Hi, new owner of Justa Mini. I drove a rental Mini and fell in love, so after a month of driving the rental , I got one!!
Gave up my BMW 328i and am really excited to own a Mini.
My question is: At the beginning, is the car slower and less powerful? The rental Mini was very loud and fun ( had 5000 miles on it) and wasn't an "S".
My dealer said to
wait til 2000 miles and then it's broken in and more fun:(
Is this true? I was driving today with my air conditioning on and could barely accelerate. I have 126 miles on the car and it's automatic. I read to keep it under 4000 rpms during the break in period, so I haven't been pushing her too hard.
Thanks for the help!

 

The air conditioning will really rob the power from the little engine. Turn it off and you'll notice a huge difference. As far as I know, there is no remedy for this problem.. it's just the nature of the beast. You won't notice the power draw from the AC on a big engine, but on the MINI it's very pronounced. I also drive a Justa, and it's a blast with plenty of grunt where you need it in the twisties. Not a highway dragster, but quick where it counts!

 

Thanks for the reply! Now, about the "break in" period...Is that true that it takes a while to achieve all the power?
Glad to know another Justa:0)

 

Not only for the "power", but a lot of things take a bit of time to break in on the car. It is important to follow everything you can to break it in properly. You will end up much happier in the end.

 

I didn't break in this car as I got it used a few months ago, but from reading these boards I gather there are a few schools of thought on it. Some people say to break it in according to factory specs, and others say to break it in how you're going to drive it.

 

Thanks for the replies! I guess I will have to be patient( not too good at that)

Do the brakes feel spongy at first too?
My 328i was immediate stopping. Maybe Minis are different types of brakes than the 328i.

 

I'll get flambasted for this, but drive it hard out of the box. It may be too late for that since you started slow, though. The engine has been run to redline in the factory, and the guys test driving probably didn't take it easy either. First 20 miles is the important part, wind her up and down hard. All at operating temps. Go ahead and change the oil after the 20 mile break in. Yea sounds nuts but I have had good results with it. FWIW

As for spongy brakes, No. If anything they are a bit touchy or they were for me. My wife still almost throws us through the windshield the first few times after getting out of her car. Of course, I am just the opposite when driving hers.

Congrats on the new ride and take it easy for the first 1K, Don't know why that sticks in my head instead of 2K but read the owners amnual to be sure.

 

Congrats on your purchase! Like others have stated, A/C robs a lot of power, especially when trying to merge onto the freeway. Also, the best and somewhat cheap mod I spent my hard earned cash was on the JCW grille for the Justa. IMO it makes the Justa look better and throttle response was a little bit better. The stock grill, although nothing wrong with it, just doesn't have enough ventilation.

I took it real easy for the first 1k, then I started easing my way into higher revs. I am at 7k now, and the pickup has gotten better over time.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/4154033...n/photostream/

 

Ha Ha! Sounds good!
Yes the brakes on my BMW were very immediate and sometimes would jolt you back in your seat. I'm wondering why my rental Mini was so loud( which I liked) and was more torquey.
Thx

 

Awesome! Thanks for your input! I like the "How To " pics!
Where do I get the grill?
Thx

 

Out of curiosity have you punched the sport button "ON"? Other than that I can't think of any reason for "sluggish". Mine was not from the git go, it has gotten better with the miles, but then I didn't follow the breakin rules in the manual either. No 4500 limit on revs, 5500-6000 normally, a few redlines. I have been driving for 60 years have always broken in the new cars ''fast".

 

Yes, just started with the sport button yesterday( teenage son pushed it)
It definitely helped it to be more torquey.
180 miles on it, many more to go....

 

Just took the MINI out for the first long trip (3 hours one way) and had no problems at all with accelerating with the AC on.

I am following the recommended guidelines for breaking my MINI in. Hopefully it works to my advantage.

I have yet to push the Sport button, but it sounds like I should give it a whirl.

 

Congrats on getting a Mini
Yesterday was pretty hot here...100 degrees, and it wasn't bad on acceleration. I am trying to keep her under 4000 rpm, but the Sport button makes it a bit better and more fun.
I LoVE the AC on this car! My fingers freeze when I drive

 

Most of the crucial break in work was already done before the car hit the lot. Follow the dealers recommendation and have fun. It is doubtful that it will pick up any power though.

Perhaps the rental had something damaged or changed in the exhaust making it louder. Sometimes just being louder makes a car *feel* quicker.

 

I bought my Mini with 12,000+ miles on it so I have no basis of comparison. However, I had a BMW 318i once and it took nearly 30,000 miles before the darn thing loosened up.

 

Well, I am pleased to say that it is getting better.
I have a feeling, it could be just in my mind, that the dealer's crappy cheap gas may have been the problem. I filled up the other day with 91 and it seems to really make a difference. I hadn't used up all of their gas and had mixed their's with 91 when I put the first 1/2 tank in. Now I think I'm rid of the old gasoline. I only have 200 miles so far.
Can 91 really make a difference? I used Chevron.

 

Using 91 on a Cooper will not make a difference (it doesn't need the higher octane), but using Chevron will.

 

I believe Mini says the Justa has a 10.5 to 1 compression. Of all the things I have lost, I miss my mind the most. Anyway, that would call for the high test stuff. I've tried the regular unleaded and lost MPG's along with power. Sorry I didn't realize you hadn't even run a tank of gas out of it. She should get a bit more spunk. I got out of a turbo diesl PU and figured I would flat get myself run over. I was delighted with the peppy engine. I would probably get myself in trouble with an S, so no regrets.
Enjoy the new ride.

 

I've been using 94 out of habit, as it's what I always put in my bike. Am I wasting my money? Would 91 be just as good?

 

Higher octane is better and this car can use it. Putting it into a car designed for 87 is a waste...not the case here.

Break in for me requires going through the range of RPMs, but...(important) it has to be smoothly done, no hard down shifting, just a smooth run up. I would wait for 500 miles though. Also it is very important that the oil is up to running temp. Without a gauge, just wait for 10 minutes after the water temp gauge is up to operational temps. The oil lags behind by quite a bit.

With that said. After 500 miles, after tooling around for 15 mins, I would not hesitate to get onto a highway with a smooth run to redline. The worst thing (in my mind) would be to run across country with the cruise on at 55 mph. You would not wear it in evenly. Vary the rpms, be smooth and you will have a good engine. *In my opinion.

 

Thanks, that sounds great. I don't know about engines...what's redline?
I've been doing everything smoothly and varying my speeds and RPM's.
The weather here is over 100 this week, so I am being gentle since the AC is on so much.
How do you know if the oil is up to running temperature?
Thanks!

 

I would definitely get into trouble with an S, but I think I will get that one next! We had a great time just doing some city driving yesterday...Of course my son fell in love with it. I'm surprised since he has a VW GTI.

 

Redline is the red area of your tachometer, the one that tells you the RPM of the engine. You don't generally want to go above that, but in the MINI it has an engine cutout or limiter that won't allow it to rev too far anyway.

Don't "baby" your car, running the A/C does not "hurt" the engine, it's designed for it.

Just use it and enjoy it, you're not going to hurt it or wear it out.

 

Ok, Thanks.
On my car it seems like all the the area where the RPM is, there is only orange lighting on the whole thing. Is redline usually over 5000 or 6000 RPM's?