Hello. I have a 2006 Cooper with the CVT. I have recently experienced a pretty substantial drop in fuel economy. I only have about 13K miles on it, but I am thinking that perhaps an issue may be the air filter. The problem is that the owner's manual makes no mention of this part at all. Seems like replacing it is something I should be able to do myself. But first I need to figure out where it is and how to get to it. There seems to be a great deal of info online about replacing the cabin air filter for some reason but not he engine air filter. Is there a tutorial out there anywhere?

Thanks

 

is your mini a "s" or non "s''

 

If its a CVT its a Non S
Engine Air filter is changed at Inspections... about every 40,000km
Its very easy to change on a Cooper
Remove the black torx screws with a T25 and slide the cover towards the passenger side and then up. remove filter... there will be a bit of sand and debris in the box so you can just vacuum that out.
install is the reverse

 

thanks. I found a little DIY thing on MINI2.com that has an explanation with photos which was helpful.

I couldn't believe the dried leaves in there! Filter is pretty greasy and dirty so I figure it is worth replacing it.

Does injector cleaner in the gas tank do any good or is it a waste? I am low mileage but driving has been probably 65% in town maybe a bit more and the car is 4.5 years old. I let the dealer do the service every 12 months since that was all they would cover for free. So it has never really had much done to it.

 

Use the Search option under the 3 Mini's at the top of the Web page.

I use the fuel injector cleaner once a month in my MCS.

I know you said you only have 13K miles on your Mini, but
have you tried re-setting the ECU ? You should be able to find this
using the search option on this Web site.

As a last resort, if it were my Mini I would change the fuel filter.

 

We recommend the injector cleaner with every inspection (every40,000km) and it does seem to smooth idle slightly and give slightly quieter operation. Some say slightly better milage too.
You would be surprised how much dirt/debris/sand and whatever else gets picked up while driving.