. It's a direct injection motor so no fuel ever passes over the back of the valves. Using an additive won't help the issue that I had. I use good quality high octane fuel in my mini. Not sure if CooperSAZ was just bragging about miles or if that was an implied dig that I should be using a fuel system treatment. I'll assume he's just bragging, which I can do too! haha I have a Ford Ranger with 193K that gets seafoamed regularly and it runs great.

 

I have a Ford F350, with 230,000 miles on the odometer, that I do nothing with, other than change the oil every couple of years and it runs great.

Seafoam is just more snake oil.

 

I got 2 Ford Rangers both 3.0's, a 2000 with 205,000 and a 2006 with 195,000. Both running great but the 2006 got an oil leak, "sigh" Replaced dino oil every 5,000 miles

I can play mechanic on these Ford's as there's room in the engine bay, compared to our Mini, Yikes!

 

Good question. Using crap fuel saves you a few pennies but you really defer the expense until a later time. Of which, it should be more expense to repair/replace whatever you clogged up.

I had the Odyssey in for some work about 1-2 yrs ago and the Honda tech went nosing around to upsell the carb cleaner service and said it was not needed. That everything looked good at this time. So...

Maybe I need more mileage on my Mini, but I have been trouble free to date. I swapped out the fuel filter back in Feb-2015 (at 104k miles) and it did not look too bad. I've seen much worse on this forum.

I've "heard" and read that going to Chevron is nice because it already contains Techron... but it appears that there is JUST enough in the gas to say it contains techron. (marketing) So that allows them to charge a small premium for their gas. It seems adding a 12oz bottle of Techron is a better/bigger shot in the arm.

I never pay the $8.99-9.99/bottle. I hunt them on Amazon when they go on sale for $4.50-$4.99/bottle or the local FLAPS when they have them on sale.

Something to consider.

 

Tonight, I sank the car in the mud....Went to a play, parked near the exit, should have known better, but even with the rain we got in NJ, I didn't think the ground was going to be that soft. Waiting for my brother-in-law with his Chevy Silverado to pull the car out. I'll be doing some car washing tonight....

 

Ouch... mud season strikes deep. And to find a patch of mud in NJ!! Who wudda thunk?!
We get a lot of that here in the Spring as the snow melts. Turns the ground into the consistency of pudding for a couple of weeks.

Hope your brother in-law showed up! A high pressure car wash will take care of the gunk.

 

 

Good brother in-law, good rescue work! Mini nice clean and dry in garage. Looks really good. You're getting rain and we're getting snow here tonight, so our Mini is still in the garage.

 

x2 Very cool brother in law! Where you parked does not look like a treacherous area... wow... glad you are out of the muck and under your own power now.

 

Hope you found the tow ring and everything came out OK.

Edit:

Oooos, missed your follow up picture post. Nicely done. Glad all is OK!

 

i would have ordered up a LSD while waiting for BIL

 

And wider tires at lower pressure!

Unfortunately, sinking in water saturated mud, even with grass on it, is very easy to do.

 

Well last night we got hammered with bad weather hail as big as golf ball size and my baby was parked outside with clear sky's, as you see I have carbon hood and panoramic roof waiting for rain to stop so I can check for any damage I am so frustrated should have parked the porsche out there and my baby inside.

 

Good news no damage at all!!!
Next was my adventure to find a front chin spoiler,as many of you R56 owners know or not there are no spoilers for R56 under $400 and I dI'd not see why that kinda money should be spent on a plastic now carbon fiber is another story $600+.
So in search of an option for some time and all over Internet I came up only with frustration.
Last week at lunch I parked next to a truck later I found out that it is a 2005 Chevy colorado and looking at the front of this truck suddenly it strike me there it was a chin spoiler that I could use. Internet was back on found it $34 wow I thought to my self if it don't work so what, but it did and I am very happy 2 hours and I am done.

http://www.getallparts.com/Chevrolet...7TwaAmaN8P8HAQ
Wow eaven cheaper

And the rods was $11 ebay

 

I have to be honest, I thought you were going to have damage. Last time a storm like that rolled through Phoenix, anything and everything that wasn't covered at the time was destroyed/damaged.

Glad to hear you dont have a major set back.

 

Nicely done. If only held only with those Phillips head screws you may have some trouble after a few high speed runs. Lip spoilers, depending on how aggressive they are create down force by diverting pressure. Enough down force pressure and you will end up running over that piece with all 4 wheels on the highway....Kits from M7 and alike use bolts with washers.

 

Close call on those storms Bnourai. Could have totaled the Mini. With that kind of luck you should really go buy a lottery ticket.