Hi guys(and girls ), I have searched but I have limited time on the computer at work so I was hoping some of you could answer a few questions for me....
I am looking at a used 2003 MCS with 74k on the odo. It's Liquid Yellow with a yellow top. I see it has a Alta exhaust along with a ProMini CAI and ProMini strut bars. It probably has a pulley too and maybe a chip? It also has a set of smoked black wheels that are in good shape. I ran a CarFax and it has had one owner with no bad history.
I took it for a test drive yesterday so now I have some questions/concerns.

The clutch pedal was stiff and a little notchy. This might be the original so it's probably time to replace?

The steering was a touch heavy, maybe that is normal for Minis?

Should I be concerned with supercharger replacement? It ran great.

The only noise it made was the rear strut bar creaking, other than that, nothing out of the norm. The brake and brake rotors looked like they have been replaced recently so that is good. The interior was good just some wear on the inside door handles. It seemed like it has alot of highway miles and has some chips on the fascia, no big deal. This is gonna be a daily driver for me but not my only vehicle.

Any concerns you guys have? Any suggestions? I can pick it up for around 12,500 otd. Thanks in advance!!

 

Clutch pedal is hydraulic. there are some people who are hard on clutches so its hard to say what the problem is but I would have it checked.

Steering is stiffer imo than my other cars (truck and lexus). PS fan's and pumps can be an issue.

Superchargers are rated at the 100k mile range. You may get more miles out of it as it seems that others here on the forum have. If there is a pulley that usually shortens the life do to higher speed.

12,500 seems like a good deal. KBB lists in good cond around 14k or more depending on options.

As a comparison. Mine is a 2002 with 20k JCW, navigation all other options except mp3, power seat, built in phone. KBB lists for 21k in good cond.

HTH

 

Thanks for the reply. What is the button under the parking brake? Just south of the power mirrors.

 

I too have noticed the steering to be "heavier" than my previous cars, but after driving mine for a while I have become quite comfortable with it.

If you are concerned about the clutch I would have it checked before you sign the deal. The extra buckage for a quick inspection is worth the peace of mind. Does the owner have any maintenance history?

As long as there are no major defects, that sounds like a pretty good deal for 12,500. Best of luck!

 

Ok, good. I'll have the clutch checked out for sure. Are the products from Alta and ProMini good aftermarket pieces?

 

-Alta exhaust is a top notch piece if it installed right. That is to say as long as the didnt do a half *** job putting it in it is nice

-Promini CAI is nice as well, a very simple piece of good quality.

-If the tower bars havent fallen off then they should be fine.


Check and see whether or not it has a pulley and if it has a tune (custom, GIAC, etc). Knowing wether or not it has a pulley will tell you a good bit of info on how it needs to be maintained and perhaps its future life span (at least with reguards to the SC).

 

How can I tell what pulley it has? is there an easy way?

I'm a member of a few forums and I must say you guys are by far the most helpful. Thank you!

 

The one about halfway down the console (off-center on passenger side)?
That resets the flat tire sensor -- you need to reset when you change a tire or add air to the tires.

 

The clutch has never seemed stiff/notchy in mine, but mine's pretty low miles yet and I learned on an MGB. I've heard of Mini clutches going to 90k and, yes, one case of 100k (I was floored), but driving style seems to affect these cars as much as any other factor with clutch wear. I wouldn't know where the cut-off is.

The steering on the (count'em, just three) Minis I've driven is a touch heavy at parking lot speeds but nice and balanced at 15+ mph . The car gets a little jumpy and sensitive above 80mph, but not uncontrollable.

And if the supercharger's not making noise (besides the characteristic whine) I wouldn't worry about replacing it.

Just my opinion. Work on my own Mini, but I'm no means a Mini guru.

 

To reset it, get on a road you can drive in a straight line for a mile,
press button until yellow flat tire sensor light comes on in the dash..
drive at a regular speed, light should turn off indicating tire sensor is reset...
Do this after you check tire pressure to make sure its correct
also, in this issue of MC2, there was a guide to buying a Used MINI....You may want to do some homework as these cars do have some quirks...
http://www.mc2magazine.com/Issue__10.cfm

 

Heavy clutch is unusual, it's possible the previous owner swapped it out for a high performance clutch. The notchy feeling also makes me think that; the stock clutch on the MCS has a pretty wide engagement point.

There are quite a few high milage owners on the forums, 73k miles is getting up there but not overly so. Depending on how the previous owner took care of the car and drove it you could be virtually problem free until 150k+ miles.

Most MINI's have heavy steering, it's normal (A product of the electro-hydraulic steering assist + the fact that it's a semi-sports car).

12,500 is a decent price as long as it has all the equipment you're looking for. If not, just wait! There are plenty of deals to be had.

 

Facing the engine bay the pulley will be on the left side. You should see a tensioner with a small spring on it, under the tensioner will be your SC Pulley (Attached to the SC of course). Most aftermarket pulleys are a color other than black (Mine is silver, from alta). All of them to my knowledge say the brand name on the side. I don't think there's any way other than taking it off (Or asking the owner) to tell what reduction it is.

 

I thought a heavy clutch was a sign of wear and that it's almost time for it to go - or is that just for cable and not hydraulic clutches?

Also, I don't know why the Mini clutch can't go well beyond 100k miles. If you don't abuse it or have a ton of power running through it, why shouldn't it last? Is this just the 200,000k mile e30 (original clutch) driver in me talking? The clutch did get replaced at 200k on that car.

mb

 

Thanks for all the replys!! It is at a dealership so they have no idea about the pulley, it's actually the one I work at. It came in on trade but I don't want to contact the owner. I'll check the pulley tomorrow. The clutch scares me but I can just replace it and be done with it. Now that I think of it, when I was driving the steering felt fine, it was just at slow speeds it felt heavy. The little bit of supercharger whine reminds me of my boat, other than that, the unit itself sounds fine.

Thanks for the button on the console. BTW, it's the same sign as the Ford tire pressure sensor.