Agreed! I'd like to see this fixed before other MINI's join this club. Best of luck with MINI and your insurance company. Hope it all works out for the better and glad nobody was hurt!

 

I did file a report with the NHSTA yesterday.

 

Just an update, the insurance company declared the car totaled (estimated repairs over $43K).
The service manager from my dealership contacted me (he's been on top of the issue since Monday morning) and asked to communicate with a MINI NA representative whom I haven't managed to get a hold of.

 

$43k WOW! Too early to ask but, do you plan on getting another? And I hope everything works out with insurance and MINI.

 

Scary stuff, thank goodness you and nobody else got hurt.

 

I am trading my 2008 Cooper S in on Saturday when i pick up my Countryman. I wonder if this will now effect the trade in value...

 

Nope, unless your car is melted.

 

That's terrible! Do you think a fire extinguisher would have helped, or did it happen too fast?

Dave

 

It would probably stopped it but that goes on the vehicles history and fire damage is "get the F away from that car and find something else" thing when looking at a used car. Better to just let it total itself out, but hey thats how I look at it.

 

HOLY SMOKES!

Glad you're ok. I wonder why this issue has popped up all of a sudden....

 

Not sure, I decided against opening the bonnet as I figured more air would spark the fire even more, so I don't even know if I would have been able to get to the fire (it was definitely pretty hot when I noticed as the paint was chipping).

 

The BMW/MINI NA rep called me today, she asked for my recollection of the event and then said they would be sending someone to investigate the cause of the fire and the process would take at least 3-4 weeks.

 

Saw an article in an daily industrial news e-mail (IMPO) that NHTSA is investigating engine bay fires in 2007 & 2008 MCS's and is considering a recall. Apparently 12 complaints have been received about cars burning up. Article was dated 10/17. Sorry about your car and I hope this gets resolved to your satisfaction.

 

It is sad how ignorant the people are that are posting comments on that article: http://www.autoblog.com/2011/10/17/n...-engine-fires/

From the OP's pictures, does it seem that the fire may have originated towards the rear of the engine bay? Or perhaps the heat just rose to that location and started melting that area first?

 

I posted something about 2 days ago and for about half the day until I repost saying something about it everyone just ignored it. Just carried on their happy littles ways.

 

So does anyone here have any idea what could be causing this?
Anybody believe there could be a link between melted hood scoops on R56s and these engine fires?
I dunno...

 

I feel the reason for the fire if fuel leaks from fuel injector o-rings or fuel rails. No evidence, just my hunch.

 

My hunch is turbo getting hot with oil getting on it and catching. It says a lot are burning up after they are off so that could be a possibility.

 

Burning oil produces black smoke, in my case it was white smoke coming out of the car.

 

This is only a hunch. But other things in the engine will catch fire the oil was just the ignition point so there might have been a little bit of black smoke until everything else went up. And this is also in regards to other MINIs too.

 

Lubricating oil doesn't burn with flames, it makes a lot of blue/white smoke though.

Dave,

Who has spilled his share of lube oil on very hot surfaces.

 

If you look at the pictures, the fire seems to have concentrated back near the intake.

 

2 other things.

1. Do you have any aftermath photos?

2. Well you don't have to worry about your hood scoop melting, its completely gone.
I had to sorry if it is too soon.

 

It does when it gets even hotter than that. As I said, I've put out one of those fires before. A very hot turbo and an oil leak can make flames.

 

See post #4