Hey folks,
I'm going to be picking up my first cooper, an 05 MCS in Purple Haze. Best part is that it only has 24k on the clock. This low a mileage allows me now to properly maintain and keep this car for the long haul.

So....aside from 5000mi oil changes, varied brands of gasoline to take advantage of the different solvents, Redline MTL, what else should I do?

 

As I've shared in your MINI search thread:

Grats, you'll be glad you went 1st gen. Strut tower is a known weakness. Slap on some Cravenspeed Strut tower defenders or VIP.
Things to swap or look out for: don't worry, all are easy fixes:
-swap your stock crank pulley w/ ATI
-check your low speed rad fan, just a blown resistor, usually
-powerflex control arm & other bushes better than OE
-check belt tensioner damper, buy the $70 Gates from Amazon.
-change your power steering hose clamps
-change your coolant reservoir to Canton or RMW.

Then, mod the heck out of it!!!!!:D
Hint: 15% supercharger pulley & coilovers!!!!!

 

With only 24,000 miles....car is not driven much...
So I would change the oil MUCH more than 5000 miles....
Minimum of once a year...maybe two!!
Coolant...ever been flushed and changed....this is a calendar item....3-4 years max....
Brake fluid flush....again..about 4 years...in a dry climate, kept in a garage, you might get more....but playing with fire...seals get gummy, fail....easy to do.

 

Suggest you drive the car and enjoy....after getting new tires....bet the OEM runflats are still on the car....ouch!! Both in ride and age.....
And add a bigger rear sway bar to the list!!

 

Can't go wrong installing either a 19 or 22mm rear sway bar. It will truly change how your MINI handles. Also it might be prudent to change out the transmission fluid--then there is no guessing on the condition of the fluid. Congrats on a great find PS- Toptier fuels will make life easier on your wallet.

 

Put Buzzsaw's 'soopercooperinfo.com in your favorites file.
Rotate tires every time you change the oil at 5000 miles.
Learn everything you can in the Detailing 101 section and keep it looking sharp inside and out. Richard (Octaneguy) is THE detailing guru.

Go find place to motor.
http://www.motorcycleroads.us/index.html

 

Yeah, still had the OEM runflats. They are going away as we speak.

Think I will drive the car as much as I can before snow comes and get a feel for what it needs.

First mods....skid plate, magnetic rock guards, f+r mudflaps, a secondary rustproofing with HD Metalprotect, and something to protect the front either a bra or a film.

 

Pretty sad....don't have the car in my hands yet.....but I already have the following mods on order or on hand.
-Clear bra...full protection..3m ventureshield?
-Rennline skidplate
-set of four 15" snow tires and steel wheels
-rubber floor mats
-euro parcel shelf
-rear fog and full switch cluster
-Bentley manual...the best IMHO
-iPod aux plug
-magnetic chip guards for rear fenders.

Still need the multifunction steering wheel and the cravenspeed strut defenders.

Guess protection over performance is my goal

 

Am I the only one that uses a 12gall bottle of Techron fuel cleaner every 3k miles?

Wait for local sales and you can pick up 2 bottles for $8. I believe I read somewhere that MINI recommends it as well as Castrol oil.

Something to consider...

 

Funny you should mention that.....seems that stuff is already in Chevron Gas. The fact you can buy it separately is good marketing on Chevron's part. The fact is every brand of gasoline has additives similar to Techron...just do the same thing differently. This is why it is very important to change where you get your gasoline at every fill up


BUT.....it still does not hurt to use the stuff every 3k miles

 

Well, true. I was under the impression that while Chevron's gas contains techron, it is a smaller amount/level (marketing). Given a bottle for 12 gallons, you are elevating the amount of cleaner to where it does more than the standard fill up.

There is always an argument over to Techron or not to Techron. I was always marching to the tune that while Techron does not CLEAN/eliminate carbon build up, it helps prevent it or as much. Dirty fuel injectors do not allow for complete combustion. The end result is that more carbon is found inside an engine with injectors not spraying properly.

So if you have build up, Techron is not your answer. But if you maintain a certain level, you will keep the injectors clean which in turn (the hope) is that you will burn more of the higher octane gas you are feeding the MINI and thus reduce the carbon buildup or carbon buildup over time.

 

One thing people didn't mention is the upper motor mount fails often. You can always go aftermarket and save your frame a fluid bath.

 

If you see that, clean it up right away.

My passenger frame rail is stained, and I had scrubbed it pretty vigorously with a tooth brush and some solvent when I changed my mount.

