2007 MCS with 62K on it. Check engine came up. Dealer told me misfire on cyl 1 and 3 due to carbon build up.
Recommended walnut blast at cost of $800 plus tax.

 

Sounds like a demand thing. Lots of demand so the dealers are going to rape and pillage.

 

07 MCS, in August had issues starting and was told carbon build up was the cause, this was at about 58K miles....turned out to be the HPFP and they threw in the carbon blasting because of my horrible experience with customer service in their service department. The build us was terrible!! They took photos of before and after.....the car was fine until a week and a half ago....check engine light came on and the car was only running on three cylinders, after a week of investigation it seems that the second valve is hanging open....Kind of at my wits end....The car also burns about a quart of oil every 900 miles....have I mentioned I have only had the car 13 months! Not sure what my next move should be... quoted about 2600 to replace the valves....

 

my high pressure fuel pump went out at around 4k miles. i think that this problem includes many BMW models, as well.

as for the buildup problem, i've had it several times. i hope that Mini does something to address this design flaw.

 

That is ridicuous. I'm sorry. Write corporate

 

Does this happen on the Super Charged models or just the Turbo? I have an R52 which is a 2007 Super Charged convertible

 

Just the turbo; you're safe!

The newer engine design injects fuel directly into the combustion chambers, instead of mixing it with air in the intake tract upstream of the intake valve. As a result, the fuel doesn't act as a solvent to keep the top of the valve clean the way it does on more traditional designs like yours.

The problem isn't unique to MINI; all DI engines which recirculate the crank case oil fumes into the intake will suffer this to some degree. It is not clear to me whether MINI engines are an extreme case, or if we are simply a community more likely to notice (due to our performance orientation) than, say, French commuter cars. (The engine is of Peugeot design, if I recall correctly.)

 

Hey,
New to forum after finding this thread.
I have a 2006 Mini Cooper S, 91,000 miles. Bought used 2+ years ago and have had minimal problems until now.
The check engine light keeps coming on. My mechanic says it is throwing a misfire error. He suspects carbon build up. Next step is to run a compression test. I am trying to get that setup.
Dealership has quoted someone else in the local Mini car club that has the same issue between $3500 and $4000 to fix.
Independent mechanic (who used to work for Mini dealership) wants $1200.
After reading above post and knowing this car is super charged and not turbo, wondering if it could be something else. If so, what to look for. This mechanic has done a great job for me on this car and my old BMW.
Thanks!

 

I'm going to punt to others on the specifics Kristen, but it sounds like your independent mechanic is someone that you trust which is a good, no make that a great thing. Others have said the carbon buildup is about a $600 fix using walnut shells I think ?? Wait for some others to chime in with more info. I started this thread because of the problems I heard being voiced from people with direct injection engines. Fortunately, my car is normally aspirated and not direct injection, so I do not have these problems as bad as others. Be patient for others to comment. Good luck.

 

Carbon build-up is not a problem for a 2006 MCS. A misfire can be any number of problems from something as simple and cheap as a worn spark plug to something as expensive as a blown engine. The first place to start is to get a qualified mechanic to read the error codes (that caused the check engine light). Did you get specific codes? What are they?

 

The day my Mini died....

I'm about to walk away from my '07 MCS @101,000 miles.

To recap, I've had all the typical problems with the Prince N17 engine and surrounding BMW parts -- Timing chain failure (twice), carbon build-up (blasted $850), premature clutch wear, water pump, HPFP...and some less typical failures: blown turbo and mass air flow sensor failure. This past week I needed an oil change and decided to have that done at the dealer where they could also read the check engine light. I've had a decent mechanic who can deal with Minis but he admits it is tricky reading codes on this car and he wasn't 100% sure on what the latest code was indicating.

Turns out that the valve cover was cracked and leaking oil down. Also, the chirpy-screech I had just started noticing after the car warmed up was just what I suspected-- the water pump bearings failing...again. I agreed to the $1700 for all the work.

Then they called me to say upon test driving it after this work was done the light came back on and after investigation they discovered that cylinder #3 was misfiring -- they believe a byproduct of the cracked valve cover -- and to address the issue they'd need to resurface pistons in #3 at an estimated $4,000.

That's when a sane person walks away (probably sooner, actually).

The blue book on the car is only $8K at this point but no one is going to give that to me with the check engine light indicating the car will soon be running on three cylinders.

So I'm trying to work a deal with this dealership to give me a break on the repairs if I trade it in to them and buy a new Mini off their lot. They've offered $4500 for my '07 and say they'll do the needed work and then wholesale it. And they've offered to knock off $5000 on a new 2012 JCW Coupe that is sitting on their lot.

I may be crazy for getting into another Mini, but I'm banking on faith that the new N18 engine addresses the two biggest issues -- timing chain and carbon -- and that I now know to be super vigilant about oil levels.

 

There still seems to be some confusion about the cause of carbon build up. Direct injection leads to carbon build up while port injection does not. Whether an engine is supercharged, turbocharged, or normally aspirated doesn't by itself have anything to do with it. When someone asks whether your engine in supercharged or turbocharged to determine if you have the potential for the build up, that is because none of the supercharged MINI engines have direct injection. Thus if your MINI is supercharged you don't have direct injection and don't have the potential for the problem. I'm not absolutely sure on this part, but I don't think any of the normally aspirated Justa (base) engines are direct injected either so none of them have the potential problem. If I am wrong on this, please correct me.

 

Wow. You should take a moment to explore your options. a new short engine from MINI is less than what they want for 'resurfacing' your piston. A second opinion might be in order.

