I'm curious Ejo, have you replaced the O2 sensors?

I'm no mechanic but O2 sensors have 3 main functions I know of. The 1st one is to adjust combustion timing upon different driver input situations. The 2nd is to check the health of the combustion. Too much or too little O2 in the exhaust can mean too lean or too rich a combustion. It can be a sign of various things that prevents the car from running optimally. This will creep in over time with aging cars. The more precise the engine new, the more noticeable it gets over time. The 3rd one, not everyone thinks about, is to monitor the catalytic converter (in the event of using a pre and post catalytic converter O2 sensors). I'm actually not sure if the MINI has two. I haven't checked under the car, on the CAT itself. The catalytic converter is what makes the car much less poluting. An amazing little piece of chemistry. But they will deteriorate over time. Though it should show up during a state inspection, an O2 light could indicate a worn out catalytic converter that needs to be changed.

Of course it could always be the O2 sensor itself that goes bad.

Just some thoughts if you haven't checked all these.

 

YES

CORRECT YES, THERE ARE TWO i'M NOT A CHEMIST BUT A MECHANICAL ENGINEER, BUT YOU ARE RIGHT TO MUCH ELECTRONICS CORRECT ALL WERE CHECKED, 1 WAS REPLACED 3 TIMES WITH AFTERMARKET AND THEN OEM, THE OTHER TWICE WITH OEM BRAND. 5 TOTAL OF WHICH 3 UNDER THE WARRANTY LAW (ALL GIVING DIFFERENT VOLTAGE READ OUTS). EACH TIME SES LIGHT WENT OFF TO COME BACK ON WITHIN 50-100 MILES. RESULTING IN COMPLETE TUNE-UP, AND different RECOMMENDATIONS OF REPAIRS FOR LOW CYLINDER COMPRESSION (144 PSI????), NEW CAT, FIX CRANK CASE SEAL, ETC. NONE OF THESE REPAIRS WERE DONE AFTER SPENDING DIAGNOSTIC COST, O2 SENSOR COST, TUNE-UP, SEVERAL DAYS OFF TO GET TO THE DEALER AND MANY MORE DAYS OF THE CAR IN THE SHOP. THIS WAS 38K MILES AGO AND THE CAR RUNS FINE, 35MPG WITH SPIRITED HW/CITY DRIVING (NO CHANGE OVER THE 125K MILES LIFE OF THE CAR) ACCELERATES FINE RUNS GREAT. NOW MIND YOU WE DO NOT HAVE EMISSION TESTS HERE IN MICH. SO EXHAUST MIGHT NOT BE 'LEGAL'
Just some thoughts if you haven't checked all these.[/QUOTE]

TG Again thanks for the comments, been there, done that and not willing to spend the extra & more money after ****ing around with it for over 2 years. Bought a new Subaru gave the Mini to our 27 year old son. Everybody is happy.

 

I hate the rust under my tail lights (2003), does anyone make a tail light pocket instead of replacing the complete quarter panel???

Jim a.

 

No dipstick to either check engine oil level the tried and true way OR to vacuum the old oil out for a totally convenient 100% topside oil change.

 

You have to change the filter from the bottom anyway.

 

I hate that I can't keep my Mini clean longer than a day.

 

They keep making it bigger so now it's just a cheap regular car.

 

Cheap?

 

Too much $$$ to get some HP's

 

My point is the mini is moving from being a cool unusual car which is supposed to be "MINI" not "BIGGY". I think it's bigger than a Honda Fit or Ford Fiesta. I was parked next to a Sentra last night and it's just about the same size. When it gets too big then it is just a regular car and obviously on the cheap end of the spectrum.

When I look at my car compared to the 2nd gen they ruined the front end with that hideous purple bumper, they put a stupid turbo 3cyl in it, they made it have a long nose, they ruined the interior removing the center speedo and giving us a mini tach that you can barely see. On top of that when I saw it had bluetooth I assumed that meant it could stream bluetooth because that probably cost all of $10 in electronic parts, but noooo. Wish I had gotten a second gen.

