I'm trying to reinstall the OEM intake from my 05 JCW and the vacuum line was capped off. I've picked up some new vacuum line and and attempting to reroute it to the intake (post installation). I see a small tube at the front-left and more at the rear.

I've googled to no avail. Anyone point me in the right direction? I could do trial/error but I would rather not pull the airbox unless I know I need to.

 

Here are the instructions from MINI. Hopefully they help.

http://motoringfile.com/files/JCWUPGRADE.pdf

 

Thanks for the help.. The instructions don't show where the vacuum connects to the airbox, but I'm sure I'll figure it out once I have time to get it apart.

 

http://www.minimania.com/pdfile/NME7606_INSTR.pdf

Should be a hard plastic line out the front of the box, it will lead internally to the diaphragm which operates the flapper....

 

 

Doesn't a vacuum line also connect to the circular vacuum chamber on top of the airbox, underneath the windshield cowl? You can see it in these pics.

 

The vacuum line at the rear seems to be already connected to something else.. I didn't have much tinkering time this evening after getting the kids to bed, will take the airbox out tomorrow.

I did have time to hook the vacuum line to the hard plastic port at the front. The flaps opened at 4500 RPM.. then I recapped the line and shot a second video confirming that the flaps opened with NO vacuum lines at all. What impact would vacuum have? Airflow sensors?

 

Not sure, but keep us posted of your findings. I'd like to figure out a way to toggle it between keeping the flap open all the time, or having it work at 4,500 as designed with a switch in the car. To quote Pee Wee Herman "... you know, James Bond kind of stuff"

 

Confirmed, vacuum has no effect on flaps. It's entirely controlled electronically. The vacuum line at the front of the air box is the correct line. There are only 2 wires going into the air box, presumably +/-. Shouldn't be super complicated to run power to the lead wire and connect a button to turn on/off at will.

 

Until your vacuum accumulator runs out of vacuum! The flap should indeed be vacuum operated, there are no motors etc. The wires trip a solenoid, letting vacuum (stored in the accumulator cylinder) be applied to the diaphragm actuator. You could probably get a few actuations out of it, but eventually you're going to run out of vacuum unless you keep it plumbed.

 

Mate thanks for posting this picture, you have pulled me out of a jam! 2 of my vaccuum lines have...ah...disintegrated. Which may be causing my P2096 MIL. The routing of the lines shown in the picture help tremendously!

Mike

 

Returning to this thread to update on my vacuum lines.

I tried jerry rigging some new, larger vacuum line (actually it was small irrigation tube I had but that's a longer story), the original remnants and heat shrink. It was a great idea that worked well until the plastic elbow fittings started breaking on me. All 3 of them. Went to Advance Auto (is that a crap store? Which is the best out of them, Oreilly's and Autozone?) Anyway, 3 staff members had no clue what vacuum line is and a kid that worked there knew where to find it in the store, which is what mattered really. I ended up buy some different sized hoses and some elbow fittings hoping they'd work. I don't suppose anyone has part numbers for the vac line and elbows?

So I go home, mess around and get it hooked up, thanks so much to RB-Mini for the picture. Took it for a drive and I dunno, but I don't think this Mini has ever driven so hard. And the SC whine was unbelievable. Did some perished vac line really affect performance that much or am I delusional?

The point of this post is you can likely find parts to replace your lines at the auto store, and the performance in my opinion, after repair, was out of this world.

Also, to ask for part numbers if possible, of the line and elbows.

TIA
Mike

 

Delusional, I'm afraid. The vacuum line just opens a flap at a certain RPM and provides more sound to the cabin. That's about it.

 

As the flap actuating system is tapped to an existing vacuum line on the motor, wouldn't a vacuum leak from a bad airbox hose have some type of negative effect on performance or drivability? Not sure how big of an issue it could cause, but I was under the impression it wasn’t good when there’s a vacuum leak.

 

Oh definitely, yes. Sorry for the confusion. Try removing your oil cap when the engine is running! That's a worst case example, but yes a vacuum leak can certainly cause rough running, misfires, lean condition, etc. That said, it will usually be accompanied by a CEL if it's egregious enough. Not sure if the little vacuum tube that feeds the air box flap actuator would represent a big enough leak, but maybe that wasn't the only place there was a breech in the system.

 

Wouldn’t that only be a vacuum leak if the PCV valve is bad? I thought the crankcase pulled fresh, unmetered air already since the breather is plumbed in before the throttle body.