Thank you all in advance. I hope I am posting on the proper forum and would be most appreciative for any feedback. In the last two years, I have had a series of issues with my 2009 Cooper S. From carbon build up on the back values, timing chain cassette, thermostat leak and engine valve cover leak to currently bad coils, front seal leak and carbon build up on the valves.

My current mileage is 53,998. I purchased the Cooper S brand new in 2009. Am I crazy? Am I being taken for a ride by my dealership? Or is the car simply a piece? I have not approved the work yet because I’m considering just cutting my losses and selling it to a dealership or private party with a concession for the needed repairs. Services prior to January 2015 were all standard/required services and warranty/recall services done at the dealership. Only the timing cassette and one oil change were done elsewhere. I've started with the most recent incident and moved backwards to Jan 2015 which is when things started to go wrong. I'm so fed up!

2/27/17
My check engine indicator came on. I took it to the dealership on 2/28/17 and was updated with the following list of necessary repairs today.

1. Bad coils and the recommendation is to replace all four as they have found a tendency for them to go out in succession.
$710.33
2. Carbon build up on valves. Recommendation repair is a valve cleaning. Last months special will be honored.
$624.00
3. Front main seal valve leak.
$690.00

Total $2024.33; Mileage 53,998

11/22/16
I didn’t receive the extended warranty class action lawsuit claim until the end of the year. My eighth year of ownership was August 2016 so I missed the warranty thermostat service by three months. Crevier Mini gave me a 15% discount on parts and labor. I guess that's something.

1. Thermostat / Gasket is leaking.
$497.14
2. Fluid leak – Engine. Cylinder head cover.
$638.82
3. Front main seal recommended as a future service item.

Total $1182.50; Mileage 51,970

11/21/16
With no warning at all my engine malfunction indicator came on. The low oil or check engine indicator never came on prior to this incident. My car lost power and plumes of black smoke came from under the hood. My husband pulled over and I had the car towed to Coast Motor Werks. I paid for the oil / filter change but opted to have the major work done at my dealership because it was slightly less. In addition, I was hoping they would give me a worthwhile discount being that there was an extended warranty I didn’t even know about until the gentlemen at Coast Motor Werks informed me. Further, I didn’t receive the class action on the thermostat until after it was no longer applicable to my vehicle.

1. Oil level was extremely low (bone dry yet the oil indicator never came on)
2. Thermostat is starting to leak
3. Valve cover is starting to leak from the breather

Total $110.45; Mileage 51,961

11/10/2015

1. Timing chain tensioner replacement. Coast Motor Werks did repairs.

Total $1,731.57; Mileage 44,652

10/15/2015
Car was rattling upon start up. Crevier Mini wanted $2500 for the timing cassette repair and that was with a “discount”. When I pushed back, because it seemed preposterous that something so critical would be needed at 44,398 miles, I was told it was something this happening in 2nd generation models and in vehicles with fewer miles than mine. I did some online research and discovered the part is supposed to be maintenance free up to 100,000 miles I believe and further the issue was documented and a class action lawsuit had been initiated. I contacted BMW North America and inquired about their plans to perhaps issue a recall or have dealerships stand behind the product and was told no, they weren’t aware of the timing cassette issue and there was nothing they could do to assist me. A few months later I received the class action lawsuit information. Unbelievable. I opted to have the work done at Coast Motor Werks the following month.

1. Brake fluid service
2. Micro filter replace

Total $291.72; Mileage 44,398

7/2/2015
1. Engine Oil Service, replace air filter, crumbling antenna and torn windshield wipers

Total $232.13; Mileage 40,632

1/2/2015
Check engine indicator came on.
1. Combustion build up due to carbon build up on back valves
$639.28
2. Rear brakes
$242.87
3. Front brakes
$596.02
4. Low mileage oil service
$71.91

Total $1,591.47; Mileage 35,802

 

 

Thank you for responding. I would love to keep it and had planned for it to be my final vehicle. I follow the service schedule religiously in addition to extra/more frequent oil changes than the maintenance schedule stipulates. However, I'm leaning towards throwing in the towel after being told there are too many valves to count so there could be leak after leak and my lack of miles and robust driving could be a contributing factor.

