For 14k.........

Ohhhhhhhhh the things I could/would do with this motor.

Whatever you do, pleeease do not spend 14k with the dealer for a stock, rebuilt motor.

 

A few months ago, I was at the dealer having some work performed. I was able to go into the garage, to discuss something with the mechanic. He showed me an '08 S they had taken apart due to sludge. It was a mess... he asked me if I change my oil regularly or waited on the computer. I told him every 5K and he said "That's a good thing", looking back at the engine. I got the message.

 

I just got the free change at the dealer and I will do it again myself in 5,000 miles. It is so easy "A CAVEMAN CAN DO IT"

I drive my front wheels onto two inch high boards. It makes it easy to slide my drain pan under and undo the oil drain plug. I get my oil right from my Mini Dealer. I think I paid $5.75 a quart plus the tax. Regular Mini Cooper Oil. I will let the dealer still do the service on my car when the computer tells me it is time. I really think that waiting 10 or 15 thousand miles is to long on a Turbo Charged engine. 5,000 seems to be good enough for me between oil changes.

I still think at 38,000 miles he had to have never changed the oil at all and was topping it of with cheap crap oil. If the oil was changed on his car every 12,000 miles or once a year and Mini oil or equivalent was put in I do not think he would have enough sludge to puke a motor. There are thousands of Mini's and other cars running that only get serviced by their dealer once a year and they don't have enough sludge to puke an engine.

I guess we will never know because the OP won't fill us in on any details. I personaly like the service I recieved at Orlando Mini. They not only changed the oil & Filter but checked everything else on my car and replaced the wiper blades.

Ronnie948

 

There has got to be more to this story...

I have never seen any dealership not offer a goodwill warranty for cars that are even more than slightly over the warranty period.

Talk to the service manager, not the schlub at the desk.
Talk to the dealership general manager
Call Mini USA


Park car on street in front of dealership with a big FOR SALE sign and a bunch of lemons. Oh and call the local news...

Picket the dealship. I bet they fix it right quick...

 

I always wonder about the veracity of the post, when the OP never responds to his own thread and leaves such holes in the information about it....

And would you all stop with the lemons and such?

Cheeze louise, you have no real information about this situation yet you're advising a campaign against the dealer, who probably did nothing to this guy and might not have even sold him the car......

 

He shoulda bought a green one.

 

me thinks Drew is on track

I lost interest at the line confirmed at the drag strip

While Orlando MINI is far from ideal they have a higher than average rep' in my experience


I had my 02 for 90,000 plus and changed the oil according to the computer. It never dripped a drop and I got better MPG when I sold it then it had the first year. Mobile 1 and MINI filters when the computer said so . . .

Of course, I never went to the drag strip . . . .

 

I am still in limbo with this myself... The dealer has some regional guy coming in to say yes or no for covering the repair. I have found a few other people on NAM with the same issue. It has to do with a vacuum pump near the end of one of the cams locking up.

 

Sorry to not keep this updated. I haven't had a lot of time to sign in.

There are mods on my car... But dealer said that is not the cause. However, he said it could still void the warranty. It is up to the regional rep.

I purchased my car used. And I have had my car in Orlando Mini a few times for maintenance or minor issues. It was there 2 months ago for an issue with an O2 sensor.

Here is one of the posts from someone with the same issue...
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...e-failure.html

 

So, it's really the mods that they're using as an excuse to not pay for legitimate warranty claim. It's not right, but that's the risk you take when you make mods. I have a friend who's engine blew under similar circumstances several months ago, and it was replaced without issue.

 

Exactly what "mods" could one do that would void the warranty because sludge built up?

Unless the OP changed heads where mini could say that the flow wasn't the same (I'm reaching here....) I can't think of one mod that mini could blame for sludge build up.

Has anyone confirmed the warranty time limit? Is it 40K miles? Or is it passed the time limit?

If the OP is screwed, I'm with the rest of ya'll.... there ain't NO WAY I'd buy a reman motor from Mini. Find a used engine, rebuild the one you have, anything other than spending 14K.... That's just ridiculous.

Mark

 

I seem to recall a thread some years ago about warranty repair being denied because of an oil catch can. Don't recall the exact problem.

 

I think you all are missing the point. We know (and the dealer knows) that most engine modifications, i.e. intact and exhaust, etc don't harm it BUT if the dealer/MINI wants to weasel out of a claim, they will make all kind of outlandish connections between what you've done and the end result (blown engine.) This is either going to end easily, with the dealer/MINI conceding and fixing it, or the OP is faced with litigation to get his car fixed. In most cases, MINI knows that it's not worth it from a legal standpoint for the consumer to fight it so they get out of fixing a legit warranty claim. I personally have not had any real problems with any of my three MINI's but everytime I read something like this it fills me with dread of the what ifs.

 

If they say it costs 14k someone else can probably do it for half or less. The mods need to have likely caused the problem for them to deny it. The dealers that scream "Oh we won't warranty that, you've done MODS" are weasels IMO. If they hide behind that then get ready to lawyer up.