So my Warranty is going to expire Dec31st. I decided not to buy an extended due to the economy. What should I check? Any stickies on this?

 

How many miles do you have on your car? Is it a MC or MCS? What year?

I'd have them look over the suspension bushings, engine (for oil leaks), coolant system (leaks), get any interior rattles/squeaks taken care of, if you have an MCS - have them look over the supercharger, engine mounts, and the flywheel (for rattles at idle). If your power windows have had any issues in hot weather, get those taken care of too.

 

I have 2005 Cabrio that also just came off warranty. Last September I was rotating the tires and found dried fluid in the passenger side wheel well, which looked like it was coming out of the fender molding. I had the dealer check it and it was fluid from a broken hydraulic motor mount. The dealer confirmed the leak and replaced it under warranty. I took the car in again in November for something else and the dealer found the mount had broken again, and it was fixed under warranty again. I would suggest having this checked.

 

OMG sorry!!

2005 R50 MC
44,000 miles

 

You should buy the MINI Extended service upgrade to 6 years or 100K miles. That is if you drive more than 15K miles per year and you don't have the time/tools to do your own repairs and maintenance.

My 2005 R53 S its on its third clutch and second flywheel. The car is at the dealer right now getting both parts replaced. Total repair tab? $2,600!

I paid only $1,400 for the MINI service extension in August 2007. So far, the upgrade has paid nearly $4,000 worth of maintenance (45K mile pit stop oil service) and repairs (New rear brake pads, rotors and now new revised flywheel and clutch). I still have 2 and a half years before the extended maintenance expires. Best money spent, EVER.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

 

Extended service and extended warranty are not the same thing! The extended service will not cover warranty issues and the extended warranty will not cover regular maintenance issues (oil change, brake pads, etc.)

I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong.

 

You are correct in both counts!

MINI/BMW does not sell extended warranty contracts in this country. If you want an extended warranty contract you need to get it from an aftermarket company like WarrantyDirect.

The MINI Extended Service contract only covers items listed in your MINI maintenance manual until the car either reaches 6 years or 100K miles. In addition to std maintenance items, the service upgrade covers all your clutch components, brake pads, rotors, etc.

Both of these are totally different animals and not to be confused with each other.

 

OK, I'll bite: What's the extended service contract cost?

 

Std cost is $1,350 but some dealers mark it up. Unfortunately you can't buy it long distance as the issuing dealer must have the key on hand to issue it.

 

I brought d'Mini in for a check-up right before the warranty expired. The only thing I knew was wrong was that the park distance control (std on ragtops) wasn't working, and every time I replaced the fuse, it worked once and then burnt out again. It turned out that the power steering fan is on the same circuit and it was bad, so I got a new fan under warranty. I had also gotten a new thermostat under warranty already. I am a big fan of just letting them look at it before the warranty is done.

 

Did anyone mention to have them check the brake pads/rotors for thickness? Wipers? (it seems I get new wipers every time I drive past the dealer, though I've been told there are two bins, one for warranty replacement wipers and one with better wipers in it for people who pay for them). Oops, noticed you're beyond the 36000 mile maintenance portion, my bad.

Also, rectifying that dash rattle that's in some R50/53 cars is a 5 hour "repair", taking the dash apart and felt-taping the guide pins.

Do a search on "boonk", there are some issues with the hatch self-unlocking due to moisture. The dealer basically takes the hatch handle off and replaces it (not a big deal) but if yours is corroded you want a new one before waterproofing it.

All I can think of...

 

We haven't reached this point with our MINI yet, but here's what I've done in the past when a car is going out of warranty.

With a couple of months to go (either on time or based on how much you drive), take the car to a convenient independent repair shop that specializes in your brand (MINI in this case). Tell them point blank that your car is about to go out of warranty and you want an independent opinion regarding items you should/could report to the dealer. Pay them for this service. Request input on how to phrase your complaint when you bring the car to the dealer. These folks know what the dealer is likely to "not find" because they'd rather fix it after the car goes out of warranty (the hourly rate they charge you is more than what MINI lets them charge for warranty work). If you phrase the complaint properly, the dealer may have to fix it even after the warranty expires because the problem was reported during the warranty period.

My previous experience is that the independent shops are delighted to do this. They are typically staffed by mechanics who defected from the very dealer you go to. They anticipate that you will bring your car to them after you get tired of the dealer, so they will treat you very well.

My only problem is that there still aren't any independent shops more convenient to me than the dealer. Oh well.

 

this is fine if one can choose from a plethora of indy shops, but in most areas of the country bewteen the coasts indy shops that specialize in MINIs are few and very far between.

