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Do your roads there have a crown to them? That is, is the center line of the road higher than the edge of the road? This car’s caster can cause it to pull slightly to the right with a slight road crown. It is like pushing a shopping cart across a slopped parting lot. The weight of the cart and the caster of the front wheels will cause the front of the cart to want to head downhill.
Roads are pretty flat here, just the constant roadworks mean the roads can be bumpy in places.
Went to the tyre shop again and told them the symptoms- and that maybe they should check alignment again. They checked the alignment again but refused to adjust the toe outside the OEM settings- but anyway they checked tyre pressures again and for some strange reason the front drivers side - left- tyre was 45 psi �� While the right side was barely 35 psi. Someone got a lecture (ear ache) on double checking tyre pressures when fitting new tyres.
Took it out after they sorted the tyre pressure and seems to have done the trick. It's much more stable and straight, even under hard acceleration- the steering does not wriggle around any more. On a nice flat stretch of road I can (briefly!) take my hands off the steering wheel and it tracks nice and straight.
What a relief !!
Last edited by QatarJCWR53; Sep 30, 2018 at 12:43 AM.
Reason: more info
Wow, and here we are totally rebuilding your front suspension.
Good catch on the part of your tyre guys. Yup, different tyre pressures would cause it to pull. Yup, that was going to be my next suggestion....well, not really. Glad you found it.
And, as for not wanting to go out side of the specs - the chain shops around here won’t do it no matter how much you beg. Nice you were able to get your shop to do it.
I have one installed in my mini, and I find it very comforting to be able to see my tire pressure for each wheel at a glance. If the light goes on, I immediately know which tire is running low, and I have an indicator of what my current pressures are every time I start the car. Worth every penny IMHO.
The one I own is no longer offered, so this item is a suggestion of a category, rather than a specific make/model. I have a feeling that they are probably all pretty similar.
Wow, and here we are totally rebuilding your front suspension.
Good catch on the part of your tyre guys. Yup, different tyre pressures would cause it to pull. Yup, that was going to be my next suggestion....well, not really. Glad you found it.
And, as for not wanting to go out side of the specs - the chain shops around here won’t do it no matter how much you beg. Nice you were able to get your shop to do it.
Yes they made up for their own sloppy work - lucky i didn't do anything drastic !
Sorry - what I meant was the tyre shop wouldn't set toe outside OEM - he took both sides to +0'.07' which is as far as he would go - he said any more would cause excessive tyre wear on the inside due to the negative camber I had on one side. I might have a dabble myself and wind the track rod ends in a bit, counting the thread as a guide.
I have one installed in my mini, and I find it very comforting to be able to see my tire pressure for each wheel at a glance. If the light goes on, I immediately know which tire is running low, and I have an indicator of what my current pressures are every time I start the car. Worth every penny IMHO.
The one I own is no longer offered, so this item is a suggestion of a category, rather than a specific make/model. I have a feeling that they are probably all pretty similar.
Cheers,
Duane
Thanks - and that has just got me thinking - my JCW actually has a tyre pressure sensor fitted already from factory. And it did light up red on the dash the day after I had the tyres fitted - I couldn't understand why it came on as I checked the tyres and all 4 tyres were well inflated and so i just reset it and forgot all about it, thinking it must be a faulty sensor. Obviously now I realize what the sensor was telling me - it must have sensed that a tyre was OVER inflated (not quite sure how exactly). Should have had more faith in it.
Last edited by QatarJCWR53; Sep 30, 2018 at 12:30 AM.
Reason: more info
Very clean mini must have been parked in a garage every single day of it's life.
Yes I think the same - cars in Qatar take a huge amount of abuse and get baked in 50 degree C heat for 6 months of the year. So dashboards get cracked, leather on seats dries out and cracks. Rubber bushings and mounts will perish far quicker than normal - AC systems will need all major components replacing after 3-5 years on average. But this little gem has had it easy by the looks of things, rested in the shade and well pampered at the local BMW dealership. Now getting some extra special treatment from me too. The new passenger side upper engine mount arrived yesterday, so that should be going on this week to tighten things up even more.
Last edited by QatarJCWR53; Sep 30, 2018 at 12:39 AM.
