So, my girlfriend was out and about the other night in her '05 MINI, and I'm at home wondering when she'll be coming back. While I'm sitting outside smoking, I hear the distinct Diesel rumble of a tow truck (not sure how, but I can identify them by sound alone...maybe from the many attempts on grouchy apartment people trying to tow my truck), and sure enough, her wee little car is on a huge flatbed. Come to find out, the alternator went.
She had told me earlier that day about the battery light coming on on her dash, then while I was out she forgot/ignored it and went to see a friend. Apparently, what happened was that every light came on, the car revved to the sky (twice), brakes went, radio and A/C went, and shut off. She was able to start it again, and drive a short ways before it did it again.
Now, (sorry for the long intro, I'm a bit of a storyteller sometimes), knowing what the issue is, I can't figure out which alternator she needs. I asked around the parts stores (they practically know me by name now...), and there's the 105A model, and the 120A model. Oddly enough, the 120A is cheaper, and I suspect that the one we need. I'm concerned about buying the wrong one and potentially letting the smoke out of some other expensive items in the car, or it not having enough oomph to get the job done.

Her car is a 2005 Coupe, naturally aspirated, and has about 170k on the clock. Power windows, locks, no sunroof, the BS electric power steering (that's been disconnected...whole 'nother can of worms, that is), and for what it's worth, Pepper White. I mention this, because the guy at Pep Boys asked what power options it had, to get an idea of what I'd need.
Needless to say, the dealership has been...less than helpful...I'm more than capable to do the repair myself, but the budget is slim, so the dealership is out of the question.
I love driving her car, but no offense, I'm so glad I own an 80's Chevy truck...lol. So much easier...
Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!


P.S.-Before posting, I did a search, but it didn't turn up anything about trying to ID the part. Usually the search function here is an amazing tool...I've had so many questions answered here without having to post.

 

105A for Just a Coopa to Jan 05'. But sometimes you just have to look at the way they mount up to know which one to get.

Here are some pics. Isn't the 120A for the Supercharged MINI's ?


100A



110A



105A

The parts dept is in business to sell parts. And their is a 2 yr warranty on them when sold over the counter....what dealership was less than helpful ?

 

I'm not sure about the 120A...some of the websites for the parts stores I've checked before going in matched the 120 to her car. The pics tell me it's the 100A, though, with the two bolts.
Either way, I know it's going to be a PITA to do, only because this car seems to hate me and fights me on everything I try to do for it.
This really helped me narrow it down, though! I'm going to double check, then get to spinning the wrenches tomorrow (hopefully, with the budget permitting!).
Thanks for the info!

 

Just remember, the normally asperated Cooper has a Bosh or valeo, and the "S" has a Denso....
Any good parts store should be able to look up what you need to get you the exact part....
Sounds like you should try someplace else to get parts!! It sounds like the place you are talking to is not so hot....

 

There is a steep learning curve working on a Mini....
You might want to put it in "service mode" to make the install easier....but I have read of folks doing an alternator change through the wheel well...
IMO I would spend a few extra $$ for the guidance to get both the right part, and a quality part!!!

 

I know for sure the OEM alternator in the MINI Cooper S is 105A. This is pretty much the standard for most higher-end sports cars (Camaros use the same amperage). You may have to pull your alternator off to find out for sure, but there should be a small plate somewhere on it that will indicate the amp rating.

The other option is to call the dealership and give them your VIN to look up in the system.

 

No kidding about the steep learning curve...something as simple (seemingly) as replacing the front speakers was a freakin' CHORE! Had to break out the Sawz-All and some plywood for that adventure.
We're fairly sure it's the 120A, but the 100A has the same mount style (two bolts on top). I went to take it apart yesterday (oh, PepBoys had the best price , but we have to wait for it to come in. And it's the Bosch flavor, BTW), and realized I'd have to drain at least some of the coolant to remove a small section of hose to be able to get the thing out. Next step, is to find the belt tensioner tool...I'm hoping to all of the gods it's not a dealer-only item.
At least she gave me the go-ahead that when this car finally dies, I can do with it what I want. I'm thinking a nice little 283 shoehorned in there and stroked out to a 307...lol.
Back to topic...the dealership is run by a bunch of incompetents. When she was having issues with the power steering pump, she would have to disconnect the battery every time she parked. The PS would continue to run, even with the car off, and drain the battery. I tried to get her to let me disconnect it, but no go...needless to say, after a few months of that, the computer freaked out and thought it was being stolen and locked itself down. We had it towed to the dealership, and they charged a couple hundred for battery cables she didn't need (the original ones were fine), and another $100 just to flash the computer. We told them exactly what the issue was, and told them to disconnect the PS, but they gave us the run-around on some reason why they couldn't. The same thing happened (minus the battery cables) a few months later. Another few months after that, it happened again, only this time she was up near Raleigh and was towed to a dealer up there. They flashed the comp, then actually suggested they disconnect the PS!
So, they want the car brought in to take a look at it ($100 right there; tow is free from AAA), then the replacement of course will run probably close to $300 (PB has it for $170ish) with the dealership markup/overhead, then labor will be another hefty chunk. They can't just tell me what it is I need. I HATE the Charlotte dealership. I'm shocked they don't charge for the 'complimentary' wash they do when your car is in the shop.
Anyhow, stepping down from the soapbox, and totally losing my train of thought.