They are really moving in the wrong direction trying to please everyone and in the end will please no one. In fact I bet in 10 years Mini will be gone

 

You might have a point there about the Mini brand. The fact that most of the Minis sold now have 4 doors, and weigh around 3500 lbs (vs 2500) makes them different animals than the Gen 2's. Take the little Fiat 500 car. Very distinctive you can tell it right away. Now they have a 4 door and I can't tell the difference between that and a Honda Civic I swear.

 

Who am I to advise, but I think they should have just sold the Mini in BMW dealerships rather than trying to take one styling cue and transform it into enough different variants to fill up a dealership.

 

I agree. My nearest dealership is 70+ mi away. My MINI has been nearly trouble free but I would have felt more comfortable with a hometown dealer. My next toy car will be another Miata.

 

 

..my only regret is I'm not driving one of them right now... <sad face>

Motor On!

 

That's how it is at our Toyota dealer - and I LOVE IT!

 

The way it milks me of all my hard earned cash.

 

Two things actually -

1. The car wasn't made for people with size 13 shoes.
With my foot normally rested on the gas pedal & right side (under-dash) panel, which I assume is possibly an air conditioning duct, locks my foot so there is no up and down movement at all. With my foot...half on/half of the gas pedal, all is mostly...ok..!? Need to make some room somehow.

2. The inside rear view mirror sucks.
It's soo far back, that when turning to the right, the mirror blocks about 80% of the view thru the windshield.
I hope I bought a fix last weekend.
I'm basically an American, old car guy, not at all your average Mini driver. I was at a SoCal, Roadster Show over the Fathers Day weekend and bought an OLD car, mirror. It's a similar oval shape to the Mini's mirror, just slightly smaller. The housing is made of stainless steel, and the mirror bonds onto the windshield. I may or may not paint the mirror black.
I'll have to "shape" the shoe (for lack of better words) to have full contact with the glass before I bond it in place.
With a slightly smaller mirror and the mirror MUCH closer to the windshield, I should have MUCH better view out the windshield.
Should have it on by the week end.

Mike

 

[QUOTE=OCR;4399707]Two things actually -

1. The car wasn't made for people with size 13 shoes.
With my foot normally rested on the gas pedal & right side (under-dash) panel, which I assume is possibly an air conditioning duct, locks my foot so there is no up and down movement at all. With my foot...half on/half of the gas pedal, all is mostly...ok..!? Need to make some room somehow.

On the plus side, you should be able to heel/toe downshift like a champ

 

RE: size 13 shoes ... and rear view mirror

Yea, I'm with you there, I have 14s, and 6'5" so I have mirror issues as well (more so in my R52) but when I'm off driving for fun and not back and forth to work I tend to wear Driving Shoes, they are so much more narrow than normal street shoes and easier to get in between peddles. (MINI has loads of feet room compared to my Porsche 911). But theses are things I have gotten use to... so I still fall back on... I regret not being out driving one of them right now...

Motor On!

 

Size 13 here too. For extended trips I have a pair of driving loafers that I picked up on Amazon.

 

Looks like the mirror is going to work.
Will post a picture by the end of the coming weekend.
Now...how to plug the big hole in the headliner..!?

Mike

 

The price of everything MINI! I love the car, but $320.56 for the stealership to install a battery is ridiculous!

 

If it wasnt for the fact that I love how my car looks and handles, I would sell it in a minute. I feel that my engine is a ticking time bomb. (Having a 2010 I unfortunately have the engine that is affectionately referred to as a good boat anchor) What modern car burns oil like these do?

I can live with the squeaks and the little stuff, but I can easily see from my experience with repairs, why the R56 sent MINI's reliability ratings in a downward direction.

 

The thing I hate most about my 2005 R52 is that I can't tune it myself. I'm really not good with these computer thingys.