Just wondering how many members here do it yourself maintenance for the R53s S model in their own garage ?
is this something a modest mechanic can do & what essential tools would be necessary ?
Talking about oil change, filter changes, maybe some work on the suspension bushing, airconditioner and some other minor stuff.
is this engine easy to work on ?
I might take the used route on buying an R53 instead of the R56 and plan to have our local mechanic do the works if ever it gets down to it.
Do we need special computers to do resetting of the maintenance schedule interval ?
What manual(S) do you guys recommend and what parts do you guys recommend stocking ahead of time ?
I live overseas and have to order the parts in the US which could take several weeks to arrive.

Some tips would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance and for all the help.

 

Basically, you can buy tools and read up and accomplish a lot of things. It really helps to have a friend who knows more, has more tools and can get you out of trouble.

One aspect that can't be learned the easy way is how to get things apart that can not possibly come apart. Many times a newb will come to a situation where lack of tools, or knowledge will make things impossible (it seems) to move forward. Actually getting it done in the end is the skill mechanics learn one bad situation at a time, and where the expert will make a huge difference.

Buy a rust free car (one less issue) and start slow. Be prepared to spend as much or more money on tools in the beginning to get a job done. You get to keep them and reuse them, so over time, you won't have to spend. It cost $200 or so for me to change my clutch just in a couple tools to make things easier. Still much cheaper than paying someone. You will spend more than an oil change to get a jack, stands, drain tube not to mention wrenches are other tools. Then you get to buy oil and a filter. After that first change, you just need the oil and filter, so savings will factor in, but not the first time for many things.

 

I do all my own maintenance on my vehicles. The only reason the wife's 09 goes to the dealer is because it has the service contract left over from the original owner.

I've got lots of experience from wrenching on vehicles my whole life. Everything from complete restoration of a 1952 MG TD, to basic maintenance on the Mini and everything in between, so I find it quite easy. Actually, the Mini is a snap for me because I'm used to rusted parts that haven't been touched in years, if ever, and grease covered stuff.

With some help, good tools, and a Bentley manual you should be fine on basic repairs. Anything you aren't sure of should be researched and read up on thoroughly before tackling the task. If you do that you will have a lot better chance at doing some of the more in depth stuff without headaches or newb mistakes.

 

Thanks for chiming in... appreciate it.

 

With over 270,000 miles on mine, it's only been to the shop twice. Both times for small recall items.

Nik

 

I do everything that I can, it gives me a great satisfaction when I save hundreds of dollars and fix it myself. Some mods or repairs that I feel I cannot tackle are taken to my mechanic who is a 45 minute drive away. I will never take my car to a dealer ever they are money hungry vultures. Bentley manual is a great investment as well.

 

I do all the work on my MINI. Working on the MINI isn't too bad but it is a small car and they packed a lot in a very small engine compartment so anytime you need to work on something, you find yourself having to remove quite a bit to get to the part. I prefer working on my MINI than something like my Jeep Commander. I was changing plugs on my Jeep last weekend and found myself having to crawl on top of the engine compartment due to the height and size of the vehicle.

 

I do a mix of diy and independant shop....
Most scheduled mx, are diy....some mods are diy, as are repairs ....but sometimes a job is best left to a pro...a seeming simple job can turn into a weekend ordeal dur to a syuck/sheered bolt or from the lack of a bit of knowledge/specialized tools. I just look wt the risk/rewards/satisifaction of a diy vs a good independant shop i frequent...heck i have learned more about mini's droppong by that shop than.here.....

 

That is good to know! how quirky are the electronics or the ECU of the R53s /
I understand the R56 are more so...
thanks again.

 

No electronic issues with R53. Any that I've read are due to an old battery and the batteries in these cars last a long time. When they do go, everything acts up like the ECU is toast.

 

Thanks- is the ecu something easy to replace or is this something very major and costly to repair ?
That is good to know about the electronic issues w. the R53.

 

I do all my own maintenance on my cars now. My first car ever was the only car I had places do work and after I learned myself and how much money I can save, never again.

With the Mini, what I found, is that I ask questions on all the Forums, I read as many DIY's for the difficult jobs, and when I feel comfortable, I take a laptop outside and walk through it. take my time and make sure I have a solid understanding. Since then, I have replaced EVERYTHING that is known to potentially fail on my 06 R53 and it runs tip top now and worry free. I've changed super charger pulley's twice now to where the job isn't bad at all.

keep an eye on the market place and you can usually pick up tools/bently manuals from people who have moved on, like belt tools, bushing tools, etc. I found that the belt removal tool was a must to keep around and I've used mine 3 times now.

If you have time and patience and some general logic and understanding, so many members have made such good DIY articles that you can walk through most things no problem. I'm actually getting ready to do my crank position sensor o-ring and Lower Control arm bushings this weekend. Have the DIY articles in my favorites ready to go!

 

It depends, oil changes, brakes etc I do myself for under $50. My starter went bad and the dealer wanted $900, another shop wanted $700 so I said I'd do it myself but then I found a shop that will do it for $380 with a OEM starter. For $150 my time isn't worth it so I took it to them today. Besides the starter I haven't had to do any other repairs on my mini besides standard maintenance.

 

I've done spark plugs and wires, oil and filter changes, PCV valve replacement, rear end-links,
rear bar bushings, alignment (adjust front toe-in and check camber and rear toe-in), battery change,
radiator fan replacement (that required taking off the front end and putting it in "service mode"),
bulb replacements, brake pad and rotor change front and rear, cat-back exhaust replacement,
visor replacement (3x so far), glove compartment latch adjustment, euro shelf installment,
new wiper blades, shift **** swap, rear bumper skin and trim replacement, cabin and engine
air filter replacent, new cold air intake, dragon eye and other decal application, airbag decal
removal, door lock actuator replacement (both sides), new front speaker component set, tire rotation,
and tire hole plugging (many times) all by myself.
I'll bet I've forgotten several things.

I've also had professionals do several things, when difficult or inconvenient for me, or requiring
special tools or when covered by warranty, such as software updates, thermostat gaskets,
front control arm bushings (twice), transmission oil changes, transmission seal replacement,
oil pan and crankshaft sensor o-ring replacement, brake fluid flush, coolant flush,
cassette/radio replacement, seat rail replacement, covered oil/filter/wiper blade changes,
second battery change, inspection I and II, front strut tower bushing, etc.

I could have done many but not all of these given different circumstances or motivation
at the time they were needed or due. Dealing with the dealership shop got old quick when
the warranty ran out, but fortunately there's a nice independent shop with MINI training
and experience about a third as far from me as the closest MINI dealership.

 

I do as much as I can on the car as my dealer is 300 miles away in Utah.I live in Montana. Use the Bently manual and buy parts on line.

 

Fantastic. I have had other cars go over 300,000 km/roughly 200000miles
Any tips to keep my standard 2007 MCS running for a long time? Don't want it to die an untimely death.

 

Sorry you misunderstood me. The electronics is a non issue but when the battery is dying the electronics act funny. All you have to do is replace the battery.