R56 Set me straight on R56 "issues"...
6th Gear
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 3,334
Likes: 4
From: Vancouver Island, Canada
I remember hearing a story about two guys in town that owned similar KTM supermoto bikes. Guy A beat the snot out of his, racing and crashed it, punishing it offroad, popping wheelies and generally abusing it. Never a problem. Guy B babied his and it was always breaking down and in the shop.
Your post makes me sad. Enjoy your car! It's under warranty! YIELD TO TEMPTATION AND HIT THE SPORT BUTTON!
Your post makes me sad. Enjoy your car! It's under warranty! YIELD TO TEMPTATION AND HIT THE SPORT BUTTON!
Getting a MINI was a leap of faith for me. I was interested in the brand because of its much heralded compact performance and "go kart handling." Despite the MINI's less-than-stellar reliability (from consumer reviews, Edmunds, JD Power, etc.), I still went for it. All thanks to NAMers.
During my research I ventured into the MINI forums (mostly NAM), where I read great things about the MINI. It was said that there are thousands upon thousands of them out there "motoring" trouble-free, compared to the handful of issues raised by "whiners" on the forum. Besides, it was said, mechanical issues go hand in hand with car ownership; machines do break once in a while.
MINI should start funneling sales commission to NAM
In the 9 months and almost 7k miles that I owned my 2011 MCS, I've been to the dealer twice for minor issues (cosmoline stain on wheel arch, intermittent oil pressure warning light, noisy AC). Recently my windshield cracked, which is something I've never had to deal with before in my 13 years of driving 6 different cars. I've never experienced any of the dreaded problems, such as burnt clutch, failed HPFP or the death rattle. Knock on wood.
I guess, in MINI terms, I'm lucky.
But then again, I don't drive my MCS the way it is meant to be driven. I've never revved it over 5k rpm and I rarely turn on SPORT mode. I have mods, but not on the engine. I don't track or autocross, either. It might be worth mentioning that I live in California where the climate is rather mild, and thus will have less impact on the car.
I got a MINI because I thought it would be fun, but I'm just to afraid to push it because of all the potential problems that could happen. Had I gone for a WRX or an EVO, I won't be as concerned driving them the way they were meant to be driven, as they inspired a bit more confidence in terms of reliability.
So, my feelings with owning a MINI is mixed at best. It's nice to be part of a small crowd and have the perception of being all cool, but I feel I'm not really enjoying the car itself, which was the purpose of buying a MINI, because of reliability concerns.
Right now, the only thrill I get from my MINI is the attention that I get from girls.
During my research I ventured into the MINI forums (mostly NAM), where I read great things about the MINI. It was said that there are thousands upon thousands of them out there "motoring" trouble-free, compared to the handful of issues raised by "whiners" on the forum. Besides, it was said, mechanical issues go hand in hand with car ownership; machines do break once in a while.
MINI should start funneling sales commission to NAM
In the 9 months and almost 7k miles that I owned my 2011 MCS, I've been to the dealer twice for minor issues (cosmoline stain on wheel arch, intermittent oil pressure warning light, noisy AC). Recently my windshield cracked, which is something I've never had to deal with before in my 13 years of driving 6 different cars. I've never experienced any of the dreaded problems, such as burnt clutch, failed HPFP or the death rattle. Knock on wood.
I guess, in MINI terms, I'm lucky.
But then again, I don't drive my MCS the way it is meant to be driven. I've never revved it over 5k rpm and I rarely turn on SPORT mode. I have mods, but not on the engine. I don't track or autocross, either. It might be worth mentioning that I live in California where the climate is rather mild, and thus will have less impact on the car.
I got a MINI because I thought it would be fun, but I'm just to afraid to push it because of all the potential problems that could happen. Had I gone for a WRX or an EVO, I won't be as concerned driving them the way they were meant to be driven, as they inspired a bit more confidence in terms of reliability.
So, my feelings with owning a MINI is mixed at best. It's nice to be part of a small crowd and have the perception of being all cool, but I feel I'm not really enjoying the car itself, which was the purpose of buying a MINI, because of reliability concerns.
Right now, the only thrill I get from my MINI is the attention that I get from girls.
1st Gear
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
From: Miami
thumper last time I checked the operating pressure on the HPFP is 5 bars roughly 70psi not 2000!!!!
OVERDRIVE
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 7,201
Likes: 8
From: Norfolk, VA
Nope, it's 120 bar at full load, or 50 bar at idle. In a direct-injection engine, the fuel is injected into the cylinder after the piston has already compressed the air in the cylinder. If the HPFP were only capable of 5 bar, it would never even be able to get the fuel into the cylinder.
EDIT - You may be thinking about the electronic pump on the "JustaCooper", which is 5 bar. This works because it's a traditional fuel-injection system (fuel goes from the fuel pump into a common rail, then through the injectors into the intake duct). The HPFP on the 'S' is a two-piston mechanical pump driven by the camshaft.
Last edited by ScottRiqui; Jul 16, 2013 at 08:34 PM.
I got 55k miles on a 2011 and interestingly enough I had all my problems when I first bought the car. They fixed the HPFP under warranty a few times and I think the thermostat and water pump once. It had general cold start issues from the beginning but after many trips to the dealer the issues never came back and even at my current mileage I haven't seen any major issues.
There are minor things that some people have mentioned that I wish MINI would work on like soft paint, excessive rattling, and what looks like cheap construction here and there, but if I'm any indicator of the reliability of the newer gen r56 then maybe its safe to say they heard "us" and these models can be deemed more reliable than the earlier r56.
Everyone is going to have a different experience with these cars but at I think we can all agree its a great ride and as long as you are aware of the issues (which I believe is the point of this thread) then you can better prepare and whatnot.
There are minor things that some people have mentioned that I wish MINI would work on like soft paint, excessive rattling, and what looks like cheap construction here and there, but if I'm any indicator of the reliability of the newer gen r56 then maybe its safe to say they heard "us" and these models can be deemed more reliable than the earlier r56.
Everyone is going to have a different experience with these cars but at I think we can all agree its a great ride and as long as you are aware of the issues (which I believe is the point of this thread) then you can better prepare and whatnot.
1st Gear
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
hi. i'm new here and with mini.
i got a mini cooper S 2009 with 17k miles or 27k km, i was wondering if his engine sound is normal, searched a lot on forum and on youtube but i cant distinguish between normal engine sound or death rattle one.
can you guys help me? link below, first startup in the day - temp was 24C:
sorry for posting in this topic, i tried to make one but it didnt work.
i got a mini cooper S 2009 with 17k miles or 27k km, i was wondering if his engine sound is normal, searched a lot on forum and on youtube but i cant distinguish between normal engine sound or death rattle one.
can you guys help me? link below, first startup in the day - temp was 24C:
sorry for posting in this topic, i tried to make one but it didnt work.
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