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Tonight I drilled out the oil drain plug hole which the previous owner had stripped out. The plug was a “oversized” M14 self-tapping plug. Yuck. It was leaking a little and I just don’t tolerate that. So it’s now a M16 and has a Fumoto.
Finished up my oil temperature sensor install today. I needed to run the wire from the gauge down to the sensor. I routed it very cleanly and out of the way of everything as best as possible. Turned out pretty nice.
A little warm up in the garage to check it's functionality. Yes, it's in Celsius... At least my Canadian wife will be happy.
After a bit more warm up and a little spirited driving along the service road
View of the cluster of gauges. I also have a Marshall boost gauge up on the dash where it's easier to see.
Also, I don't think my PS fan is working. I was watching it while the car ran in the garage and it never kicked on. The radiator fan would kick on for about 5-10 seconds and then off for 20-30, but the PS fan never worked. When I had it off to service the powersteering pump and replace the lines, I cleaned it up well but I noticed that it would barely spin. I'd be surprised if that little motor could spin something that tough to spin by hand. So I guess I'll be ordering one of those as well...
Gauges look great! That's a project I'll get to one of these days.
Maybe it's the angle, but it seems your voltage is low. Through the OBC hidden menu when monitoring voltage, I usually see 12.5+ volts at idle and 13+ while driving. We replaced the alternator with a rebuilt back in 2016. Is your alternator original?
As for the power steering fan, it should come on when engine is on. Get that replaced!
Gauges look great! That's a project I'll get to one of these days.
Maybe it's the angle, but it seems your voltage is low. Through the OBC hidden menu when monitoring voltage, I usually see 12.5+ volts at idle and 13+ while driving. We replaced the alternator with a rebuilt back in 2016. Is your alternator original?
As for the power steering fan, it should come on when engine is on. Get that replaced!
When the car is at low idle and everything is running it can dip down, but normal driving it's always well over 12 volts. I'm pretty sure it's the original alternator. I don't know, but so far the car show no issues of any kind of electrical problems. I also don't drive the car much, so it's entirely possible that the battery is just actually low. <shrug>
Alright, what’s your formula for cleaning and detailing the under carriage? I didn’t see your process. Your results look fantastic!
Orange clean since you do not need to rinse it with water like you do with simple green and brushes. Spray it down, let it soak for a minute and then scrub. Clean the brush frequently and wipe down as much as you can with microfiber cloths. Lots of raw knuckles....
Also, I don't think my PS fan is working. I was watching it while the car ran in the garage and it never kicked on. The radiator fan would kick on for about 5-10 seconds and then off for 20-30, but the PS fan never worked. When I had it off to service the powersteering pump and replace the lines, I cleaned it up well but I noticed that it would barely spin. I'd be surprised if that little motor could spin something that tough to spin by hand. So I guess I'll be ordering one of those as well...
Replaced the power steering fan... Everything is working perfectly now and she's dry as a bone underneath. Feels quite good to have her 100% sorted out for now and running great.
Update... The car has been sold. I found a great deal on a pretty rare Volvo C30 R-Design that my wife and I really love and we bought it. I had not planned on selling the MINI, but it had to go. It is off to a new owner now and I hope he'll join the forums and continue the story of this great little car.
07-16-2018, 07:41 PM
