I'm glad to see people actually posting and taking part in this site . I registered at another site. I won't say the name of the minicooperforum that I speak of, but that place is dead.

I don't own a Mini yet but am going shopping tomorrow so we'll see. I do have a couple questions if anyone is lurking tonight.

1. I'm looking at a couple 2006 cooper S and I was wondering how to tell what lights it has, and how to tell if it has stability control.

2. Also do all the S models come with posi or is that something I need to be checking into?

3. Anything in particular that I need to be looking for when shopping?

 

You will find this forum, aka "NAM" and another forum, are two Very Active forums with alot of great information and posts. Alot of good people are members of both and are always happy to help or just talk.

 

Hi Welcome,

1. If you take a look at the headlights, the ones resembling gatling guns will be the Xenons, the halogens will be more open above the rings. If the switch bank says ASC (should be standard on the S), that's traction control only, DSC is Stability control+ traction control (this was still an option).

2. Not all models have posi or LSD, the best way to test it is lift the front wheels and turn the left forward, you'll see the right turn the opposite direction.

3. Is pretty open ended...

Some things I'd look out for are oil around the motor mount on the passenger side, coolant on the top of the thermostat housing (or signs of dried coolant there), is the pulley on the supercharger stock and if not what mileage and % reduction is it, quality of the serpentine belt (and how old is it) I'd bring an OBDII code reader, or go to autozone type store and have it read to make sure there's not a code in the system without a light. The first two are basic common fairly easy fixes, that if there was wear signs would come across similar to low tread left on the tires, a bargaining chip and understanding of needed investment. The math on the supercharger, is that the life of the SC is rated to 150k mi, actual lifetime is known to vary however it'll help you get an understanding of where you're at. Low mileage clearly abused serpentine belt will tell you that a pulley is out of alignment or that the car has been driven hard.

Also take a look at the top of the strut towers in the engine bay, squat down and see if they're level, pot holes will cause the thin steel to "mushroom" upward, small amouts are ok and easily remedied by a hammer and block of wood, severe mushrooming is a sign the suspension has taken a beating and may require more extensive work. Also take a good look at tread wear for signs of alignment issues.

If the car has over 50k, then the brakes are likely worn or have been replaced, it's worth it to bring a flashlight and mirror and get on the ground check for the interior and exterior pad width and wear to the rotors, and feel if they're grooved heavily, rears often show ore wear than fronts.

That's probably what I'd consider the basics/common nuances, I bought off the lot in 05 so I never really looked at it too much from the used car standpoint.

 

MOTOR ON has given you a very good guide line in your search for a used MINI, follow his advice and you will get a car that should perform well for you.

 

Who are you calling "active?"

Joking aside, welcome aboard.

 

You guys are great. I've been reading posts on my phone today and I traded for a 2006 Mini Cooper S. 53k on the clock and in very nice shape. I'll post pictures as I take them. Xenon lights, auto leveling lights, fog lights, auto climate control, steering wheel controls, sun roofs, leather.

I'm in the learning mode now. Got lots of posts to read.

 

Congrats, keep us in the loop.

 

Welcome to the cool kids table

What color?

Since you're in the learning mode, here's a good thread that's got links to a ton of great info, https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...nce-guide.html

and there's some excellent stickies in the detailing forum to get your MINI looking it's best.

 

Thanks for the link. I am currently reading "things you didn't know about your mini".....72 pages wow I'm on page 17.

I got silver with black stripes.

I got it all shined up but then I went out and drove it around, gave some friends rides, and then came home to change the oil in my wife's car. While it was on the lift I noticed the back tires weren't looking too good so I loaded them up in the mini and went to town again. That rubber mat that covers the whole back of the seats is great.

 

Yeah, some of the threads are really long. It takes awhile to go through them, but it's worth the effort. So long as you can figure out the right key words, the built-in search tool is very invaluable.

 

I'm going to start picking up maintance items tonight so I know that it's up to date on service. Hopefully get engine oil, filter, transmission oil, fuel filter, antifreeze, air filter, and cabin filter. I'm still looking for spark plugs. Anything I'm missing?