I would have to go with Clubmaniac S's suggestion. The first gen cars are problematic, and repairs can be very expensive.

 

Completely agree with findude's suggestion -- take it to an independent.

With 49K on Slash's odometer, I took it to a local independent BMW service center a few weeks ago and asked for a pre-warranty expiration inspection They found a bad control arm bushing, a bad oil gasket (AKIndiMini's comment, above, was spot on the mark) and (inexplicably) the protective boot for one of the rear shock mounts was missing. The shop wrote up a repair order, and I paid them a nominal amount for their expertise.

I took Slash and the repair order to the MINI dealer (200 miles round trip), which repaired / replaced all items under warranty -- no questions asked. Even threw in an alignment. On the drive back I noticed something wrong with the alignment and let them know via a cell call. Next day I took it back to the independent, which determined that MINI's service tech had left a pinch bolt loose. Had a 3-way call with the dealer. Again, no questions asked -- they approved the independent's repair. Got a reimbursement check from my MINI dealer in the mail a few days later.

While independents who work on MINIs may still be rare, it's not hard (at least in my region) to find a decent shop that works on BMWs. Since most MINI dealers share the same private ownership with that area's BMW dealer, and since MINI USA is a corporate division of BMW NA/USA, I would expect reputable MINI dealers will honor a repair estimate when offered by a reputable BMW independent shop.

 

There is Helix in Philly (moving to Manyunk soon)
www.helix13.com
Also, there is a good LIBMWSC in West Chester
http://www.bimmerworks.com

 

if I were considering the purchase of only one, but not both, which would be better - the extended maintenance contract through MINI or the aftermarket extended warranty.

2005 MCS with 18000 miles on it. I'm second owner - orig owner sold it with only 6000 miles on it. I bought it last November. It has AC Schnitzer body kit, interior, wheels, and exhaust. I have the typical rattles in the dash (tolerable and since it's not a $100k + exotic I kinda expect them) otherwise, no maintenance or service issues in 13 months of ownership. No issues for orig owner either. MINI dealers near me (in other words, 60-70 miles away), Long Beach and Irvine, CA. I wouldn't drive that far for oil changes, but for major covered items I would. ABD Racing is closest independent that specifically does MINI tuning (not sure if they'd do routine/service work though). Danny at MINI Corsa about 80 miles away.

 

My warranty is about to expire also. I had inspection 2 done and the dealer did full check of everything and repaired anything that looked like it might need repair under warranty. They replaced head cover and oil pan gaskets too under warranty. I also took to opportunity to have a 15% reduction pulley installed as Inspection 2 included a new (shorter) belt, and (JCW or colder temp) spark plugs.

 

how much does an inspection 2 cost and what does it include?

 

How much does the pre-inspection cost?

I am worried I am not going to be able to get the MINI to the dealer again til after the warranty is done. I have next week and the week after only and both weeks have holidays so ...

 

Also have them look at the lower control arm bushings, disk brake pad and rotors, power steering pump motor, window motors, engine oil leaks, anti-freeze leaks, motor mounts, dash and door rattles, rust on lower edge of drivers door and under door sill trim.
good luck

 

no one has a comment about which extended package (factory maintenance or aftermarket warranty) is the better investment?

 

Cam position sensor was replaced on my 05 MCS about 47000 miles. Under hard acceleration, or reeving the engine in place past 4k, the traction control would turn off.

 

Ask me about it. I have the 6 year/100K mile MINI service extension and it has been the best money ever spent. I paid for it $1,395 back in August 2007 (For my 2005 R53 S) and so far it has paid nearly $4,000 worth of maintenance and repairs (Including a new clutch and flywheel @ $2,600 including 10 hours labor)

My initial $1,395 investment has paid handsomely so far

 

My total for Inspection 2, parts, pulley install was $512.00 CDN. Your price will vary depending on the dealer. You'll have to see what is included at that particular dealer and decide if it's good value.

If I wasn't so close to time for inspection 2 anyways, my dealer had offered a "going out of warranty" inspection for quite a bit less money. But for free, he did a quick visual check of things they had found fairly common and easy to check. Most of those are already mentioned in this thread, such as the motor mount leakage, oil leaks, suspension rattles, etc. Thankfully, there was little wrong with my car. The dealer also checked all the service bulletins and checked to see if any of them applied to my car and performed them if necessary. I am so blown away by their level of service that I am inclined to still bring my car to them for service even after the warranty has expired.

 

Hi All,

I'm new to Mini ownership and this forum. My wife and I were trying to decide if we should buy the extended warranty on our '04 Mini Coupe. This is only the second time I've looked at this forum and you guys have helped me tremendously.

I think I'll buy the insurance.

Thanks,
John