All.. I am considering picking up a very well used Mini Countryman S ALL 4 Automatic for my wife and I to drive to and from work regularly. This seems to be the highest mile Countryman I've seen but the price is hard to back away from.

I am an automotive technology major and work for a diesel engine manufacturer writing our service procedures so I am no stranger to the automotive repair world.

My questions surround the longevity of the engine in these as well as the Aisin trans. I know Aisin makes a wonderful product but I was curious in this particular installation how long they live.

I've put a number of miles on the car and all seems to be well.. It had a check engine light and a tire pressure light on (cold morning).. but they were going to get those taken care of before handing over the key..

Anyone care to chime in?

 

I bought my Wife's All4 with just 50K on the clock and have already had to make repairs. The thermostat is a ***** beast to repair/replace, especially if you're not familiar with the pipe that connects it to the water pump. Diagnosing issues can be aided by the OBDII but making the right repairs can sometimes be a shotgun process. The issue I just resolved was only showing a misfire code so I changed the plugs but that didn't resolve the problem. It turned out to be the coils. Little things like that can make it a pain to work on a Mini. The little creatures are an absolute blast to drive when they are running right but you have to make a conscious decision about whether it is worth the price to keep them going.

 

Be prepared to keep your wallet handy and space on your credit card........ you know the old line for BMW (Bring My Wallet).

 

Sounds like he has the labor covered, just some of the parts like HPFP are a bit spendy. Not seen talk of a 150K CM, good to know they can go that long!

 

I've got 85,000 miles on my CM All4, and I have to say it is not a low cost car to keep running well. There is always something going wrong, and the repairs are not cheap. Great car to drive, and I am keeping mine as long as possible. I just plan on spending a few grand a year keeping it running. I will NOT buy another Mini because of the experiences I have had with this one. Unless you are willing to take on those repair costs, I'd steer clear of a high mileage CM.

 

That is the highest mileage R60 I've heard of.

I would compare the price to lower mileage ones as it may not be much more to have something much lower mileage and with lower mileage you likely could get an aftermarket warranty to cover some future expense.

 

I purchased the car and have essentially had to repair the hood latch cable assembly.. and replace the exhaust cam VANOS Solenoid and all seems well..

The car is doing the "stick in park" thing.. but I called the dealer and talked to a tech who said if it was his he'd just pull the assembly apart and clean it.. said 90% of the time they are just full of soda / nastyness that causes them to get sticky..

 

All seems well with the car.. I have replaced some chinese looking LED bulbs that the PO had put EVERYWHERE with normal bulbs due to the BCM being full of bulb out codes.. VANOS solenoid seems to have fixed it.. no issue since replacement.. I do however have a boost leak at one of the clip in pipe seals.. Need to get that ordered as well as the PCV membrane and a new valve cover.. I have ordered a catch can that should be here mid week as well to catch some of the oil before it hits the turbo..

 

Catch can on...



Figured out what's up with the TPMS being out.. turns out the car may or may not have been down a few HARD rally stages (PO was a rally steward for Rally America) Looks like the module was broken from the rear bumper support (which is also busted all to hell) and drug down the road for a good distance.. Cracked the module open to see what was rattling.. Here's the answer..

 

You paid Photobucket?? First ever PB pic I have ever seen not broken lol

 

It all depends on how you copy their link. I post photos all the time and haven't paid a dime. It just takes a while to plow through all the advertising and pop-ups.

 

If he did he didn't pay them enough. I'm not seeing the photos...

 

Haha. Yep, just saw that.

 

My opinion: Get rid of cars with 150k.. dont buy them. Cars are not investments. They are holes you fill with blood, sweat & money to keep up.. or you dont. Either way, I wouldnt consider paying for anyones "baby" with that many miles, no matter how immaculate. Miles arent the same as 'hours of operation' .. but at 150k, you can bet every part in that vehicle falls in 1 of 2 category:

1. Its already been replaced at least twice and is near its MTBF now, due for another replacement
2. Not been replaced and is somehow still working just fine..

either situation isnt a good one unless you already owned the vehicle and were not paying on it.. even then, I think the first issue is going to likely be one that wont be worth fixing.. but loss is relative to how much you make/have.. so if you can swallow a 10k mistake then its really nothing to worry about.

 

While your opinion shows wisdom, modern vehicles can go 2, 3, 4 hundred thousand miles and more without any catastrophic events. Then again, they can be like a helicopter too. A common saying about them is that if a part on your helicopter has not failed yet, it is about to.

 

This car was considerably cheaper than the next cheapest one I found and so far a small oil leak.. tire pressure light and a couple small maintenance items is all its needed..

 

And no.. I didn't pay Photobucket.. I do see that the links aren't working though so I guess I should find a new hosting site

 

I tried to change the links but I guess once the link has been broken it stays broken.

 

Why not just store the photos on your own computer and upload them when needed?

 

Well.. this is as much of a PSA as anything else... Car had a busted tire pressure module.. physically broken internally.. read a bunch about purchasing one new only.. how used wouldn't work. How mini had to be the one to program them.. well 34 dollars on eBay later I plugged in the module and all is well with the world.. so I was able to talk the guy down 3k on price with all the misc calamities that it had and for 165 dollars I am here in my Mini with no lights or warnings and only an intermittent low power light due to what I assume is a faulty forge bypass valve..

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Great job and getting the car mostly sorted. However the warnings on TPMS used also point to not knowing just how much battery life is left in them. I'd rather buy a $60 off brand that was new than a used one.

 

tpms module.. RDC module.. not the wheel sensors.. mini replaced all of those before the previous owner got rid of it.

 

That makes sense!

 

Does anyone have any detailed BMW / MINI documentation along the lines of engine familiarization or logic on the emissions / controls..

I am used to being far more familiar with the engines / systems in the vehicles I own and this is driving me nuts..

The Vacuum pump specifically.. I am curious how that works and the logic behind the controls that it operates..

I replaced the valve cover gasket last week and for some reason it seems I have increased the vacuum pumps efficiency in doing so.. better vacuum and now the sticking BPV from Forge is operating more dependably..