Hey NAMfam!

Brand new owner of a 2011 JCW here, and noticed today that after a 25m thrash (50% highway, 50% back roads, sport mode, lots of throttle abuse) that when I got home and popped the hood, the turbo was glowing red under the heat shield.

I have no idea if this is normal - but it doesn't seem to be to me!

No codes thrown, no power issues I can feel, as it pulls hard in every gear (esp 3rd!).

Car is stock AFAIK, as I purchased it used...

Any suggestions on what to look for? I had it into Mini for a pre-purchase inspection, but it's really just a safety, so I doubt they looked at much.

Bear in mind I'm a mini noob!

Thanks in advance

 

It's pretty normal, these turbos are tiny and have to spin very fast. Having a good intercooler, high octane and of course letting the car warm up/cool down properly.

mQubed Motorsport, Manic Tuning Dealer

 

MK - thank you VERY much for the response. I admit I was a bit surprised when I popped the hood, but it was pitch black out, so it definitely made for a bigger shock.

Is it advised to let the car run for a few minutes before turning it off? I can hear a pump running post shut down, but I imagine it's coolant and not oil to the turbo.

Also, are there any mods that are a smart choice to improve the life of the engine and turbo? I'm not really into major performance gains (tho may consider a Manic Tune in the future), but I'd be interested in upgrading certain parts if it meant protecting the engine or turbo from damage long term.

Thanks!

 

Normal; make sure you allow to idle for 3-7 mins after hard runs (ex/turbo temp drops from 1700F to 900 F) and make double sure you use the correct API oil in your engine. Such an overlooked issue when DIY'ers start maintaining their vehicles. TOTAL QUARTZ INEO, MOBIL 1 , certain MOTUL products. I think its
GL5 or API CN/SN....sorry not sure but pick up a quart of Mobil 1 and look at the ratings. check this site for TOTAL
http://catalog.lubricants.total.com/...82013%20EN.pdf
Turbo's need that type of rated oil. Change every 5k using a Mann or factory filter.

 

Thanks Indi,

I bought the car used from a (non-Mini) dealer, and they did do a full synthetic oil change, but I'm not sure of the type.

Is it worth dropping the oil and replacing it ASAP? Car has only had 1000kms (620 miles) since the change.

Cheers!

 

I never seen mine glow and I'm pushing way more than stock pressure, I would lean towards your cat is clogged. How many miles ?

 

Guess the question is have you popped the hood after a spirited drive? I did just to take a look since I'd just bought the car.

Mine has 29k miles on it. Is there a way to check the cat without going to a shop? Anything else it could be? Such as insufficient oil flow or...?

Cheers

 

Most Mini downpipe can get to 1600F, so it pretty safe to say the turbo will glow.

mQubed Motorsport, Manic Tuning Dealer

 

Only seen them glow at the track or driving them hard, never glowed at idle or short trips. Maybe the heat shroud covers it up ?

 

I know this is an old thread but I just rebuilt my engine and had the head ported, new WMW cams, pistons blah blah. I have the DDM Works race intake and high flow downpipe along with new 2.5" exhaust. I was on my way to work driving around 55mph and I got an o2 sensor CEL and pulled over. The downpipe was glowing red. Any idea what can cause this? It was dark out but I have owned this car for 5 years and never noticed it but again I just rebuilt it and have been debugging the rebuild still. I only have 300 miles on the build. At the same time I did notice i ran over something and busted the lower radiator hose loose and wore a hole in it. I will be fixing the hose tomorrow and adding extra support to keep that from dropping again. I am just concerned about the downpipe being that hot.

Thanks.

 

From regular driving that's a bit odd. How many miles on that DP? What exactly is it?