 

It certainly dawned on me that perhaps the dealer's diagnosis and treatment plan may not be the best opinion I could get. I could look around for another way to salvage value out of the car. But the reality is I've lost faith in the car and need to move on. Even if I could pay the $2,000 to get it back, and then find a fix for the remaining issue that's only $1500 instead of the $4000 the dealer wants, where am I? I'm right back where I already am -- I'm at $4,500 net in value on a trade in, or I'm back driving a car worth just $4500 that is just another expensive repair waiting to happen.

I'm solidly convinced it's time to stop throwing good money after bad and I need to get what remaining value I can for it. The only real question I had is is I'm stupid for trusting that the 2012 Mini will treat me better than the 2007.

 

Fair enough, and that's logical, but remember that what you have right now is a $4k doorstop, but fixed it's worth more--quite a bit more. Here's a quick KBB search on a 2007 MCS with 80000 miles. In good condition, the car's worth $11k, according to them...

 

Thanks. Yeah, though I have 101,000 miles on it, so with that mileage the range is $8k-$10K in value according to KBB. The dealer puts it at $8 without the cylinder issue. I've kept it in great condition but it's hard to argue that with a repair to cylinder #3 its then worth $10K in trade, given the history of other issues I've had with it. In my mind it seems pretty lemony at this point.

 

Thanks Helix13mini.
I have not gotten the specific code. Just that it indicates a misfire. I will get this info and work from there.
I have found a bunch of great info out here.
Thank you very much for your help.
I love my little car and do not want to write it off yet :-)

 

My 2009 just hit 54K and am told major carbon build up and my extended warranty doesn't cover it. They want $1000 to clean it and recommend cleaning between 35-50K. Anyone want to buy a used Mini?

 

2009, 1.6L, manual, 39k, codes 277B, 2781, 2775, 2779, misfiring on #3 and #4 cylinders

- Have owned 10 months, one prior owner, had paperwork for all scheduled maintenance- I have logged about 6k, mostly highway, and do NOT aggressively push the rpm's.

-Previous owner and I have ALWAYS used premium (93) without exception.

- Engine light was yellow 3 days ago, then blinking yellow yesterday. Diagnostic this morning by usual independent mechanic- can't do the work, dealer required... nearest is 90+ miles away in Atlanta.

- Dealer estimates $900+ to "clean the carbon". Says this includes 4+ hours hooked up to computer that will install "new" software which will ensure that this problem does not happen again. Offered "loaner" vehicle until repair is completed.

I am a LOW wage earner and this is my entire tax refund. Any thoughts on the cost, new software as fix? I so love the car, but am totally disgusted by this!

 

2009, 1.6L, manual, 39k, codes 277B, 2781, 2775, 2779, misfiring on #3 and #4 cylinders

- Have owned 10 months, one prior owner, had paperwork for all scheduled maintenance- I have logged about 6k, mostly highway, and do NOT aggressively push the rpm's.

-Previous owner and I have ALWAYS used premium (93) without exception.

- Engine light was yellow 3 days ago, then blinking yellow yesterday. Diagnostic this morning by usual independent mechanic- can't do the work, dealer required... nearest is 90+ miles away in Atlanta.

- Dealer estimates $900+ to "clean the carbon". Says this includes 4+ hours hooked up to computer that will install "new" software which will ensure that this problem does not happen again. Offered "loaner" vehicle until repair is completed.

I am a LOW wage earner and this is my entire tax refund. Any thoughts on the cost, new software as fix? I so love the car, but am totally disgusted by this!

 

2009, 1.6L, manual, 39k, codes 277B, 2781, 2775, 2779, misfiring on #3 and #4 cylinders

- Have owned 10 months, one prior owner, had paperwork for all scheduled maintenance- I have logged about 6k, mostly highway, and do NOT aggressively push the rpm's.

-Previous owner and I have ALWAYS used premium (93) without exception.

- Engine light was yellow 3 days ago, then blinking yellow yesterday. Diagnostic this morning by usual independent mechanic- can't do the work, dealer required... nearest is 90+ miles away in Atlanta.

- Dealer estimates $900+ to "clean the carbon". Says this includes 4+ hours hooked up to computer that will install "new" software which will ensure that this problem does not happen again. Offered "loaner" vehicle until repair is completed.

I am a LOW wage earner and this is my entire tax refund. Any thoughts on the cost, new software as fix? I so love the car, but am totally disgusted by this!

 

$900 way too much for this. My friends shop in SoCal does this for $350! No software update will ensure this won't happen again, that's a bunch of bs. Find another shop to get it done because that's ridiculous.

 

Is anyone seeing this issue with the N18 engines? I have been told they fixed it but I am leery unless they disconnected the pcv from the intake altogether.

 

You can't disconnect the PCV from the intake, on an N18. It is integral with the head on the N18 engines.

But, that may not be a problem as they also changed to a dual Vanos system and a different Engine Control Unit.

I haven't read about a carbon build up problem with N18 engines.

Dave

 

I live in Southern Cal and was told today the cause is from the additives of the California fuels not burning clean enough. Some how, this problem isn't considered maintence and not mechanical so my extended warranty won't cover the $1000 tab. Yet, I am supposed to only use premium fuel in this car.

I read online there is an additive you can use, but you need an oil change after 100 miles or damage to the engine can result. I also was told by a Mini mechanic it is a design flaw. So I'm supposed to budget a $1000 every 35K along with new run flats ever 25K at $1200. Seems like this Mini is a huge money pit.