 

Well, for starters you need a GOOD independent shop with reasonable hourly labor rates. The dealers will screw you on price and they won't FIX anything, just replace parts. $710 for coils is a ripoff no matter where you would go. My local Indy Mini mechanic tells me I need coils too, but they are willing to do them as they go out. When I asked them about doing the full set, it was closer to $350 for all four. Plus it only takes a good Mech about 15 min a coil to replace them and that's generous. If you live in SoCal, you should be able to hit a qualified indy BMW/Mini shop just by throwing a dead pigeon around.

Also if you had a valve cleaning only 20K mi ago, you shouldn't need another THIS soon. on this too, I'd find a new shop altogether, get a second opinion on the valves. See if you can get the coils done for a reasonable price and motor on until the CEL pops on again before dumping the whole car.

On the oil, the 2nd Gen turbo engine is an oil burner. I check my oil every week and add as I go because the turbo will guzzle the oil and if your oil is even a half a quart down there is a chance of damaging SOMEthing...

Good luck!

 

I have seen a lot of problems with the N14, not so much with N18, but it seems like you love your MINI enough to keep it. If not, I might consider fixing the known issues, and selling it on for a down payment on a newer MINI. You are gonna lose some bucks going that way, for sure. But stepping up to the N18 would hopefully cut down on your issues. It seems that we are always addressing issues on the N14 when they pop up, which can be quite frequent, sadly. Not that the N18 is problem-free. They just seem to be less prone to larger failures. I have been told that running the N18 a bit on the "harder side" reduces possible carbon buildup issues. Maybe the same for the N14? In other words, Ya gotta blow the cobwebs out now and then. The old "Italian tune-up".

 

Thank you! I'm taking your advice and making calls right now! I'm on call one and the first quote is $380 for all four. I'm waiting on Mini to phone me back and let me know which coils are bad as they never said. They only informed me that they weren't all bad but it was just advisable to replace all four. Ah just got a call back it's coil #3. The total will be $163.

 

FYI, coils are $35 each from vendors on this site and anyone, probably even you, can change them all in less than 15 minutes. You gotta find a better shop and stop going to the dealer, they are seriously screwing you.

 

Thank you for presenting another option. It's so nice to connect with folks who are enthusiastic and knowledgable about Mini's. I've been lurking this forum for a while now. I absolutely love my Mini, but the extra costs are beginning to dull my enthusiam. And yet I still want it! You are correct as previously the dealership told it needs a more aggressive ride every now and then so I started having my daughter drive it once or twice a week in sports mode because she works in Long Beach and if she doesn't my husband will drive it to Brea where he works. Brea is bad luck because the last two check engines happened while he was driving. He's banned! I couldn't even look at the 2017 models when I dropped my car off because I was so traumatized. Now that my heart hurts a little less I will take a peek when I pick it up.

 

S**t! No lie, this is my last visit to Crevier Mini! Once I pick my car up they've seen the last of me and my baby! Thank you for that information which was the final kick in the a*s I needed. THANK YOU!

 

You're welcome. Knowledge is power. Since you are changing coils, be sure to at least inspect the spark plugs. I recommend changing them. $40 for replacement ngk iridiums (and if you are doing it yourself you need a thin walled spark plug socket).

Edit: I dont recommended delphi (made in china) coils on amazon for $25. The stock coils are delphi which is why we have problems with them.

 

I'm not much of a wrench myself, but I FINALLY invested in the big Bentley "Mini Cooper 2007-2013" manual and am probably going to even start taking a few more dollars out of my mechanic's and put them back in my own as well.

