What would you suggest I check as my MINI winds down its last 1000 miles to the 36,000 warranty mark?

Is there anything I should have checked before I move into the final (4th) year of limited warranty?

She's been running like a top and already had the standard check-ups.

Last item was a brake flush when had an engine mount replaced at 32K.

Thanks

 

Anyone got a second to think of items to have the Dealer double-check while I'm still under warranty? Must be a lot of Motoring going on out there!

 

Charlie ('03 MCS) went in at a couple of months before 50k mark for the flywheel/chewbacca noise. Dealer said let's do the cliutch while we're in there so I just had to pay for clutch parts.

I noticed didn't have the PS fan guard and it was (I thought) quite a loud fan noise. So they also looked at that too. Turns out my AC compressor was dying and there was metal bits in the PS reservoir. For the older cars, you supposedly can ask the dealer for a free fan guard since they added that to the newer cars. Or Moss has a guard you can buy. Good thing I asked for the guard!

 

thanks, KnottyMan. I'll have a look at those areas. Mine's an '05 Cooper, so aside from the engine mount, no mechanical issues have come up. I was thinking about brake pads, but not sure what's considered worn enough to replace. thanks again for taking the time.

 

Maybe I'm mis-reading your post, but I'm really not seeing the urgency of your situation. Your warranty is through 4yrs/50,000 miles, and there's nothing about it that changes at 36,000 miles.

The only thing that ends at 36,000 miles is the free scheduled maintenance, and the intervals for the maintenance are determined by the OBC, so good luck getting the dealer to do anything extra. They won't replace brake pads until the wear sensors activate, but you might want to measure your rotor thickness and get them replaced if they're out of spec.

 

thanks, riquiscott I wondered what the full maintenance program (3yr 36k) vs. limited warranty (4 year 50k) meant. I have not paid a dime since initial purchase, and I've taken her in between scheduled check-ups, to fix minor issues like loose trim, rattles/squeaks in the dash, and some windshield pitting (they wouldn't cover that). Just trying to squeeze in any last dealer work, before the cash register kicks in! thanks again

 

The loose trim and squeaks weren't maintenance items, they were warranty items, and you'll still be able to get things like that fixed even after 36,000 miles. Your maintenance agreement had nothing to do with the dealer fixing your trim - that was fixed under the warranty agreement, and you've got 14,000 miles left on THAT agreement.

Unless your on-board computer says that you have a service coming due in the next 1000 miles, your free scheduled maintenance period is essentially over already.

 

I just found the book and it appears covered items also include brake pads, rotors, and wiperblades (assuming the wear exceeds MINI specs). I got the wipers replaced on my last trip. I do have the option to extend the Full Maintenance from 3 to 4 years if I do it before I hit 36k. (My 3 years isn't up until January 2008.) My dilemma is deciding if it is worth it. Would the cost of 1 more year of oil, filters, fluids, and safety & mechanical checks be worth it? I'm not sure what a brake job costs, but that would probably be the only big-ticket item covered. I'll also find out how much they want for the extra year when they open Monday.

 

I'm in the same boat jimmy, my car hits 3 years in mid march and should probably be around 36k at that point to.

theres really nothing i need done with regards to amintanence, but i know one thing that is covered under the free maintanence is brake pads (which to me seems odd since some drivers just eat through break pads, and it seems like MINI has to shell out a lot for soem drivers). I figured i was going to bring it in sometime in february or early march and have them check my pads, and whatever other items can be replaced free of charge during the free maintanence, and if replacement is needed have them replaced

anyone think thats posssible, or is it as riquiscott said,, that unless my service interval display says i need one soon (which it doesnt) i may as well be out of the free maintanence

 

Well, the rotors aren't part of any of the scheduled services, so they'll probably replace them anytime before 36,000 if they're out-of-spec, although I'd hate to know what's wrong if the rotors are warped or thinner than spec after only 36,000 miles.

As for the brake pads, they're not part of any specific service either, IIRC, but I wouldn't be surprised if the dealer wouldn't replace them until the wear sensor activated, which would give you a light on your dash.

 

A lot of it depends on whether you're willing to do the work yourself once it's no longer free from the dealership. Brake pads, even the good aftermarket ones, are less than $75 per set, and they're easy to replace, especially if you replace them before the wear sensor has activated (the wear sensor is a consumable item and must be replaced after it's activated).

There's some negotiation room on the price for the 4th year of scheduled maintenance - I think the dealer will initially ask about $700 for it, but I've heard of people getting it for as little as $299.

Unless you can manage to squeeze in two scheduled services in the extra 14,000 miles, it's probably not worth it financially. We didn't get the extra year on my wife's MINI, and we only got it on mine because MINI included it for free as part of an "apology package" for problems that delayed the delivery of my car.

 

Interesting. I have less than 3000 miles on my '06 MCS and just noticed that every once in a while I hear an odd sound as I let out the clutch in 1st gear (I ususally have the radio on fairly loud unless I have pax). Could it be the same thing you are referring to?