I wanna take a trip, to look at some used MINIs, and I'd like to know if there's a way to tell if they have a limited slip diff. I could just drop the clutch and see if they leave one or two stripes, but that wouldn't be polite to do in a car that isn't mine. Is there anything external I can see, or can I decode the VIN, or... ?

Also, were all R50s and R53s available with lsd? Were there different kinds of lsds available? Thanks.

 

R53's were available with them (but were a rarely selected option), and they came with the factory JCW package in Fall 05 builds

You can find out if the LSD came from the factory by looking up the VIN in the BMW VIN Decoder (google it). You will need the last 7 digits of the VIN.
It will be listed in German, something like Superdiferezal (I didn't spell it right)


You can also get a much better LSD in the aftermarket for around $1K and put it in with the next clutch job.


While I lucked out and got it on both of my cars, it would not stop me from buying an R53 if it didn't have one (because I would install an aftermarket one). In my opinion it is a necessary upgrade if you are looking for performance.

 

Apparently if the gearbox number ends in TKBL (iirc) it comes with an LSD.

James

 

It was never available for the R50. For the R53, it was an option available only in 2005 and 2006. There was only one type of factory LSD. It is a rare option (very few customers ordered it).

 

The Used 2006 R53 i Bought this past Feb has the LSD Option ..i decoded my Vin# on the BMW website ..

 

an easy way to tell is to jack up the car to where both front tires are off the ground, spin one wheel, if only one spins in neutral you have a limited slip, if the other wheel spins the same direction, theres a semi locker diff or locked diff, if the other wheel rotates in the opposite direction its an open diff


you can do the BMW Vin check, but that will only tell you if it came with one standard. and its correct, only 05 and 06 had those available options