 

The ps pump problem is an easy fix...new pump, the electronics are faulty.
As to the alternator, bosh does do rebuilds of other brands, so the fact it is bosh may or may not be useful.
Go to realoem.com
Have the vin# or the production date from the drivers side door handy...it will tell you the correct part....
Penske parts has a great website too...will do the same thing with the look up.
Do not trust pep-boys...their data base on mini stuff is crap...they tried to sell be a SC belt that was far longer than the oem......

 

Thanks to this forum, I knew what was going on with the PS. The only problem with that, is all the pumps I've found are ridiculously expensive. We're just a younger couple, trying to make our way in the world (and students, too...), so naturally we don't have much money.
We're going to get the alternator today (little SNAFU over the weekend). I've at least gotten the car apart, which surprised me that it didn't take very long (nor was it difficult, at all). Now our fancy townhouse looks like a white trash extravaganza, with a disassembled MINI and my huge Chevy in front, and the front end of the MINI on the porch...oi. Her car really is an escape pod for my truck...lmao.
Thanks a lot for the help so far, guys! I found a guide, of sorts, on how to do this in another thread on the forum, and that was a big help, too!

 

Glad to hear you are making progress. Keep us posted.

 

Well, we went to PB to pick up the part, and they either sold it or sent it back to the warehouse. Whatever happened, we couldn't get a straight answer to save our lives. The guy we ordered it from didn't take her name down, so who knows...he also lied about the price, saying it was $174, INCLUDING core. No, it was $174, plus a $50 core. Either way, not bad. We ordered a new one, this time making sure they got her name and phone #.
Now this, this is customer service-the next day, we get a call from one of the girls that works there, and she told us that the local Advance Auto has the one we need, and they will price match! So, we go get it, and I finish taking the old one out. It didn't fight me at all. I just moved the radiator support forward some, slip it out the bottom, and reverse it for the new one. I got a little worried about the tensioner, so I do a quick search online to see what tool I'd need...then I notice a little square hole near the end, and viola! My 3/8" breaker bar fit perfectly! Including shootin' the poo with the nosy neighbor who came over to offer a hand as I was finishing, it took a little over an hour to get it out, in, and the bumper and bumper cover back on and lights working.
On a related note, though, I noticed the small marker lights and the horn have the exact same harness. If you're looking to play a wickedly cool (recorded) prank on your MINI friend, swap the harnesses. When the lights come on, so will the horn.
I finished this round of maintenance with a fresh cabin air filter (took the old one out, and it's definitely been in there since the car was manufactured in 10/04...it was black, and clogged!) and a Seafoaming. 170,000+ miles, too...I couldn't see the rest of the neighborhood! I took it for a spin after, to finish blowing the crap out, and it was amazing the difference! No more hesitation in hitting second gear, and only a little taking off. I might do the second half of the can later on.

Long story long, it turned out to be a job well done, and by far the easiest job I've done on this car (hell, to do the oil, I had to cut that plastic thing on the firewall so I could fit my giant ratchet on the filter cover...a regular strap wrench just won't do it), and WAY easier than doing the front speakers.

Thanks again to everyone for helping me to figure out the correct alternator!
This forum is an AWESOME resource, and you guys are just as cool...no BS or hassling like on other forums I've been on. I'm starting to spend more time here than I am on my r/c forum...

Now, to go fix the dryer that very nearly burned down our townhouse...oi, it never ends.

 

Hehe, that's too funny.