I have a 2009 Cooper S (JCW engine kit) 45,000 KM (not miles)

Bought car used in October, felt really responsive,,snappy,,,plain Quick!!


Lately I have noticed is feels slow,,,,sluggish

I have just ordered new sparks plugs, (waiting on them)

I am hoping it is just spent plugs (suggested to change plugs every other oil change)


Air filter looks pretty clean,,,,


Any other thoughts, suggestions?


Thanks in advance.


I tried doing a search,,,,

 

Search 'carbon buildup', that might also be a concern. :-)

 

Are you putting premium gas in it? I had a loner from my MINI dealer that had exactly the same options as my car, it didn't have the pep that mine had. The dealer said that the car had to be brought back full of gas or we would be charged a penalty per gallon. I suspect that people were filling it with regular, instead of premium and the ECU was dialing back the timing to compensate.

Dave

 

Im with her. Sounds like carbon build up and you will need a walnut blasting.

 

I was told by my Mini dealer that they have a 3-step carbon cleaning method to remove the carbon build-up, he quoted me $239.99. He even told me that the engine must be at operating temperature for the step-1 to penetrate the carbon build-up. I'll be doing the cleaning procedure soon!

 

You need the walnut shell cleaning. Make sure that is what they are giving you. That chemical cleaning like Seafoam won't help. And not a fuel injection cleaning. Walnut shell blasting is what you need.

 

Carbon buildup is a slow, gradual process that takes years. If you only bought the car in October and it felt great then, I doubt that carbon buildup is what caused it to make it suddenly feel sluggish after only 6 months.

Does it have a manual transmission? A clutch starting to slip can make it feel that way.

 

I understand it could be carbon build up....I guess my question then is,,, could spark plugs simulate these issues?

 

I would think the symptoms would be more acute, does it feel like it misfires or just sluggish? Anything is possible but I highly doubt its plugs.

 

Its a 2009, not a new one.

 

A couple more basic questions (don't know your level of experience): How warm has it been where you live? Have you been running the A/C? Higher outside temps will make the car feel a little slower and running the A/C has a pretty dramatic impact.

 

Carbon buildup could cause sluggishness in six months, because when the valves get clogged enough, there will be a noticeable difference. There are many possibilities but don't rule that one out.
Good luck!

 

I live outside Toronto (cooler climate)
Dealer said, Carbon would be more of an issues if the car sits,,,or is not driven that hard...



Maybe Im just imagining things....

I will change sparks (when i get them, and do Oil/filter)

Keep you posted!!!

thanks to those who have made suggestions!!

 

Does the engine make any funny noises?

I'm thinking timing chain or a failed/failing turbo.

How often does the oil get changed?

Have you checked the oil level?

I seriously doubt it's the spark plugs unless the engine is missing, especially under load. If it runs smoothly and idles smoothly, it's probably not the plugs.

 

I knew that, but he said the car had good performance when he got it in October. I'm skeptical that carbon buildup would cause a sudden performance loss in 6 months. I had the impression that carbon buildup causes a slow, gradual degradation and there isn't a "tipping point" where it suddenly feels bad. Am I wrong about this?