Reason: more info
Quick update on hydraulic engine mount install - fairly straight forward I thought - only niggle was having to remove the bracket from the engine as I couldn't fit my long socket in the tight gap for the bolt that goes into the strut tower section. Was originally hoping I could just undo the nut on top of the mount, remove torx bolt from underneath, jack the engine up enough and slip the new mount straight in. Anyway no major drama - done in an hour. Only other slight niggle was having a 3/8" drive E12 torx socket but a 1/2' drive ratchet - I have a 1/2 to 3/8 adapter but I could feel it twisting under the torque - was worried it would snap. Its torqued to 40lb/ft and then a little bit more.
Some pics of new mount and the old one - dissection was irresistible !
I love that you work in a garage with a white tile floor.
Mine is “crumbling concrete”....
Nicely done!
A side note: I finally got around to having the shocks changed on our base Cooper, which has only 60k miles on it. I had my shop put in the Koni FSDs, and replace the upper shock supports, both front (bearing assembly) and rear (mount and bushings). I should have done this a long time ago, the change is that dramatic for the good. If you are ever looking to upgrade ride and handling, these (or their latest variation) come highly recommended.
I love that you work in a garage with a white tile floor.
Mine is “crumbling concrete”....
Nicely done!
A side note: I finally got around to having the shocks changed on our base Cooper, which has only 60k miles on it. I had my shop put in the Koni FSDs, and replace the upper shock supports, both front (bearing assembly) and rear (mount and bushings). I should have done this a long time ago, the change is that dramatic for the good. If you are ever looking to upgrade ride and handling, these (or their latest variation) come highly recommended.
Sorry to hear about your garage floor - I bet it's not as hot where you are though - I would trade my tiled floor for cooler weather any day of the week !
Yes I heard about the Koni shocks - great reputation. If I keep this little beasty long enough, I'm sure shocks will get done.
Anyway - fitted the new coil pack and HT leads last night - pics to follow.
Last edited by QatarJCWR53; Oct 8, 2018 at 09:18 PM.
Reason: more
Update - fitted the new MSD coil pack and Magnecor HT leads last night. Another relatively easy job - just almost forget to disconnect the battery. The Magnecor HT leads are an excellent fit and are slightly shorter than the OEM ones and hence do not get cooked from sitting on top of the engine all the time. The date on the old HT leads was 2005 and presumably the coil pack was the original one too. Initial observations are that the idle is much more stable - previously I had pretty bad intermittent misfire and occasionally very rough idle. It had randomly cut out on me a few times too. But after the install, all seems good, steady idle at about 800 rpm - no more jumpy idle. But it still takes a good few seconds to start from cold or hot. The old coil pack was corroded on cylinder 3 and 4 terminals- strange why only 2 are corroded and not all 4 - another Mini quirk ?
I might check the spark plug gap on the new Bosch plugs, just to be sure - but I'm pretty sure they come gapped from the factory. So, Gentlemen, what is the current thinking on best spark plug gap ?
Last edited by QatarJCWR53; Oct 8, 2018 at 09:52 PM.
Reason: typo
Found a VIN Decoder to check out my full spec -
VIN WMWRE31066TD49776
Type Code RE31
E Series R53 ()
Series M
Type COUPE
Model COOPER S (EUR)
Steering LL
Doors 3
Engine W11
Displacement 1.60
Power 125
Drive FRONT
Transmission MECH
Colour PEPPER WHITE (850)
Upholstery LEDER GRAVITY/PANTHER
SCHWARZ (T6PN) Prod Date 2006-07-01 L822A Gulf version
S169A EU3 exhaust emissions standard
S214A Automatic stability control (ASC+T)
S228A Sports suspension settings Plus
S249A Multifunction f steering wheel
S255A Sports leather steering wheel
S2REA MINI LA wheel Web spoke flat-runn. prop.
S2TAA Differential lock 25%
S313A Fold-in outside mirror
S314A Door mirror / driver's lock, heated
S329A Hood stripe, black
S345A Chrome Line Interieur
S346A Chrome Line exterieur
S383A Roof and mirror shrouds, black
S3ALA John Cooper Works Kit
S403A Glass roof, electrical
S423A Floor mats, velours
S427A Interior surface, silver
S428A Warning triangle and first aid kit
S441A Smoker package
S450A Height adjustment, passenger seat
S473A Armrest front
S493A Storage compartment package
S494A Seat heating driver/passenger
S4FAA Recaro sports seat
S520A Fog lights
S522A Xenon Light
S534A Automatic air conditioning
S546A Revolution counter
S548A Kilometer-calibrated speedometer
S550A On-board computer
S563A Light package
S644A Preparation f mobile phone w Bluetooth
S650A CD player
S657A Radio, BMW Business/MINI Boost S823A Hot-climate version
S825A Radio control Oceania
S845A Acoustic belt warning
S850A Dummy-SALAPA
S853A Language version English
S861A Data record without EOBD
S864A Retailer Directory Overseas
S872A Equipment "Chili"
S880A On-board vehicle literature English
S887A On-board vehicle literature Arabic S895A Additional fan
S896A Daytime driving light switch
S8SMA Car ident. number visible from outside
S925A Dummy-SALAPA
S993A model year code in VIN
S9AAA Outer skin protection
The things highlighted in bold caught my attention - Gulf version, hot climate version, additional fan.