Stay away from the dealers unless you have an active warranty or call back though.

 

I've got a 2008 JCW and from day 1 I've driven the hell out of it. High revs, long stretches of 100mph+ and have had very few troubles with it. I use only Mobil 1 full synthetic and MINI oil filters and change my oil regularly, at least every 5000-7000 miles. I decided when it hit 40,000 miles this last year to have the valves walnut blasted because based on so many people's experiences it should have a nice buildup of carbon. When my mechanic went to perform the cleaning he called me to come take a look and it had very slight carbon buildup. He'd never seen one at that mileage that clean and asked me what my secret was. He thought I was using some additive or treatment. I told him I don't add anything other that high octane fuel and he was blown away. He thinks it might be due to the way I drive the car and I tend to believe it.

If I had the kind of luck with the MINI as you had, I would have gotten rid of it a long time ago. Doubt I'd even get enough. But that's just me. As always, YMMV...

 

 

From what I understand this is pretty true. I've heard anywhere between $35-$60 each for coils depending on where you get them from, and of all engines, the Mini engine makes it simple to get to them.

If you don't mind wrenching the car yourself, you can save some serious money compared to taking it to any shop. That said, if you just don't want to buy the tools and get your own hands dirty, or your personal time is too valuable, a good independent shop is the way to go over the dealer for anything other than warranty work IMO. Try to find one who has a trained and certified Mini master mechanic, or at LEAST a BMW shop who does lots of Mini work too.

I had my #4 coil throw a CEL and my indy shop diagnosed it for free, dragged it into a bay, and threw in a replacement in 20 minutes and had me on my way for $50 total. They DID warn me that the coils tend to fail pretty close to the same time and that they LIKE to replace them all at once so they aren't chasing a problem and the owners aren't coming back several weeks in a row, but they also said that doing all four at a time was more for everyone's convenience and not because it is a must. They ALSO suggested it was a simple enough thing to do myself if I had a couple of tools to do it.

Willingness to tell you what to do on the simple things and suggesting how your can DiY it is also a sign of a good shop in my opinion. I've never seen a dealer do this.

 

Coils dont require any tools to change. Having to read the code, if one is even thrown, to determine which coil is easy but requires a reader which you may not have handy. If you got a little extra cash, save yourself the trouble and do all plugs/coils at once if you are replacing one of them.

 

Set of Bremi coils will be $100 delivered to your door along with a set of NGK's for $42.00. About 15 minutes of work later and you're up and running again.


Coils:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/351796349727...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT


Plugs:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/301660363380...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

This, I did not know but will effectively execute when mine is back on its feet.

 

How do you use the CRC? Take the manifold off or spray it in the intake?

 

At 55,000 miles, it is not uncommon to need new plugs, new coil (or spark plug wires/ignition) components no matter what vehicle it is except possibly Japanese which might go to 65,000-70,000 miles before needing that.

I have the N18 engine and they made a lot of improvements over the weaknesses in that engine. However, I have 64,000 miles and it definitely needs two plugs and coils as well.
Before it is over, you will need a new timing chain, new water pump, high pressure fuel pump, and if your main seal is gone already, you will need a value cover gasket/seal and a set of oil pump seals on the engine front real soon. I thought the timing chain tensioner was an extended warranty freebie though based on the law suit. It doesn't really solve the issue -- it just buys you more time.

All cars need brakes every 30,000-45,000 miles depending on how hard you are on the car.

I bought my car knowing all these problems. If you are not up to it, you might sell it. It is really a car for an enthusiasts. When I was trying to buy a used MINI, all the dealers were trying sell the cars over-priced to poor unsuspecting daughters for the first car on the way to college. INSANE!

 

I just bought a set of Delphi Coils for $22 each on Amazon on sale for $2 off.
You can get Bosch coils for $25 each.

Both of these are OEM quality. It takes about 5 mins per plug to change them and that's with a beer in one hand.