Hello all,

New member, 1st post. Just bought myself a 2005 Mini Cooper; manual 5spd, 60k miles.

Would some more Mini-experienced wrench turners be kind enough to tell me what should be checked out on this baby? Other than the obvious like pads and rotors on any vehicle, what are the common things specific to this car that usually need checking / attention to avoid problems? For example, I've already read about the transmissions and will be making sure all fluids are replaced fresh and topped up asap.

Thanks.

 

Front control arm bushings wear out about every 40k, replace them with powerflex bushings and they'll last forever.

Check thermostat housing for thermostat gasket leaking.

Look at passenger front frame rail for black fluid to leak from the motor mount, this happens when the mount fails.

Check front upper strut mounts for the rubber splitting.

P/S lines leak all the time too.

 

Very helpful! Thanks.

Anyone else with more?

 

Check for rust under the door sill weatherstripping. There is a sticky on the issue on this site. Don't forget to check the cabin air filter. You may want to change the serpentine belt before you hit 70k miles if you are still on the original one.

Welcome aboard and happy motoring!

 

also mushroomed strut towers, abnormal rear tire wear- bad camber or toe. also the throw out bearings will go out. you will hear like marbles with the clutch engaged and they will go away when you disengage it.

 

Thanks all for the suggestions. In the meantime I also "found" the sticky for newby owners!