So after all winter where I kept hearing a cold start which wasn't the best, but stupidly "accepting it" I told myself, after reading the horror story recently posted of the puking engine, that it was time. I had a video I made of my engine in Feb sounding horrible at startup, so I prepared that and submitted a service request -- "cold am start rattle", and a rattle by my passenger door.

I was in for all morning. I was expecting to be told "can't reproduce" and I'd have to leave the car, and then hope they'd reproduce...

As I came in, first pleasant surprise: "hey you know what, we are going to also do an oil change and wiper insert change, it look like it's time" -- sweet, extra oil changes are always good ( I got one not so long ago, but I'd never say no!)

Getting quickly to the point:
- cold start issue: performed TSB SI M 11 02 07. Timing chain tensioner. Measured 66.57mm, spec is 68mm. Replaced, and vehicle software update done, retested and confirmed.
- rattle in door : fixed, felt tape installed where door panel was rattling door frame.
- oil change
- wiper inserts, replaced

And sure enough, so far the starts go without the clickity rattle thing, great!!

Moral:
GO VISIT THEM.

 

Do you go to Herb Chambers or MINI of Peabody?

 

I suppose I should have added a kudos...

MINI of Peabody always! Joel, Brig, everyone there is just fantastic. In fact, everytime I go there for service and I think "I bet they'll send me back w/ nothing done" they go the extra mile.

I've been able to get them to give me all the oil changes (and more, it seems) that keep me with peace of mind, by remembering special rules like if my car was < 6000 miles at some time X, or in this case, I'm not sure why but I'd never say no thanks to an oil change... and so far, every rattle gets found and resolved!

 

I worked on a project at a chemical plant in Middleton all last year. I stopped in at Mini of Peabody quite often to check out stuff. They seem like a good dealership.

 

If you take it and you get the "cannot reproduce" enough times, call MINI USA and ***** at them and you can get it fixed like I did!

 

I got my MINI at Herb Chambers and I haven't been very impressed with them so I was wondering if I should give MINI of Peabody a try. I've heard good things about them.

 

Went in for my first service today Mini of Peabody and also to deal with a bunch of little crap. They took care of everything. A few items I thought they definitely would have charged me for.

They even found a tensioner issue/oil leak and fixed it.

Only charges were for tire rotation and alignment. Car drives better then new.

 

I just had a great experience at Bob smith Mini in Calabasis. I had my hood scoop replaced on my lightning blue s, I asked the advisor if the replacement scoop came in black? He said no, but they had to paint it so he would paint it black if I wanted and of course I said yes.

So off I went in a nice BMW 128 loaner. I wanted to like it, but it was slow, disconnected and handled like a wet bar of soap. A very nice wet bar of soap none the less.

Picked up my mini a few days later. The scoop looks awsome with my JCW grill. great experience. I'm buying my next mini there

Oh, I didn't even buy my car there.

 

sadly, you are observing something that many others observe: Herb Chambers MINI is pretty disconnected from the real awesome MINI experience. They just sell volume MINIs to those in Boston, and I never hear anything very special about their treatment to shoppers or customers.

MINI of Peabody picks up to give MINI a great name in the Boston area, thankfully.