I was sitting waiting for my son after school idling about 15-20 minutes (cold outside).... and the engine RPM just slowed down, got erratic, yellow 1/2 power engine light came on... and stopped running. I pressed restart several times.... each time it own ran low speed and erratic for a few seconds before stopping again, even after letting it rest for 10 minutes. I removed FOB and walked around for a few minutes calling mini dealer/towing to see what I could do to get it towed/serviced. Got back into car, inserted FOB.... pressed start.... ran perfect with no warning light. Is this a ECU fart, fuel pump issuse (motor seemed to run like it was out of gas) or somethying else possible? Need to decide whether to take it to Mini or my own private repair shop to review codes/issues.

 

I don't know the answer to your problems, but if it is the high pressure fuel pump, your Mini should be covered by the 10 year, 120k mileage warranty on the hpfp.

You might want to check with your dealer to see if you car is included.

 

Well... my local Mini dealer serviced my Mini.... sure enough - the codes said it was a high pressure fuel pump issue... pressure test confirmed the diagnosis. They replaced it all for no charge/no hassle at all.

Bad news - by turbo oil feed line leak is not getting any better... Mini wanted $1,300 to fix it . After I got done laughing at the preposterous estimate... I told them no thanks. I will do the job myself and pocket about $1,200 I think.

 

Get this http://www.detroittuned.com/detroit-...urbo-oil-line/
The reason it cost so much is because they have to remove the turbo to replace that line. There is no other way about it. I would also replace the other one while you were at it. And if you are going to have the turbo off being on 07 I would have it rebuilt just for peace of mind because it would suck to do all this work and then the turbo take a **** on you.

 

Great news, glad you got it taken care of!

I agree with the comment above regarding the turbo oil line. I'll be replacing my turbo oil line with the Detroit Tuned line this summer unless I'm forced to do it sooner.

Unfortunately my thermostat is now leaking.

 

That is what I am doing.... I plan to replace both my lines with the detroit tuned (actually - only the feed is non-OEM). I already did all the research, have a Bentley's manual, and long term experience working on cars... for $1,300 I do not mind spending an entire afternoon dissasembling and assembling.

Sorry about the thermostat... a designed to fail part IMO - I already replaced mine.

 

Just a fyi. You don't have to remove the Turbo. Only the cat and heat shields

 

Boy is it tight in there.... just finishing up the job replacing the turbo Oil Line oil with the Detroit Tuned replacement! Questioning whether it would have been worth the extra effort to place the radiator into the service position (gets almost 2" extra space moving whole front clip forward). I am sure I could do it much faster next time, however, I hope I never need to do that again!

FYI Notes... there where 5 bolt studs that attach the cat to manifold and lower engine bracket.... 3 came out with bolt requiring a cleanup and stud reset.... both upper and lower banjo joint/o-ring oil seal fittings were worn out and leaking - this is a horrible design that will fail on every single turbo eventually. I intend to complain loudly to Mini-USA as well the transportation safety commission that collects complaints about vehicle saftey/design issues - this should be a total recall and complete part redesign.

 

Service mode is always helpful. It can be done without it but it is a tight squeeze.

 

Is the problem with the turbo oil feed line a somewhat common issue? My '08 with 56k miles on it just developed the same problem. A metal feed line that broke in two pieces and is stocked by both local Mini dealers seems suspect.

Local German specialty shop is repairing it for $900. Luckily we have a warranty so it's only about $450.

 

Seems to be quite a bit of write-up on the internet about this problem which is just hitting the older turbo mini's i believe. IMO.... I would not put the same MINI part back on.... you really need a quality flare fitting such as the Detroit turbo oil feed line.... I did my own work and everything looks dry again! I opened a complaint with Mini... they actually called me back to get my VIN and probelm information. A representative told me if they do issue a recall I will be re-imbursed... even as a do-it-yourselfer. Also opened a complaint with NHTSA.

IMHO..... everyone with a turbo that has had the line replaced should complain directly to mini and the NHTSA. Having a critical oil line fail in mass at about 50K is appalling. If yours has not failed yet.... are you sure it has not? At first the leak is slow and it just seems you use a lillte more oil. Clean/wash the turbo arround the banjo fitting/turbo body. It should be dry and clean always... if it looks a little shiney... it is leaking slow... if it is real shiney... getting faster... mine was starting to puddle when I replaced it.

 

The shop I went through will only use OEM parts if they are available.

I'll contact Mini to see what they have to say. This should easily be a 100k mile part. Our '85 MB 300D did not have this kind of problem at 285k. The tech suspected the turbo was vibrating and caused the feed line to break.

There was a fair amount of oil in the area so they will be checking to see if the turbo was damaged as well. This certainly explains the jerky start from a full stop and uneven acceleration though.

 

The way the turbo is mounted... there is no-way it can vibrate enough to cause the steel line to physically break since the seals on both ends are rubber O-rings IMO... I suspect the turbo was starved for oil because the oil line failed and had a catastropic failure... hope not for you. Please let us know what the breakdown reveals.

 

It still seemed to drive alright. The hesitation was slight and my fiance didn't even notice it anymore.

I hope the turbo is ok though. Despite having the warranty, we still have to pay sales tax and the difference between what Mini charges for parts and the "nationally available" rate for parts.

 

My '09 S has an oil leak, with a oily turbo housing. The top banjo is tight, but the metal oil tube has about 1/4" of in/out free play. Not knowing the type of seal, i'm assuming there is an o ring in there, or a metal ferrule. Is this subject to full oil supply pressure? How is any seal made with 1/4" of travel of the actual supply tube??. Engine has 44k miles, I'll also assume this is a warranty coverage?

 

There used to be an "O" ring inside!!! Hope it is still under warranty as the labor is pricey - if not - do not put the original part back on... get the detroit tuned and either do it yourself (only simple bolt turning skills required... but a significant amount of time) or get a mechanic to install it for you. Good luck!