It sure is, I was thinking way more. But $600 bumpers 400 paint and now I have to buy the rest of stuff to complete them about 1800 by the time it's done.that includes GP2 rear difuser.

 

replaced the alternator....twice.... due to a DOA remanned from my local auto parts strore.
What is the normal voltage while cruising about 3k rpms with headlights and AC on? I'm showing about 13.7v

 

dbl post

 

 

I think if you test the battery by itself, you should get anywhere from 12.0v (dead) to 12.60v or 12.65v (new).
I get about 14.25v after turning the Cooper over and letting him idle. (124k miles on original alternator)

I should probably check to see what the voltage is at with headlights on and A/C.

 

 

Gave it its first wash after 3 weeks of ownership. Basic wash in the driveway with a microfiber mitt and towels and some car wash soap. The concerning thing is that when I dried it with the towels the (yellow) towels ended up with green streaks (I have a BRG Mini). Did I do something wrong and the paint is coming off? Is this just residue from the original painting and then waxing they did for delivery? This is my first new car and my first "nice" car so not sure if this is "normal" or indicative of a problem/me doing something wrong.

 

Is the Mini new? Or new to you?

 

Brand new, I had it built for me.

 

Any chance the green on the towel could be tree pollen? Wipe off another car and see if you get the same color.

 

Its possible, I'll give it a try. It does look like a match to the Mini though. I took a picture of the worst of the towels:

 

 

Renew Protected the trim after a good scrubbing all the way around. Trying to decide if I want to go over the Blak with a satin finish or gloss finish now.

Anyone else use this stuff?

 

 

Donna got a new A/C clutch and bearing, cleaned the PS fan, tires rotated. Friday was the weekly wash and detail. Timing chain tensioner, resonator delete are next.

 

The coop overheated today while idling in driveway. Checked coolant and pretty much none in the expansion tank. A quick read here and I see coolant pooling around the thermostat housing. Seems like all Gen 1s develop this leak. I have 64k miles on my 2008 R52. Should I replace plastic housing too, or just get new thermostat/gasket??

 

Yes, replace the thermostat/gasket and plastic housing. One thing bugs me about new(er) cars is that everything is plastic. But replace them both. I replaced mine back in Aug-2016 at 113.6k miles and all is well. If I could recommend one additional piece IF you are going in to replace those... While removing/replacing the housing, the house is connected to hose that leads towards the firewall which connects to a 3-way plastic connector. This is plastic as well and over time, plastic falls apart. So when I had everything back together, I was playing hocus focus and noticed a coolant line NOT attached to anything. Ok... snooping around, it is this 3-way connector that fell apart. So I tell everyone to replace this connector while you are in there... If it doesnt fall apart on you NOW, it will soon and then you have to go back in again.

Good luck.

Mini P/N => 17 12 7 518 614 ($14.11 at local dealer)

Pic


On this pic, you can see the skinner connector is the weak link. Plastic dies and this breaks off and leaks coolant everywhere. I know people have buttoned up their Minis and motored on only to find out this dies shortly after and they have to replace it. I was lucky enough (pi$$ed at the time) to have it break on me while everything was apart. This skinny connector and its hose leads back to the reservoir coolant tank mounted on the firewall. Something to consider…

 

I drove him to work today and he appears to be doing well.

I believe I have a new battery coming in the future. The last battery was replaced on 7/22/14. I connected my voltage meter to the battery (over weekend) after he sat for a day or two and its measuring 12.06-12.07v. I charged up my battery and it slips back down into this range. At least I know its coming.

 

I had a new windshield put in today, now my baby doesn't have a black eye anymore.

 

Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 Tires

 

Today we added a wavetrac and kevlar clutch....

and a rod flew through my block during the test drive....

time to rebuild....

 

 

Great result, the clean black look looks great.

What product did you use?

Motor On!

 

Big issues I had with these, (R53) they dont accurately measure oil level.

Had two more sent to me, not one was put together exactly the same, some longer / shorter than the other, but everyone
was not same length as OEM.

When my crankcase was indicating full on the OEM stick, the craven sticks registered over a 1/2 high.

That said, had I continued using it, my oil pan would have always been 1/2 qt LOW.....