I have a 2007 MCS that I have been told by the dealership has a bad timing chain that needs to be replaced. I have multiple questions about this and was wondering if anybody could help me out:

1. The car only has 86k on it, shouldn't the timing chain last longer than that?

2. I remember seeing on another thread somewhere (of course I can't find it now) that MINI extended the warranty on the timing chain to 10 yrs 120k, but the dealership told me that at this point I only have the 8 yrs 70k, both of which are past. Are they just pulling my chain, or is what I saw not true?

3. The dealer quoted me $1700 to do the timing chain. Would it be cheaper, or even possible, to get it done somewhere else? (The only reason I wouldn't do this is cause the dealer said if the warranty winds up getting extended they would reimburse me for the repair)

4. Is it a simple enough job that I could do it myself without risking screwing it up?

Thanks everyone!

 

We've done chains on cars that were just out of a 36k warranty, it all comes down to how the car was maintained.

We are installing chain kits on these cars for about a grand less than that dealer quoted price, and with the same parts but our kits are all cryogenically treated.

It is an in depth job that can be done by someone at home, but you need the Bentley manual, torque wrenches that will do torque plus angle, the cam lock tools, and some ETorx sockets.

If you are looking to do a day trip up to the mitten we could have it taken care of for you and have you back on the road same day.

Feel free to give us a call if you have any questions.

 

Mini has officially come out and said the timing chain is good for only 100000 miles. These are very high strung engines so that's not too bad

 

Thanks for letting me know that you could do that, I will definitely consider it!

 

There is a campaign that extends the warranty to lifetime/ 100kmiles for the timing chain. Your dealer should have known this and looked up if you car is eligible. In my case I was not as I already had the tensioner replaced under warranty. My dealer asked if miniusa would cover the repair anyway and they agreed. This is not uncommon, but not a guarantee.

 

Your timing chain should be covered. If not, I replaced mine for about $700 and that included the tools. However, this is by no means a job for a beginner. Take your go-cart to the shop if you are not familiar with engines. I ordered parts from Amazon, the UK, and rock auto. The issue is not the timing chain itself, but the cheap plastic they use for the guide rails. They should have used brass for the rails but I could not find any kits that are fully brassed.

 

Also, when you do repair the engine, make sure to always check your oil every other fill up. Low oil plays a big factor in the longevity of the MINI timing chain setup. And the oil consumption of these little cars is ridiculously high.