Does the recent recall for modifying the exhaust tips affect the JCW exhaust as well?

http://www.motoringfile.com/2008/10/...ervice-action/

 

Seems to effects all ....

With that said, here is what happened to me. Brought my JCW MCS in for a service, dealer asked about the tips and if I wanted them altered. I said so the paperwork came out with the notice for adjustment on it and then another note stating customer does not want it altered ....

Got the car backk with my tips are in the same position as factory

 

How much are they altering them?

 

I think they make them either flushed or slightly recessed to you can not accidentally touch them

 

I'll opt from them leaving mine alone, if asked, and if not I'll tell them I don't want them touched. There are plenty of parts in any car that you should not touch until the car has had a chance to cool down. This may be an issue for some and I am glad they can get it fixed without charge, but I don't think this is a major warranty recall issue. They should have recalled the stock scoop instead, which I don't have, but others have found to be an issue.

 

My factory JCW already has the exhaust tips flush with the bodywork.

 

Mine seem to be pretty flush with the bumper and rear diffuser, so I don't think in any case there is anything to do on mine. People need to have a bit more personal awareness, there are dangers all around us and the resposibility starts with yourself. Even if a warning was not posted on an engine, I would very cautiously place my hand near it before actually touching it! This seems to me as another case of common sense.

 

I think that's a little different. The problem is with accidental exposure on the lower legs while unloading from the boot. Obviously I'm not going to touch a hot engine, but I could see getting busy unloading a bunch of groceries and accidently hitting the extended pipes with my bare leg.

I think it's a reasonable safety recall. It's not being forced on anyone.

 

As long as it's not forced, I don't have a problem with it. Still the safety aspecs of operating any mechanical device starts with the operator. If proper warnings are posted in the literature that came with the device, then it's my responsibility to follow them. If MINI sent an addendum to each MINI owner or publicly announced the issue, I would consider their obligation done, as long as they pledged to fix an owners MINI if requested. I don't consider this an unreasonable measure, but I have heard rumors that if you decline their fix you need to sign their waiver. I think the issue is being elevated to a far higher level than it should.

 

But it's not an operator issue. It's a general consumer safety issue...public safety if you will.

It doesn't just affect the operator, but potentially anyone who is a passenger or even happens to help unload the boot (like a hotel bellman, or eager young children). This is not like saying you need to set the hand brake when parking on a steep hill.

If my car had this issue I would get it fixed.

 

Your right it never hurts to error on the side of public safety! But, it still does not mean that it's safe because of this change. A child can still in passing reach down and touch the tip even on mine which does not pass the bumper. My point is that we must not forget that safety begins with personal recognition of a danger and parental supervision. In all honesty I don't care for some of the aftermarket tips that far exceed the bumper and probably should not be designed that way to begin with - I consider it bad professional behaviour not to consider safety first. I am not in opposition to your point, mearly advocating for more awareness of safety issues - a child should never be walking between a parked car and a parent or wander around without supervision.

 

according to my dealer, JCW kit cars are not part of the recall. Can anyone confirm this ?

 

Just an anecdote....but I was looking at a brand new just arrived JCW at my dealer last week. My salesman and I were discussing the pipe tips recall and when he looked at the tips on the car we drove, he said they were different than the previous JCW's they'd sold. This is the only JCW I've examined up close so not sure if he was right.

 

My apologies to anyone I may have dismissed with my view on this issue! From other threads dealing in this same issue, I gave noticed that there may indeed be reason to re-examine my original position. My JCW appears to be fine and may have been the reason for part of my original lack of support for this issue, however more people have reported burn incidents. Leading me to believe there is a very wide tolerance in the tip install which leads to some having tips that present a danger to others in normal everyday situations. In any case, safety should always be primary. I still stand by my position on child and self awareness, but not in a way that would not recognize the need for this public safety issue!!

 

After reading that the exhaust tip recall is now mandatory on motoringfile, I called my dealer to find out if the JCW Stage 1 exhaust is included or not. He tells me it is NOT included so your JCW stage 1 exhaust will not require the "fix".

 

My MA confirmed this today as well.

 

Since someone may not be smart enough to know that exhaust pipes may in fact be hot, I need to modify my car to accommodate for the idiocy of others? We are not talking about crash safety here. We are talking about something that people should be expected to know to avoid. Maybe Darwin was onto something when he talked about survival of the fittest...

