Here's a good service tip from Sam Myers at MAG....

Today when I picked up my car I asked Sam if he had any advice for the care & feeding of our cars.

What he told me was this...

Sam "The MINI's seem to be good cars & long lasting, but run hight test gas of good quality in your MINI. I've seen MINI's coming in carboned up. Some so bad that one of the valves do not close all the way. That leads to a burned valve. While your MINI will run on regular it's the regular fuel that leads to those carbon deposits."

I told Sam that I add a bottle of Chevron Techron at every oil change.

Sam "Techron is good stuff, but use a good quality high test fuel too. Shell, Marathon & even BP now have additives in them to keep the valves clean. Shell is the best"

There you have it. Some good advice from someone that I trust. I know some of you run regular to save a few cents on fuel. You do so at some risk it seems. You will never save enough money buying regular to pay for the potential damage it causes,

Motor on, with high test!

 

High Test for CHKMINI I won't even run 92 octane in her. It's either 93 octane or Sunoco 94 octane.

 

So... I should stop with the kerosene and/or lighter fluid?

Dang...

 

That's cool with me.

 

Next thing, he'll add solar panels and a wind turbine....

 

Welshmenwillnotusehightest!!!!!

I have been throwing leaves and other bio debreis into my tank I figure anything that will burn will keep me going it is a combustion engine after all!

 

Sorry to burst your balloon of urban myths, but I DO use high test...just not all the time. I use it on my drives to, during and home again from BMW CCA HPDEs at various tracks and for when I drive to, during, and from the Dragon. I use it when I travel long distances, such as to and from Mini Meet East. I use it when I drive on twisty, hilly roads, but I just use plus for the roads around here [I live in a flat, boring, country road area].

 

Note to self drain fuel tank and refill for local travels.

 

What discriminating throttle foot you have. Use what ya like, but... I remember a bunch of posting by you about how you use regular & it's Ok, yada yada yada. Have you changed your mind about that & bumped up a grade to plus?

Go blow the carbon out. Let it bounce off the rev limiter a bit. Lugging an engine is bad for it.

 

I never lug the engine...I ALWAYS use the shifter...hardly EVER the automatic "D" drive. Sure, I'd rather have a true stick, but it just didn't work out that way. If anytime my wife needs to use my MINIs, at least I am comfy with the thought that she will NEVER have to ruin my clutch in the process.

BTW, I even use plus in the Cooper...only switching to high test under the previously-mentioned circumstances. The only time when regular creeps into the tank is when I forget I'm not filling the Sonata.

 

Gettin pretty deep around here Buddy. Think I need to put my Wellingtons on.

 

That's the beauty of having freedom to choose.

 

Yep, aint it great to have a choice? I choose the Wellies for this....

 

So, I guess you are saying that you lug your gears...right?

 

Chuck, thanks for the advice.

I'd be glad to fill anyone's tank with my special octane.

 

Cooper is that the flat land fuel, the drive on hills fuel or the I'm a race car driver fuel? Some guys have special needs.

Me I just use high test. Now keep that thing in yer pants spunky.

 

You lug nut you....

 

Looks like true fossil fuel to me...and the tanker is full.

 

I heard the mention of a Sonata.. Are hyundais fun?

 

Cooper, look out...there's an ambulance sitting across the street

 

Well, I bought a Sonata for my wife last year, and then the Clubman made its debut. All of a sudden she sort of wanted a Clubman, but we thought we'd wait til some rarely-seen family returned home after their month-long stay here and all the sightseeing was done. Dang...the Sonata averaged 33-34 mpg, on REGULAR gas...not too shabby for a 235 hp V6. We had all the power we needed, the a/c was fantastic, the interior was roomy and comfy for all 4 of us, and the trunk was huge. So, YES...THIS Hyundai was FUN, and was VERY economical to drive and to take on roughly 3000 miles of roads between July and August. It's all paid-for, and, gone are our plans to add a third MINI [the Clubman] to our "stable".

 

My mom had an elantra and loved it then last year she moved on up to a santa fay which she really likes. I had an Accent before I got my Mini and it was by far the best snow car I have ever driven (really skinny tires not a lot of HP) it also did really well on gravel and MPG. I can not wait to test drive the new rear wheel drive coupe they are building.

 

Hey Allen how many miles to a gravel did ya get? If ya want some pee gravel Cooper will fill you up.

Jeff you should be tracking the Hundy Sayanora. Big fun on regular gas. No nasty clutches to bother with either. Set the cruise & go racin.

 

I just think that 100,000 mile, 10 year warranty makes Hyundai a world class player. We have just under 30k on our '06 and have had no problems whatsoever.

 

Twenty years ago Hundy had to implement that 100,000 mile warranty. No one would buy their cars. They fell apart in short order. That 100,000 mile warranty saved them here in this country. Now their cars are much much better, but they are stuck with that warranty.