And I SWEAR you can put it in yourself. I did mine, and while I may be handy with the cosmetic stuff, anything under the hood terrifies me. It took 5 minutes, tops.

If you can successfully PC your MINI, you can do it. I promise.

 

Have you tried switching fuels? I had similar issues on my MCS but since I switched from Exxon to Shell those issues are gone!

 

I don't think it has anything to do with the gas I use since it has only happened on cold days on the same tank of gas that when warm runs fine

 

WTH ... are you high? ... or could it be that I am a bigger mechanical idiot than I thought? I opened the bonnet, T-20 torx screwdriver in hand, all ready to install my shiny new air filter but I didn't see anything that looked like anything that I was lookin for

 

This is what the top of the airbox looks like - it's just to the right of the oil filler cap (that says "oil" or "710" depending on orientation.)


Here are pics of the two torx screws - apparently they are T-25, not T-20
You also need to lift up the battery + terminal box. After removing the screws, push the airbox top toward the back of the car to release the tabs.

Pics stolen from Randy Webb's how-to

 

OMG that was the one thing I told myself it couldn't be because it had a picture of an oil can on it & it looks more complicated than I thought. Oh well the first torx screwdriver I found was a T-25 when I was hunting down the T-20 so at least I know I have one. Thanks for the info. I shoulda hit the guy up at SpeedSouth last night to "show" me where it was & MBE he would have taken pity & just installed it

 

Sorry to steal on this thread, but how the heck do you get the hose off the cover? Has a funky hose ring thingy attached.

 

If you're just changing the filter, you can manuever the cover off with a little effort without removing the hose. They are an OEM clamping type do-dad rather than a screw type. I usually throw them away and buy screw type hose clamps to replace them. Didn't matter after I installed the Alta CAI with hose. No cover to play with. Then I installed the M7 strut brace which has to be removed each time I clean the filter.

Oh, I didn't answer your question. I used large wire cutters and cut it off.

So Bamatt, how runs the cabrio now? Have you gotten anywhere with your maintenance?

 

Thread thief! :impatient
They are a PIA, but I like them.
To remove, just take a small screwdriver and slip in into the raised area and pry it up and off. Getting it back ON is far more challenging: A pair of tiny channel-locks work best, but you basically need to lever the squarish raised part up and over the little hump. The first time takes ten minutes, the next one, ten seconds. If you have said tiny channel-locks, the lower 'jaw' goes just behind the hump, with the upper jaw on the squarish part. (It's much easier to show than to describe. :impatient)

We anxiously await your reply, bamatt.

 

Eric, you're much more patient than I.