Does anyone know what these items entail ? Or is it simply an 'additional fan ? And where is this additional fan ? Can only see the one.
Thanks for the information Guys, and didn't know about the Recaros being so rare - they are sooo comfortable and hugely adjustable
Was reading up on the hot climate version, seems it something to do with the settings on the cooling fan and that it comes on sooner, more often and for longer.
And yes makes sense, the power steering pump cooling fan would be the additional fan referred to.
There are heat shields along the top of the exhaust manifold, but I am guessing that is standard.
I am chuffed with the way it drives now and even though it doesn't have the JCW suspension package, the Sport + kit with the 17" (non-runflat) wheels/tyres are a good compromise for everyday driving with some fun in between. The extra sidewall is welcome with all the bumpy roads and speed bumps we have around here.
I can't reference any great driving roads out here yet, but there's plenty of wide open and empty highways to explore
Last edited by QatarJCWR53; Oct 15, 2018 at 11:20 PM.
Reason: more info
I think I have a broken passenger side strut top mount - been noticing a 'clunky' noise recently - ever since its cooled down here - so no AC needed and I've been driving around with the windows down.
Also noticed the strange noises the steering makes. What I'm not sure is how long its been like that. Need to look through my old photos. Have I guessed right ?
Last edited by QatarJCWR53; Oct 25, 2018 at 03:41 AM.
Reason: more info
These won’t add to the tire wear and will greatly improve the feel when you turn into a corner. The camber they add is the same as the Gen II GP, from the factory. They are also made with a steel plate that acts a anti-mushrooming plate for the strut tower.
If you can swing it, this is also the time to upgrade the shocks (Koni FSDs or Special Active would be my recommendation).
These won’t add to the tire wear and will greatly improve the feel when you turn into a corner. The camber they add is the same as the Gen II GP, from the factory. They are also made with a steel plate that acts a anti-mushrooming plate for the strut tower.
If you can swing it, this is also the time to upgrade the shocks (Koni FSDs or Special Active would be my recommendation).
been looking at Ireland fixed camber plates, which are complemented by some decent shocks, like Koni.
might be the way to go.
I read the Ireland plates slightly raise the front end ??
The plates are about 0.2 inches thick (about 5mm) and raise the front of the car by that amount. I have the IE fixed plates in my car and the height change is unnoticeable. The handling performance change is dramatic, though.
Another shock to consider would be the Bilstein B6, if handling is a priority but still with a better ride quality. The Koni FSDs are ideal for dealing with the pot-hole city that is the Northeast USA, and they still have good handling qualities.
I did the IE fixed + Koni FSD combo and am extremely pleased with the result. Having all the rubber and foam getting refreshed raised the height more than the plates could ever do!
I did the IE fixed + Koni FSD combo and am extremely pleased with the result. Having all the rubber and foam getting refreshed raised the height more than the plates could ever do!
The Konis get a great review by everyone, but just looking at prices and they are steep. The Bilstein b4 are a bit harder apparently, but can be had for a quarter the price of the konis.
In two minds now.
These won’t add to the tire wear and will greatly improve the feel when you turn into a corner. The camber they add is the same as the Gen II GP, from the factory. They are also made with a steel plate that acts a anti-mushrooming plate for the strut tower.
If you can swing it, this is also the time to upgrade the shocks (Koni FSDs or Special Active would be my recommendation).
My intent was to give you a link that had a description. If you already know about them, then a not working link is OK.
There is a great thread here on NAM that reviews the B4s against the Koni FSDs. Basically everyone likes either over stock and, yes, the FSDs are expensive in comparison but the added cost is for the added technology. In my opinion, for the road, the FSD seems to work well; I didn’t like them on the track, though.
I’ll look up that comparison thread for you and post a link.
