I recently spoke with an 04 MCS owner from Northern California who complained that his engine began pinging after he had a JCW Kit installed by a Bay Area MINI dealer. It pinged on 91 octane, and will still ping even after adding octane booster to a tank of gas.

The owner has tried a number of things to remedy the situation, including have the installing dealer tear down the engine---at the owner's expense-- to check to see if the cam timing was correctly set initially. It was. The MINI area dealer rep couldn't provide any satisfaction; the dealer says that it's just a characteristic of the Kit; and JCW in England stopped responding to his emails about the problem. He finally got some improvement by having Randy Webb re-program his ECU...but that was an expensive solution to what he believes is a problem that shouldn't exist.

I have an 04 MCS with a JCW Kit installed by Classic MINI at the time of purchase (Nov 03). It now has 4,500 miles on it, I burn 91 octance gas (from all sources, including Costco) and have never experienced pinging (detonation), even when driving on hot days with the AC on.

Can any JCW owners advise if they've had a pinging problem after installation of the Kit; and if they have, what was the solution to stop it? Or is it a continuing problem?

When the owner told me that the installing dealer told him that 3 of the 4 cars they've installed Kits on have had a pinging problem, it tends to make me believe the problem is with the dealer's installation...not the kit itself. But it would be good to hear from other JCW owners on this point. I've searched NAM and could't find any reference to JCW Kits and a pinging problem.

I'm asking because the above dealer is the closest one to a friend who is about to purchase the Kit for installation on his '03 MCS...and I'm considering a JCW Kit for my wife's car as well. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks

Charlie

 

I think it's crap that guy's dealership made him pay for the investigative service for a problem the car SHOULD NOT have.

I also think it's an isolated case, and not inherent to the MINI, JCW or not.

That's my two pence.

 

Yes! Why did he have to pay for his car to be inspected for the pinging? Was he out of warranty? That sounds like a very unfair situation to me.


Clo/Wanda

 

i have oct '03 mcs that was fitted with jcw ~2 weeks later. no pinging. and as far as i know, no jcw owners in hawaii have had pinging problems.

sounds kinda weird to me. i'd probably recommend going to another dealer to get his jcw installed.

 

I had my JCW installed before delivery (Kansas City) and have never had a single ping and would expect....DEMAND....that the dealer fix it without question. My '04 MCS w/JCW has 32,000 miles and still running great.

 

Never a pinging problem with Greta before or affer JCW Kit installation but I also run 93 octane and 94 octane when out of the state of NY.

 

I have owned 2 JCW cars (Works 03' w/ #351 and 04"w/ #5574) and there is NO pinging at all. However I do use 93 octane fuel always. It sounds like the exception not the rule and Works cars seem to do just fine w/ 91 octane . JCW does advise using 95 octane or above. I have burned 100+ octane racing fuel & it's very nice but $$$ and a bit out of my way to get.
-Good luck and I hope you get it resolved at the dealers expense!