Hi All,

I just picked up my 09 base model in silver with black stripes (promise to post pictures up once the weather clears up).

I need to know some good practices to follow to keep her in good running condition.

Clutch:
At times I am driving in city traffic so a lot of stop and good. Is it ok to press the clutch and disengage the gear if I am not accelerating. Its a habit I picked up to save gas. Not sure if this makes sense but basically when I am not accelerating I will press my clutch to drop the rpm to conserve gas. Please let me know if this is a good practice?

Maintenance:
Where can I find a good post/page about general maintenance for this cars? Some folks are saying to change the oil at 5000 mileage along with brake pads and such. Does this sound right? Are there any other recommendation you guys have?

Mechanic/Repair Shops:
Looking for a good mechanic or independent repair shops in NYC area. I live in Brooklyn but don't mind driving a bit far to find a good place. My oil change light is on so I need one quick. Also, I need to have someone look at the car inside out to let me know if there are any problems with it.

I am super excited to own my first Mini. I have not owned a car in 6 years and I promised that my next car would be a Mini Cooper. I need a lot of guidance and I hope you folks can help me out.

Thanks!

 

Change your oil often. Everyone will argue every 10,000 miles or 7,000 miles, but to be safe I would do it every 3,000 because you never know. Check the oil once a month or whenever you have a chance. I can't stress it enough because the oil feed line on the turbo can become caked with varnish from burned oil and if it gets clogged you could blow the turbo.

If you're having issues coming here is good for advice, but it's like Web md here. Say you have a rash web md will say it's cancer lol. If you have a question try to call a dealership and speak with svc they would probably give you insight. Of course they will try to sell stuff to you , but try.

If you're upgrading don't cheap out and check for recalls just incase. I recently found out about the turbo heat shield and the replaced it.

Marketplace is a great way to buy parts on the cheap and good quality used ones at best.

 

In general, you should keep the vehicle in gear as much as possible. MINI, like most modern vehicles, has a system that cuts fuel to the engine when it is not needed, eg coasting. If you take it out of gear, you will end up using more fuel because it has to start delivering fuel just to keep the engine running. Plus, less shifts will help preserve components like the clutch, throw out bearing, etc.

On the oil change interval, 10,000+ miles is usually fine. However, you do need to keep a regular check on the level. So get in the habit of checking once a week or so.

Don't forget to check the air filter on a regular basis - every six months to a year.

Rotate tires every 5000 miles or so. Take the opportunity to check the brake pads.

 

@gerardt20 Thanks for the quick reply. So I will change the oil and monitor it regularly. I don't have the S so worries with the turbo but will stay on top of the oil changing. lolol at the WebMD. My goal now is to find a trusted mechanic in New York Area.

@jcauseyfd Wow. You blew my mind by saying it cuts of gas. I will not take it out of gear then. I wish I can find someone local to meet up to give me tips about how to drive the stick on this properly. Today I drove mostly local and barely went above the 4th gear so I had to do a lot of shifting but for certain stop and go I kept the car in either 2nd or 3rd gear. Another question: I see that sometime I can bring it in neutral without using the clutch. Is that a big no? Should I use the clutch even if I go into neutral. At times its smoth to go in neutral other times its a bit rough.

I went to the Mini Dealership in Manhattan and they told me about $400 for front brake pads replacement. and $150 for an oil change. I walked out! There has to be a better way of doing it. I am willing to buy parts and tools and start doing it my self but for now I REALLY need a good independent mechanic anywhere near NYC.

Again.. thanks for answering my naive questions as this is the first Mini and I love it. Seriously everyone has told me not to get it because of its reliability but I want one for the driving experience. I seriously thought about spending the night in it as I LOVE it.

 

I'd recommend checking all fluid levels more often than monthly - more like weekly. I compromise on oil changes at 5K which includes tire rotation, a must to get the longest life out of your rubber.
KEEP YOUR FOOT OFF THE CLUTCH PEDAL UNLESS YOU'RE SHIFTING!!
I hate to hear about people complain about only getting 30,000 miles out of a clutch. At stop lights shift to neutral and get off the clutch. Don't coast with it in gear. Anytime your foot is even just resting on the pedal the TOB and clutch plate know it.
One thing that helps keep the interior like new is not allowing ANY food or drink in the cabin. You wouldn't believe my wife's car, looks like movie theater carpet.
Just remember, MINIs are not mass produced appliance soccer mom grocery getters and can't be ignored like them. They are meant for 'motoring'.

 

@Fly'n Brick Thanks for great advice. So I learned not to keep my foot on the clutch as the car will know. The Interior is in pristine condition and will STAY that way and I am about to head out to check all the fluids. The weather was terrible the past two days so I have not had a chance to really check everything. I plan to do checks when I fill my tank up to make sure all is well. For now I need front brakes but seems really pricey (not surprise) but I want to take it to a mechanic that I can build a relationship with instead of giving money to the dealership.

Should I press the clutch when I put the car in neutral when approaching a read light or slowing down?

 

Look under the engine once a month, and check for any fluid leaks. I recently found oil suspended from under my transmission case. The car is brand new! MINIs do not have a dipstick for the transmission. I shudder to think what could have happened had I not decided to check on things.

 

@son-of-mini Wow.. thanks! I will check that as well even though is hard as hell to go underneath it without a ramp or something. I will wipe everything down with a cloth then check it out after few days.

Good luck with your case problem.

 

I would use only full synthetic oil in your engine. Regular oil will not handle the high temperature demands of the turbo Cooper S. IMO...

 

Yes and no. It will cut fuel if you are coasting with the engine in gear. You'll get full engine braking, so you will slow down moderately quickly that way. If you take the car out of gear, you use fuel to keep the engine running but you maintain speed for far longer. So if your object is not specifically to slow down, coasting out of gear will generally save some fuel.

The next part is that you need to match revs when you put the car back in gear, or risk wearing the clutch and transmission parts.

 

It's only a basic socket set and a C-clamp to change front pads. You may even find it's a broken sensor ($15) and not the pads. Any good shop can do the oil change, the hardest part is finding the filter in stock. Most parts stores can get them, also Amazon.

 

Thanks everyone for GREAT advice. In the past 3 days I learned a lot through this forum. Now I am better equip to drive my Mini stick shift. I am keeping my foot of the clutch and avoid change gears often in stop and go traffic. I try to keep the car in 2nd or 3rd on local roads with frequent lights. New York City signals can be crazy.

My goal is to find a good balance between keeping my revs down and using the clutch less.

I hand washed the car and also clean the inside of the hood as it was laced with black oil. I checked the bottom for leaks and everything looks clean. Fluids look good (at least the one I can check) and I had a brief conversation with a good mechanic who said the car is in great condition.

@Sale to Felines: For now I am going to avoid coasting and going back into gears. I rather use more gas then to get a new clutch. Even though high rev driving the car is doing 32 mpg which is purty good!

Now to the exciting part. I took a photo of it. For future I will post better quality pics but for now this is it.

Thank you all for words of wisdom. I hope this post can help folks looking for similar advice.

 

Congrats! Looks good

 

A base with xenon lamps! You found a good one.

 

Thanks guys. Someone up there loves me too much as this was such a good deal. The original owner had winter package as well so heated seats and side mirror!