Hey all,

I'm getting ready to pick up an '09 Factory JCW with pretty low miles (14k) and I'm wondering what I should watch out for at pick up and in the future. The car appears to be in pristine condition, although I haven't seen it in person. Can you guys offer any tips, advice, etc. that might be helpful as I enter into the JCW club?

 

Other than the standard N14 engine details like:
* maintain full oil level AT ALL TIMES
* change oil more often than MINI recommends
* timing chain tensioner
...it's pretty much the same in terms of maintenance.

Some JCW'ers have had clutches fail at early stages, but overall there's nothing "different" in terms of required maintenance compared to the standard 'S'-model (N14 / N18).

- Erik

 

I will add that those that had their clutches fail were early model 09s like mine. Totally gone at 2 years and 10 months with 28,500 on the odometer.

At some point MINI started using a different clutch. They knew there was a reliability issue.

 

Mine is an April '09 build. I'm assuming that the clutch issue is covered under warranty? Does it make noise when it fails or does it just stop working? WHat are the warning signs?

 

Typically, yes. But there have been accounts where the dealer refused replacement because of abuse / neglect versus good-faith.

If not properly cared for, the clutch will slip under hard-load acceleration.
That means the RPMs will continue to climb, but the car's acceleration won't increase.
A burning smell (when pushed hard or simply abused) can be detected after driving.
One thing to prolong clutch life is not to ride or dead-pedal the clutch pedal during stop-and-go situations.

- Erik