I found this forum when scouring the internet for help over my r52 no crank/no start issue. I got such immense help from the members here that eventually lead to me now being able to drive the car around. I am still working on reviving the car and making it road-legal, but I didn't want to bog that thread down updates over the car now that the topic of the thread was complete.

I thought it best to start a thread here to track the progress of the car. It's been through quite a bit, and i am just getting started. I am a fan of this place and you folks, so i want to stick around and maintain the thread over this cool little car.


If you want to see a detailed history of the no crank issue -> https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...t-problem.html

Car's Backstory: My wife and I met our two closest friends because of this car. We always joked about the "mini cooper guy" that would whip his little car into our apartment complex like it was a go kart, sometimes with the top down for good measure. A couple of conversations struck up over the car, and we pretty much hit it off with mini cooper guy and his girlfriend immediately. That was in 2015, and we have been close friends with these two ever since, and to this day. In 2017, Hurricane Harvey came and dumped a ton of water on the car, and the car did not handle it so well.


Bringing the car home







First wash since the drenching it got during hurricane Harvey.





immediate trip to the dealership (turned up empty handed. they couldn't read anything on the car and they were not willing to troubleshoot. i did get good info from the master technician, that helped with my diagnosis!) my current daily driver ram 1500 didnt even notice the car back there. just another leisurely drive, as far as it was concerned.







back home from the dealership, during my time trying to get it to crank.



this was pre 1 stage paint correction, the paint didnt look half bad! those headlights are cooked, though.



cant beat a good seafoaming



comparison of the headlight restoration when polishing. what a difference











i have some carpet on order, as well as a few new odds and ends. hopefully soon i'll be able to decide on a wheel choice, throw some fresh rubber on, and be cruising to work in this little car. its already insured and ready to roll. i have a few mechanical bits to look at, but the car has been performing flawlessly when i bop it around the neighborhood. ive only been able to get it up to 45mph once, but it was smooth and tight.

anyway, thanks for reading and looking! i will keep this thread updated with the progress of the car! cheers everyone

 

I see you showing off on here,lmao.

 

hahaha man i need somewhere to put all this energy. all of my people are getting sick of hearing me talk about this car

 

i ordered a new airbag module and got it in today, neglecting to ever read that the thing needs to be programmed to my car. i got it installed, but still have the light. time to do some searching

 

Should be able to use itsa-D. I don’t think we installed. But you need a stable power supply while using itsa-D.
I can install later today.
Did you use inpa to try an clear?

 

You have come a long way and it's looking good.
You have a bunch of posts to go to get bragging rights! Here are my 2 latest projects.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...i-journey.html
Here is my Escalade refurb: https://www.cadillacforums.com/threa...nture.1092929/

 

that would be excellent! i didn’t try INPA. went straight for ista-P. will give INPA a shot

thats the truth, i still have a lot left to do on this little car. its coming along though! really enjoying your threads so far. interested especially in that escalade.

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i got some carpet installed last night!

















until i get some better floor mats to protect this new carpet investment, my old truck mats will have to do

 

Looking really good!
OEM Mini Cooper rubber mats are $50 bucks on Amazon: I think all my vehicles have been a labor of love.

 

got some new shoes on it today. i can't wait for some new wheels, decided to grab some tires in the meantime. went with a set of falkens with an 80k mile rating, which feels like the tires might dry rot before i hit that rating. here's hoping.

next it needs struts, then a 4 corner alignment









i didnt spend a ton of time cleaning, but i still managed to get some of the caked stuff off.









pretty happy with how the paint is. could improve some more with better DA time, which has me excited to find some time to polish on it some more. might even inspire me to replace my machine finally

 

Managed to get the car inspected and road legal this weekend, tags will be here by monday or tuesday. I also spent some time rewiring and heat shrinking the old factory fuel pump. The pump worked great, but the hose deteriorated and wouldn't carry fuel or pressurize the lines anymore. Replaced the hose, as well as all the wiring (the sheathing all disintegrated as well) and the pump works great!

its a bonus that the fuel level gauge works again. I had an issue with the cheap-o amazon pump being shipped broken. ran through 4 of those before i gave up and fixed the factory one. i ended up with a cheap-o fuel pump from amazon as a result, so now i have an extra (with a broken level gauge) in case i need it.

also planning to install some cheap JVC 6.5" speakers at some point this weekend so the fronts work again. they've long-since been dead.

I did order a new resistor for the cooling fan to get my low-speed back. when i take the car apart to do that, im definitely swapping the belt and doing fresh coolant. may flush the rad a couple times while im at it, though i have no cooling issues currently.

the car still needs struts, and i am leery of the alternator still. i have had no issues with it though.

cant wait to drive this little go kart to work. for now, its going to get its tests around town! loving that top-down weekend cruising

 

Nothing better than running around with the top down.
I've been side tracked lately so I have not gotten around to the service or front control arm bushings on my Cabrio.

 

ive been so busy adjusting the car, and adjusting TO the car, that i forgot to keep this thread updated!

photo dump

i 3d printed some speaker adapters and installed cheapo 6.5’s in the doors. i have a plan for the rear speakers, but haven’t found the time to break the panels off and get after those.








next it was on to busting the front apart and flushing the radiator, installing a new belt, alternator, and strut mounts up top



new alternator from rockauto




also got fidgety and decided to paint the wheels black. they were pretty nasty with some brakedust and damage that i just couldnt remove. i eventually want a 16” bronze wheel, but this will do for now.









i also put a hilariously large 2x USB + 12v power box in place of the broken 12v accessory behind the cuphiolders. i added an echo auto i had lying around, which really helps the car feel a little newer entertainment-wise



i put a new fuel pump in (again) in an attempt to get the fuel level gauge working correctly. still no luck. i need to pull out the filter side and check that sensor.



also needs brakes and wear sensors now, as i have a new light to mock me. the car has an issue where it won’t crank on first start, but cranks immediately on second. may do a new coil and wires soon to see if i can clear that up. i still cant get the airbag light off, either. touchy little car, but tons of fun overall!

 

When you say "won't crank" do you mean it wont turn over or turns over but wont fire[start] cause if it wont turn over then it wont be the coil or wires but more likely a starter relay or Ign switch problem
Russ

 

i could prob get a video of it happening, but the car will crank and almost start, then die. cycling the key and trying again, it starts right up. weirdest thing.