Hopefully with that few of miles, your frame rail is still a beautiful purple.

 

I'm in the club that unless it will cause some harm I will do it. Is it expensive? Yes, are engine problems more expensive? Oh yeah.

 

Any warning signs....or just one day bleah.drrop.pssst.

 

I noticed mine leaking one day when I washed the car... I always wipe down the door jams and whatnot.

Happened shortly after I got the car. -I was excited I guess about how easy it is to chirp the tires in 2nd gear -LOL.

When it gets real bad, it will make a clicking sound every time you push down or let up on the throttle, also the gear toggle inside the car gets funky because the engine flexes back and fourth so much... The shifter cables are designed to be a static, not variable length in distance between the shift toggle in the car, and the transmission. -Hope that makes sense.

Look at TSW or Vibra Technics for upgrade. Little more vibration they say, more so from the TSW. I had poly mounts in a previous car, I love the solid feel, and I don't mind the vibration.

 

I used optimum power clean to clean up the fluid. Worked like a charm!

 

I use a container of Techron every month. I've also added Okada coils and plasma ground. The hotter spark, the better burn. At least the thought.

 

alright today is the first day I had to really get a look at the car under the hood details, and what needs addressed and not. My MA from the dealership is sending me the maintenance records so I can see what was done and when. If anyone knows a guy who goes by the last name Smedley in eastern MA, this was his car. Would be great if he was on here so it would save me the stamp to write him.

I had planned on replacing the belt, but there is no checking on the ribs and the markings are just a bit faded on the outside. Besides, my indy shop quoted me $500 to do it....and quite frankly I can do it for less than $100 including the tool as the cost is taking the car apart.

Brake fluid needs flushed....it is dark tan.

Not sure how to test coolant.

other than that I don't see anything that needs done, no odd leaks other than the typical moist weep here and there that is expected on any car.

 

Sorry for the two subsequent posts in a row;

Yesterday I took the car for a 250mi drive on everything from interstate to gravel camp roads. It handled well but had the following few things happen

1.When my wife was driving it up on the ramp to get inspected, it stalled and would NOT start. I took over, tapped the throttle a few times and she started. my guess is the car does not like my wife.

2. Flat spot around 2k occasionally, not sure when the boost really makes a difference in the driving as I never had a boosted car before

3.Annoying flat tire indicator. I was on a rough road and the sensor went off. got to a gas station and shut the car off, restarted and the light was off? I'm thinking the sensor system is a bit touchy?

4. slight rattle in the morning when it is in the 20s low drivers side front.....does not concern me...but curious. Cannot hear it inside the car.

 

Finally got the service records for the car.
Last dealer service was in 2009 which seems like 4 years after purchase. I'm guess out of warranty. The work done over the lifetime of the car was;
-oil ever 3-5k
-crank seal at 10k
-reverse switch at 16k
-Coolant and brake flush every 4 years, last done 4 years ago.

 

thats a nice service record, also the TPS (flat tire monitor) is based off the wheel speed sensors in each of the front wheels, being in a gravel road, 1 tire would be spinning more than the other giving that warning

crank seal seems to be quite early =/

 

Good thing about MINI of Peabody is they do stuff underwarrenty, sometimes without even asking, then let you know they did it, knowing it would become an issue in the future, perhaps leaving you with a bill....
My 2005 model year, but late 2004 production had the older wiring where a stuck PS fan could cause the radiator fan to not run....first oil change (I think) the inspected my fsn, changed it out, and did the retrofit to make the wiring match the 2005+ production.....so not entirely surprising they changed a cps gasket...especially if the car was coming to the end of the 36 months all included warrenty....
Car sounds like a good history...the often forgotten stuff, like brake flushes and radiator fluid was done.... So good history IMO.
You might get lucky with finding the old owner over at mmc...massmotoring.com....been pretty quiet lately...but name sounds familiar...

 

P.S.
The 2000 "flat spot" is usually attributed to the car switching from off boost, bypass valve open, to boosted operation, bypass valve closed....the bpv stays open in low load/low rpm situations to allow the sc to make zero psi when not needed, adding a bit of fuel economy.
Sometimes it can be the result of heatsoak when you first start moving...the stock ic heatsosks fast, but cools just as fast when an initial blast of air flows over it when you start moving....

 

What tires are better than runflats? I'm just learning the lingo in Cooperville. Just 2 days with my '05 MCS. Sure wish there were more curvy roads in Nebraska!!