EDIT: Request to mods to move this thread to "Stock problems" Forum if need be.

Ok, So i bought an 07 S with 80 K on it. So far, ive done the timing chain and guides (old ones looked great, but I have no maintenance records), spark plugs and oil change. I have and AOS - only mod I know of. Generally, car runs good. After you clear the codes, it pulls hella strong - but with a rough idle. I haven't been beating on it, because I think it needs a water pump (whine coming from pass side and i saw coolant after timing set replacement). Then, after a day of driving, the next day it seems the turbo is limited. No CEL yet. Then, the day after that, driving it with limited turbo (im assuming its in the the 5psi boost limp mode), CEL P2188 comes on (2 times its stored), and still drives the same (in the boost limited mode). I know the valve cover is cracked and leaking, i have a new one on the way (I am trying the $70 el cheapo as an experiment). So, along with a good old MAF sensor cleaning, walnut blast and new valve cover, What else can I check and how likely are the following culprits?

Leaking fuel injector or pressure regulator,
High fuel pressure condition,
Faulty Bank one Oxygen (O2) Sensor?

Now, for the Gremlins : flickering puddle and hush panel, dome lights (very erratic). My damn front left wheel keeps coming loose (like 1 x a week!) after torquing lugnuts to 110 ft-lbs, I even swapped a rim and still does it. I torqued them to 140 ft-lbs and waiting to see it it happens again.

Temp lights - my green temp light flashed on for a minute and went away. I pulled over immediately and waited, it was fine after that. Then, yesterday my RED temp light flashed on and off. Turned on heat , seemed fine. Discovered low coolant (1/3 gal) and oil ( 2 quarts ) was low. Drove it today without lights or issue. Are these things REALLY that bad on oil consumption? I only have about 500 miles since a full synthetic (and Synth Lucas stabilizer) oil change. No smoke, but a little oil collects on bottom of the trans. I assume it from the Valve Cover? Is there a good aftermarket gauge cluster for Oil pSI, boost psi, oil temp, and coolant temp? I hate not knowing the coolant temps.


AND THE SUNROOF DOESNT OPEN or even move! It just grinds really bad. Ill deal with that later.

And, after the gremlins are killed, whats the best $1000 perf upgrade(s) i can do? Turbo/intercooler hoses, exhaust and CAI? (and a tune)

Ive been turning wrenches for ~ 20 years as hobby, so im pretty good with diagnosing problems - but i dont know Jack Sh*T about turbos. Any help is appreciated and thanks in advance!

 

I run a ScanGuage to monitor temp and other items directly out of the OBD2 port.

As for oil usage they do burn oil typically a quart every 750 - 1000 miles. I did notice my car burns less after getting a new valve cover and walnut blasting done.

 

so, anybody know what the mA values are for a temp gage? You could just tap into the wire that goes to the connector and run that to a gauge. Is it like 4-20mA or something?

 

Well here are some considerations for bolted joints. Anytime you have a problem like the one you've described, you need to look at three things. The bolt, the parent thread (the wheel hub in this case), and the wheel. The first thing I'd try is moving that wheel to another location and see if the problem moves. If the problem stays with the wheel hub, you need to check the bolts with a go/no-go gauge (machine shop), and then do the same for the parent thread. Another quick and easy thing you could do is swap the bolts with another wheel position and see if the problem stays with the bolts or the hub. You should be able to isolate this quickly. I wouldn't over torque your bolts as you've described as you may exceed the maximum yield strength of the fastener.

Now on to your oil consumption issue. Our MINI isn't turbocharged, but our car started using oil around 80K miles, but I didn't start documenting it until 103K. At 127K I noticed oil residue in the coolant expansion tank, so I performed compression and lead-down tests. The leak-down test confirmed there was a problem ... so off with the head! The machine shop confirmed the lead was slightly warped, so the took of .006" to true things up. The machinist also confirmed some of the valves were leaking. Compression, lead-down, and cooing system pressure checks will help you isolate the source of your problems. Good luck

 

The PCV system is internal to the valve cover. The problems you are seeing with limited boost and high oil consumption could be caused by the cracks/leaks in your valve cover. There is an updated valve cover available that does a better job of separating the oil out of the PCV vapor and will reduce the need for carbon blasting, I suggest you spend a few more bucks for it instead of going with the cheapo version.

Also see the Gen2 FAQ for common N14 problems.

For the electrical gremlins, check that there's no signs of corrosion in the electrical modules in the footwell on both sides of the car. Clogged drains fron the sunroof result in water getting in there and causing problems. (So glad that I ordered my car with no sunroof.)

 

oil collection on the trans = likey from the rear PCV hose connection from the back of the head to the crankcase input near the throttle body

*that hose is plastic..and once it cracks..it forever causes a rough idle
**if the hose isnt (by some miracle) cracked after 80k miles.. the next thing to go is the rubber o-rings in the PCV connectors.. they shrink/get hard/fail to expand and create small leak.. same as above.

Good luck on your diag and repairs.

 

 

Yes. I got my media blaster kit (BMW 335i) from BavAuto. They sell you the same media kit (from china) that you can get from Harbor Freight, but they include the intake port adapter and the media wand/nozzle. Keep in mind, the media blaster kit is only one part of the equation. You need an air compressor that puts out at least 10 CFM at pressure. Media blasting requires a lot of airflow!!!

Put a Snow Performance Water/Meth kit on the car and say goodbye to media blasting!

 

 

Yes I understand. How many CFM does your compressor produce at 45 PSI? At 90 PSI? HP and gallons don't help ... CFM does. :-)

I'm not sure how much success folks have had trying to clean dirty intake valves with a water/meth setup. In my case, I did the walnut blasting first and then installed the water meth kit. My car runs great, and you get a cooler intake charge and 110 octane with the methanol. I plan on pulling the intake manifold at 30K miles (post installation) and reporting back to the forums with my results.

My brother put the water/meth kit on his new '15 BMW M4, and when he took the car to California for new turbos and downpipes, they were amazed how clean the intake valves were. The shop had to pull the intake to bench-flash the ECU ... it's mounted to the underside of the intake manifold. So, yes, I think water/meth is a great PM measure, but I'm not sure the police will buy it when you get pulled over and say ... "But officer, I was only cleaning my intake valves."

 

12.0 S.C.F.M. @ 40 P.S.I.G.
11.5 S.C.F.M. @ 90 P.S.I.G.
If I need more than that, theres a problem there! I have a hopper gun, going to make some fittings for it. I might be doing this this weekend as long as my gaskets get here. thanks for the info!