Would not surprise me if the plugs were even touched. Really cleaning and gaping plugs is two stroke motorcycle servicing. Ever since I can remember the new plugs are checked for correct gap and then installed. When the miles reach a threshold (or with some cars when the elapsed time hits a threshold) the plugs are removed and new plugs -- with the gap checked -- are installed.

Air filter looks pretty bad. With another car I left one in service too long and when I did remove it the filter was filthy. I mean filthy. With a new filter the engine perked up some which tells you just how bad the filter was.

Still it looks like the filter was not changed. Be sure you change the cabin filter -- if the car has one -- too. They may not get that dirty but they can get stinky if left in service too long.

Really my 2nd hand experience is dealers do the minimum amount of servicing of a used car. Whatever they can get away with and they can get away with a lot.

In June 2009 I bought a used 2003 Porsche 996 Turbo and all it received was 4 new tires because while the original tires were still good -- the car had less than 10K miles on it -- they were 6 years old and Porsche considers 6 years old tires to be past their replacement age. The plugs were due to be changed on time but were not. The alignment was off, too. Because I was able to call around and talk to various dealer service departments that had serviced the car over the years I knew what it needed and I budgeted for some "catch" up servicing in my offer -- got car for nearly $5K under asking price -- so it wasn't a big deal.

If you have not already done so budget/plan for a brake fluid flush/bleed, too.

 

Yes the spark-plugs are CHAMPION but I need to go dig them out of the back of the car to see what part number. I was kinda shocked to see CHAMPION on the spark plugs after looking at the exotic names of the possible replacement plugs. At 43k miles the Spark Plug service was supposedly done by Universal City MINI.

 

A multi-point inspection was done at the Selling Dealership...

 

"Recondition" Maintenance Inspection Completed?

 

Yesterday I sent the pictures to my SA at Santa Monica Mini and asked him to look into his Service Department.

 

For comparison...

 

I've ordered a Diverter Valve... will be replacing that too.

 

As you can see documented, they spent literally zero time/hours on this... Typical.

 

Who really knows who put in the Champions or when... This just says the owner probably didn't want to replace them (cost?) if it was even offered to them so they clean/adjusted what was there which is a joke really. So, who knows the real story. Was a spark plug replacement offered and turned down or is cleaning oddball parts all ready there the standard?

 

I think the two dealers & Carfax need to look at their record-keeping.
As for cleaning plugs - given the cost, there's really no point since the labor is the same - oh, aside from opening the new packet & not having to find a set of feeler gauges.
If it were my new car, I think I'd run through the basics that have allegedly been 'serviced', as it seems Sunbird is doing, & then see what his SA has to say. A couple of free oil & filter changes might be appropriate.
The good news is that the car is now running well.

 

And seriously... To have an air filter that looks like that after all these so called inspections and reports (to go along with the other data from the plugs, etc.) indicates negligence big time... Unless Sunbird likes to "spiritedly" drive through sand storms of dirt and oil and it just got that way recently lol. Not sure I would even trust them to do any free anything...

 

I received the car at ~638XX. It now just his 65k. No oil sand storms .Since I received it Nov. 19 I've put ~2000 miles on it. This Spark-Plug/Air Filter things actually ticks me off because I had a Shop look at the car before closing the sale and it is on record the Air Filter, Serpentine Belt, and Oil needed to be changed. The Shop would NOT pull the spark plugs (they just read codes) which I found out after I received the report . My previous potential purchases were reviewed at CSAA inspection stations and they do pull the plugs (this purchase was a long distance one of over 500 miles from me and there was NO CSAA inspection station close by). The car looked great in videos the SA sent to me (engine sounded typical etc.) . Car arrived pretty much as described (including the dirty air filter ).

I did wonder about the CarFax saying that the plugs were "cleaned and gapped" (like wtf are we in high school shop here?) and repeatedly asked if MINIs had an Inspection1&2 like BMWs and if it was done on this car? Yes will look into following up through CarFax.

The SA showed Shop's report to the Service Dept and they did change the Serpentine Belt and Oil but somehow had an Alzeheimer's moment on the Air Filter and Spark Plugs which is clearly in the MINI "non-certified" inspection.

I sent an email with the pictures to the SA and am awaiting a response.


oxford green all4 s

 

The car was still under warranty when the spark-plugs where "cleaned and gapped" and the air filter was changed (shows on Carfax) MINI of Universal, Hollywood. :/

 

Took out the Cabin Air Filter... it looks like the Engine Air Filter. Replacing that today.

 

My MINI threw MAF code. When I cleaned it, there was definitely white dust on upstream side. I cleaned it & put new air filter in. No service record from the corner-car lot we bought from so who knows how old it was. Just relating this in case you get a CEL code in the future.