Well at 140k it figured its time to get cleaned but after calling around walnut blasting is right around $500 - $600 here in the Dayton area. After speaking to Specialty Motorwerkes the guy had recommended that we do a chemical cleaning instead. He said that they got the product last year and has done about 8 - 10 cars and so far the results have been great. Plus my buddy is buying a gti and plans on getting it done as well ad he said we could work out some kind of deal. It runs right around $350.

The chemical way has three different parts and an oil change I will call back again to get more information.

 

Not sure what the chemical cleaning is, the dealer and most shops that do this only do the walnut cleaning. Since these engines are direct injected the fuel never gets on the valves to keep them clean. Before you get this done you may want to call Foreign Exchange, they have 2 shops in the Dayton area and they do a lot of MINI work.

 

That's where i have taken my mini the past two times I couldn't figure the problem out on my own great guys! Well Detroit tuned i think was $350-$400 for the walnut blasting and so far the cheapest i could find in Ohio. But the chemical is made for the direct injection i told him i had a n14 and he knew exactly and said they see mini's kinda regularly. I will definitely be doing more research on the chemical way before I just do it because of the price but I'm worried it might not get everything. My car has 140k and I don't know is if the cleaning has ever been done before. I have owned the car a year and 3 months and she only had 100k.

 

Walnut cleaning? That sounds NUTS!

 

Yeah, a walnut won't even fit in the intake port!

 

to be worth a darn chemical cleaning would involve pulling the intake manifold, soaking the valves and probably still needing to work at them with a wire brush.

 

Apparently the chemical cleans valves, turbo, intercooler and entire bottom end.

 

I don't know how they clean it. When I have time to call and ask if they do anything else with chemical.

 

There's no way a chemical based cleaning is going to be anywhere near as effective as an abrasive blasting. The BMW method is walnut blasting for a reason. It's totally effective and actually pretty easy to do yourself.

 

You can DIY it or get another MINI owner who has done it to help you.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-cleaning.html

Walnut works the best. I got mine done.

 

I Used brake cleaner and a pick and small long flathead screwdriver
spray wait pick then with air compress blow out repeat..bit messy but worked..I have pictures before and after on the diy....just cleaned mine....walnut blast material kept getting clogged in the gun and in my valves...PITA...