What's next? We need to put yellow, high-visibility stickers on the exhaust notifying people that they could be hot? We need to modify our cars to include rear parking sensors since a "safety defect" allows a car to back into another car or potentially another person?

Fortunately the JCWs are excluded from this recall because there would be no chance that I would let the dealer modify my car for this. And I'm really not looking to have to fight the dealer.

 

Sorry, I disagree. Protruding hot pipes where you would stand to unload a boot are not the norm for cars. On other cars they are either to the sides, or they are recessed, or they are covered some way. Sure, I would expect MINI owners to learn to avoid the protruding center pipes, but why should others -- especially children -- be expected to know or look for an unusually exposed hazard. We're not talking about someone idiotic enough to grab a hot exhaust pipe. We're talking about someone stepping up to the boot to load/unload it and unexpectedly brushing against it and getting burned.

I would say deal with it, or get an aftermarket exhaust if it bothers you that much.

And Darwinism is not about the survival of the fittest.

 

Mine stick way the hell out and Im danged proud of it.

 

If only there were parentd that could teach children about hot things. I have no problem with offering the recall but making it mandatory is completely and totally unnecessary.

 

There is no such thing as a "mandatory" recall. Just don't take it in, or when the car is in for any other service, just tell them you decline having it done. Without getting too philosophical, I didn't do the recall on my previous '08 MCS.

 

Same discussion:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post2676673

See my post # 74

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...54-post74.html

 

This is an interesting discussion. Anyone here ride motorcycles too? I have two (third one is on the way, Ducati Streetfighter). How many times have you seen someone brush up against a hot exhaust pipe on a bike after you have parked it? It rarely happens because people know that those pipes are hot, its something they have learned over time and taught others. But on cars it seems that people can't put 2 and 2 together and realize that the exhaust pipe on cars may be hot too. I'm all for public safety, but there are many hatchback models where the exhaust protrudes out (GTI, Mazda3, etc) the difference being their exhaust is not in the center of the car, I think that is what is causing the big issue for MINI.

 

I believe that the US has gone safety happy because of frivolous lawsuits. I am not saying we should allow people to have grenade launchers on their cars yet there has to be a point at which we stop the insanity of these miniscule issues. I mean how much money has this recall cost BMW? The hundreds of thousands or millions this is costing will be passed on to future purchasers of Mini's as this is an added production cost for the company which will have to be recovered.

As far as the exhaust tips they really aren't putting anyone else in danger and I don't buy the hotel bellman or child touching the tips and getting burned. First point I'd like to make is that the tips cool pretty quickly. I've actually tested this and after a 45 minute drive the tips were warm (not scolding hot) within several minutes of stopping the car's engine. Second it's the responsibilty of parents to make sure their small children don't run to the rear of someone's car and grab their exhaust pipe. I have 2 small boys and always hold their hands when walking anywhere there are cars present. You never know if someone is going to back up and doesn't see your child. Third, I don't think I've ever had a hotel bellman or anyone for that matter put luggage into my car. I do it myself.

I find the windows to be more dangerous. Seriously, I like them the way they are, yet because they don't have a frame around the tops of the front doors I dont see the clear glass many times and end up bumping my ear or face on them as I bend down to get something out of the front of the car. It's a little nuance I've learned to live with and now don't make that mistake. I bruised my ear once, haven't done it again and never plan on suing or bringing this to BMW's attention. I consider this a tiny issue that at worst could cause a bruise, much like the tailpipe at worst can cause a burn. I've cut myself with saw blades, cut my hands with paper, and broke a toe bumping into furniture. I believe that in each situation there could be a product invented to prevent these small injuries, yet I wouldn't want to compromise the design for safety. You learn the small dangers of each product and take measures to avoid those small dangers. Obviously I am talking about small dangers, not products that contain batteries that could explode and cause serious harm -those are serious issues that need be resolved before the product go to public for sale.

Anyway, this is my take on the recall + my 2 cents. I do have the JCW kit installed on my 2008 MCS yet won't have my JCW tips removed or shortened. ...I'll fight tooth and nail

 

Again, the JCW exhaust is not part of the recall. JCW tips can be adjusted, where the stock ones are fixed. So there really is no need to fight tooth and nail. The entire thread really is not appropriate/applicable for the JCW section.