Hi everyone. I just bought my first Mini Cooper a week ago, but just got it back today after having some issues fixed at the dealer I bought it from. The engine light had come on after the test drive and after having them keep it for a few days, they ended up replacing the bypass valve. Feels much better now, but I am still kind of concerned. I've never owned a supercharged car before, let alone a mini cooper, and I keep reading peoples posts on here about how they are able to spin wheels in 1st gear and chirp 2nd and third on there stock mini cooper S's (supercharged version). Is this possible with a stock mini, or would this only be possible with a 15% pulley, exhaust and intake? The car only has 163 HP stock, and I just sold my 2007 volkswagon rabbit which had 150hp and 170tq, so I don;t know if its just that I am used to the 5 cylinder torque of the rabbit, or if my mini has more issues i'm unaware of. Also, I also have to say that upon picking up my car after the repairs, it felt better than before, but I was also in 30 minutes of non stop 20mph and lower traffic in 90 degree heat all the way home, so could heat soak cause it to run noticiably slower? Any info anyone has would be wonderful. thanks

 

If the DSC is on, you definitely won't be able to spin the tires - the computer will kick in and kill the timing and/or fuel, and a yellow light will flash in the tach cluster.
Other than that, could be any sort of issue from low HP to sticky tires.
Welcome to MINI!

 

Yeah I had the DSC off when I ve been driving. I feel slight torque steer, but in no way am I spinning wheels or chirping any gears. My tires are almost brand new, and its hot out, so many thats why?

 

You have to rev it like u own it! It depends on how you know how to drive and use the clutch and rpms. I recommend you find a country road and play with rpms vs launching and shifting. Good luck!!! Keep us posted ok.

I can smoke the tires and do burnouts in 1st easy.....chirping in 2nd and 3rd no prob but I have sticky tires.

 

Be careful out there playing around. I went out last week to flex my mini mucsle and an officer decided he wanted to have a little chat. He was nice enough to give me a little pink peice of paper too. Luckily it was just a warning in my defense i really had no clue what the speed limit was.

 

If you want more power go for a pulley for sure.

As for spinning tires it's pretty silly, hard on clutches, and tires drive right and keep your money for mods rather than repairs.

 

You should definately be able to spin those wheels. You just have to build up some RPM's first. Heat soak shouldn't be too big a deal in this case. I find that here in Vegas I have heat soak after pushing the car a little on a 100+ degree day. Don't get me wrong, you will get heat soak, but not if you don't push it a bit. I have a 16% pulley, and from a dead stop I can easily smoke the tires so much so, that I have to let off the gas to start moving forward (with the DSC off). When the DSC is on I can still chirp the tires, but the DSC starts kicking in, and takes my power away pretty quick. If you aren't able to chirp or spin your wheels after building up the RPMs, then something is wrong. Granted, my MINI has a CAI, and a Borla race Exaust, but I don't think they add that much power. Even in a Non S, I've seen some tires smoke! Don't be afraid to let your RPMs get up there, just be careful! Don't do it too often. I've found these wonderful little cars are delicate sometimes, and they certainly cost Big $$ to maintenance!!

 

If you have a reason to spin. Here in Korea there are many busses and taxis that will cut you of in a dirty second. SO learn and adapt....with the new OS GIken learning WHP vs move out vs show off lol. I have 50 more miles break in. However my old german clutch I could do like 50 ft burn outs with the tires....no big deal bro!!!

 

It's a fair bet that the posts you were reading were "stock" with a pulley, the 15% pulley is so common place that many consider it to almost not be a mod at all, esp. with all the other hp mods available.

Stock '03 MC"S" 165bhp
'03 MC"S" w/ 15% pulley 165whp

And Welcome.

 

If you wanna chirp your tires, buy some cheap chinese all-season tires, turn off the dsc...then have fun...cool weather when the rubber is hard, and car makes more power is best....
Then buy a bew clutch, and have it installed..
Cost...$2000 for clutch, $360 for cheap tires...and you too can chirp?!

In all honesty heatsoak and fuel quality makes a big diff....buy 93 if they have it in you area...but you can mod later...but many folks buy cheap tires...and an escort can chirp those!!

 

Thanks for all the comments! I do have 93 octane here and is already in it. Yeah there does seem to be more heat under the engine than my integras and wrx's I have had prior. One thing that kind of sucks about my mini is that when you first start off, trying to engage the clutch and gas at a good point so the car doesnt bog down is kind of hard. The clutch itself is extremely stiff, stiffer than my mustang and stiffer than my WRX. Don't know if that normal but it makes starting off in 1st difficult, so I never get any speed til I hit 3000rpm. I know the supercharger doesnt really put out any usuable power until 3000rpm, but anything below 3000rpm is kind of slow and takes a while to get to 3000rpm. Ill be putting on a 15% pulley within the next month or so. any recommendations from you guys? Also, I used to work for goodyear for 10 years and I was always told that a car should always have either 4 directional tires, or 4 non directional tires, never 2 dirrectional and 2 non directional. Is this the case with the mini cooper? I have non directionals in the front, and directional in the rear. all 4 are new, but the dealer i bought it from put on the directionals on the rear because the old ones were worn out. Im hoping this is safe. All for are V rated tires so Im hoping I'm safe. I don't really wana spend money I dont have for more tires when these are all brand new.

 

The pulley will help the power come in at a lower rpm...
if you don't regularly redline, a 17% is fine too, more usable tq at lower rpms...but the 15% is better (less heat) for higher rpms.
Many tires are only consideted directional for a given amount of their wear....
Generally getting the same type of tire on all 4 is best...that way they break loose at the same time ...having grippier tires on the front or back can make for some interesting handling...if the rears let go in a turn, you spin...fronts....you plow...
Tire brands and sizes are kinda limited in the stock size...so many have been using tires that are closse in diameter, but often a bit wider to get s bit of extra grip.

 

Ill probably end up going with the 15% pulley just to be on the safe side, my only real concern is the reliability of the supercharger/waterpump. My supercharger (eventhough it does it job and produces power), makes an odd hollow type of scraping sound while at idle. I don't know if this is nothing to worry about as I have never owned a car that is supercharged, and the majority of the cars with superchargers these days don't have the waterpump attached to it. Im afraid the pulley will increase the wear on the waterpump. Are they hard to replace? Also, does the supercharger have to come off the car to change the water pump?

 

There are a number of threads on this site about what a supercharger sounds like when its going bad. I had it happen to me. Remanufactured supercharger plus labor and associated parts set me back $1600. A new one is 2K just for the SC it self. The entire front of the car has to come off to get at the supercharger. If yours is sounding screechy and scratchy it may be that time. There are actually a few youtube videos that play the sound. Hope yours is ok.