This is a 2003 non-supercharged with CVT tranny.

I hit 100,000 miles on Sunday afternoon.

The battery light came on at 100,015. It limped it home and it when I pulled up in front of the house it was at 100,051 and the battery was down to 9 volts, no dash lights, no power steering, etc...

It does have AC. Everything is original as far as I know. I'm 2nd owner.

 

OK, I think I'm back on track but now I can't get the plastic from around the frame supports where the arrow is pointing. Even with a pry bar I can't get to bend far enough to clear it.



Did I miss something?

 

I realize now that I was trying to remove/swing the entire front plastic housing and radiator away from the engine but I think I only need to pull the top out far enough to get to the radiator, which I have done.

 

Success!

The part that I thought would be the hardest was actually very easy. In order to remove the belt from the alternator, simply take a 3/8" ratchet WITH NO SOCKET ON IT, reach up under the wheel well and attach it to the hole closest to the front of the car (a square 3/8" hole), angle the handle up and out towards you, and then put a pipe or some sort of a breaker on the ratchet and force it towards the firewall. This allows you to simply push it forward while removing it from the alternator's pulley.

It was very easy and you don't need to buy Mini's special tool.

I will try to document the reassembly with photos.

 

Removing the tire is definitely not necessary. You only need to remove the bumper, bumper supports, and loosen the radiator support plastic from the wheel wells in order to be able to slide it forward in the area where you are working.

As you can see, you don't really need to jack put it on jackstands or anything either. Really the only reason I needed to elevate the car was to get underneath to remove the splash guard.

 

I remember paying $165 for a good quality alternator from Rock Auto. Plus $30-35 core.
Did you guys check there?

 

Getting the alternator wasn't an issue for me. I just got one from Advance Auto in my neighborhood for $181 plus tax. Life time warranty. I think you might be addressing the original posts in this thread which were from a few years ago.