Hey all..

I have about 87k and some codes have popped up related to boost pressure. The local shop superficially diagnosed that it *most* likely is a wastegate failure, and sadly they do not do turbo rebuilds, mainly since Mini doesn't offer any parts either.

What have you high mileage JCW owners been doing to fix your aging turbos?

Not in a position to buy a brand new one right now since retail is over $1800 :(

Thanks for your opinions!

 

We've seen many of these fail and as low as 60k miles. The waste gate is the most common part to fail.
We also offer the JCW turbos at a cost effective price.
https://www.waymotorworks.com/jcw-tu...8-r59-r60.html

 

thanks, can't afford a brand new one at the moment so I guess i'll just be limping along for a while longer

I was hoping there was *someone* out there that rebuilt/swapped when a turbo goes bad...I knew a guy who did this with Audi/VW turbos 15 years ago, but he's not around anymore. Dang!

 

http://gpopshop.com/services/turbo-upgrades/
I got this link from this forum, forget which thread. They were saying good things about them. No personal experience.

 

thanks for the recommendation!

Just got in touch with them and they are able to rebuild if it's a faulty flapper with a more robust part...if it's the electric solenoid part then they said they couldn't do much about that.

Very nice and informed guy on the other end, so if I end up going rebuild route, i'll definitely be doing business with these guys. I called a couple others and they never bothered to call back.

thanks again! Definitely cheaper and i'll end up with a more durable turbo than just direct oem swapping that would die in another 60-80k miles.

 

Are they going to do a full turbo rebuild, or just a wastegate actuator rebuild?

 

We have a NAM vendor who specializes in rebuilding MINI turbochargers. Check them out at-

http://jmtcperformance.com/jm40-jcw-...s-n14-and-n18/

No slight intended on other vendors who rebuild turbos, but JM Turbo Coopers sponsors this site, has a good reputation, and if you call, Arric will give you sound advice.

Your other option is to watch the classifieds for a used turbo....although, with the labor involved and with all of the collateral parts that need to be replaced it usually makes more sense to go with a new or rebuilt turbo. Whatever you do, do not buy a brand x turbo from ebay....

 

You might be able to check your wastegate with a boroscope - remove the top O2 sensor and go in from there. If the wastegate is broken/loose as I've seen in the past (P2885), you will be able to see it pretty easily.

I dropped an email to Arric and he reminded me that his wastegates are designed more robustly and will hold higher boost levels than stock wastegates. Seems like a no-brainer when my turbo reaches the end of its service life.