"He owns it now" Yes, what's the point of calling and texting the guy he bought the car from? He should have walked away or had an inspection and or did more due diligence! Moving forward in life lessons, I hope he does not let anyone pressure him into buying a bridge in Brooklyn. Wishing him good luck with the car moving forward, but stop bad mouthing and blaming someone else for a situation he created. " It's your car, fix it "

 

yea that's right. I created this problem. i cleared a code and sold it to an unsuspecting buyer. he deserved it.
...you smug putz. **** off if you have nothing worthwhile to contribute other than to glow my mistake. I can't go back in time. btw why would i walk away if there was no CEL? because you know, i knew this was going to happen...
it's at the dealer at the moment.

 

Hairy, Don't be too hard on yourself about your purchase. NOBODY wants to admit they made a mistake, but EVERYONE has at one time or another had to wonder if they'd been "taken." That's being a human.

I had a similar experience to yours when I bought my '08 Clubman S and it has cost me plenty... But not really THAT much more than if I'd have spent more at the sale and bought a "perfect" example for Blue Book price. In MY case it was a shady roadside Dealer that sold a faulty car to me after polishing it up and hiding its faults. I nearly sued they guy but finally got him to split some of the more than $3000 (The Mini Dealer said $7000) worth of repairs that his own mechanic had caused in trying to hide the problems it had (ALL of which were due to NO MAINTENANCE by the the Shady Dealer). You will eventually find the root problem on your motor, but you will also really enjoy driving the car. I know I LOVE my Mini despite it being an N14 with a chronic 2885 CEL (a dreaded generic code that points to nothing in particular because there are like 25 components that might contribute to it).

I have learned A LOT about my Mini and the thinking that went into its weird manufacture. There are a LOT of seemingly unnecessarily difficult and illogical design decisions in the Gen 2 cars and parts from every country all around Europe, making it a real mix of manufacture philosophies. As a former car designer myself, I wonder about "WHY would they DO THIS?!?!?" every time I pick up a torx driver and start replacing another piece of broken trim. However, they add up to a driving experience that beats both of my favorite cars I've ever owned in drivability, a BMW e36 Convertible and a '91 Honda Civic Si hatchback which was a brilliant piece of simple, skillful engineering. My Clubman seems to do everything well and bring me joy just looking at it's happy countenance. People will deride your decision-making about the SPECIFIC car you now own, but through finding and fixing its faults, its personality will come out to you and you'll enjoy it so much more than just another human hauler.

Through thousands of dollars of repairs and a score of trim and minor customization tweaks I've done, I now look at other BMW 1s, 2s, & 3s, VW Golfs and Boy Racer Asian cars as overwrought and lacking real personality in favor of zoomy looks... My Mini has heritage it wears proudly. It is equal parts Mr. Bean and Monte Carlo. My kids get in and say it's their favorite car. I also have met some really great people both online and in the real world who love their Minis as well as some genuine independent mechanics as a consequence of my needing advice. Plus I've ended up with a "hobby car" that brings me satisfaction whenever I repair something myself on it.

You may THINK you've bought a lemon and some other shyster's problems, but there is enjoyment and experience to be gained from the situation. Just lean into it and have fun.

 

I'm not glowing in your mistake, far from it as I have made many. Hope you get it sorted out and enjoy it. I'm just a firm believer that if you get into something "own it" don't wine and fix. I'm sure you've learned a valuable lesson and that's why we're all here on this forum. If you really don't like the heat you're getting, then consider not posting here for advice, direction and recommendation. Have a wonderful day.

 

thanks for the relateable response. you're more than welcome to expand on what you went through. I'd like to hear it! but while it does make me feel a little better, it kills me to know there are still plenty of dishonest dealerships out there. you know, the same place you go to, to avoid someone selling their problems that are still alive and well. that being said, this is my first non american hot rod/muscle car/pony car. they've all been classic and modern american v8s, while I still have 1.
and as an update, the dealership called me back. they found it to likely be the VANOS solenoid. but then when they tell me the part price and the labor amounts to $600, I'm like nah I'll probably do that myself...save me the $500. so I'm on rockauto right now about to order one.

 

We have had a 2009 clubbie S since new and about the only thing I have had to replace out of warranty has been the thermostat housing and paid the stealer to replace the timing belt tensioner or something like that. I think it sits at 75k miles right now. My oldest son drives it and has purchased a used lexus es300 (135kmi) to use as his daily and keep the miles off the Mini. (the Lexus has a bad transmission (Aisin) ...pretty much your scenario he's just driving it until it breaks which could be at 200k or sooner)

 

the vanos seems to have fixed it. glad i did it myself too

 

So, did you buy a new replacement or a used VANOS? Did you swap it out yourself? I have heard these can go bad and cause unspecified problems that are tricky to diagnose. That's great that you were able to come to figure it out so quickly and get it fixed.

 

new genuine mini part. do it yourself. don't pay a dealer to do this. too simple. they wanted $600. I only paid $185

 

So was the code P0015 "B" Camshaft Position - Timing Over-Retarded as
purported by autzone, or what it turned out to be: P0075 Intake Valve Control Solenoid Circuit ? Maybe check the dealer service sheet for diag info.

 

That's great! I've never been much of a DiY guy, but with my Mini, I'm having to and learning to do more than ever, so I love hearing and finding out more from guys like you how just jump under the hood.

 

I don't see where it says a code on this invoice. but that was the code even after a buddy hooking his up to it.

 

Great job Hairy! Way to persevere. Thanks for involving us for commiserating and helping (well most of us) where we could.

Best to you with many happy motoring miles ahead! Check out local MINI clubs, and LXM (League if Extraordinary Miniacs) on facebook for more of the same Also there aer two Clubman groups, just search for Clubman