Hey everyone, I am new to this forum and and I really LOVE MINIs. My love of MINIs, mine in particular, led to my sticking with this car through quite a few part replacements. I am not sure what to with my sweet "girl" but I am hoping I don't have to part with her. However, her maintenance costs and related stress are becoming overwhelming. The dealership keeps making all sorts of different "repairs" but never seems to correct a true problem and the costs are bleeding me dry. I really need help and the I think the dealership is taking advantage of me b/c I'm a girl w/o a lot of knowledge on cars. Here is the history...

My MINI (named:RUBY) is a 2008 R56S, Chili Red and gorgeous. I purchased her in Aug 2008 at the MINI dealer in Texas and the next day we started our life together. We were inseparable. Mini vacations and road trips but she never had a problem.

Then, in July 2009, she started having some inconsistent idling issues (she had b/w 25-30k miles). Took her down to the dealership and they said it was HPFP (High Pressure Fuel Pump) failure. The pump was replaced and all seemed well. In the same month my daily mileage increased from 20 miles per day to closer to 80 miles a day because of work.

In January 2010 I noticed again that the car was running rough and my check engine light came on. The engine noise sounded horrible and I ended up just having the car towed back to the dealership. I get a call a few days later from my MINI service rep saying that the timing chain brackets failed and I've got metal flakes in my engine. It only had approximately 40k miles on it but it needed a new engine. They ordered a new engine and turbo charger from overseas and I used a loaner car for about a month. I'm thinking now that I should have just made a push for a completely new vehicle but they convinced me that everything would be fine since it's all covered under warranty.

After the engine replacement RUBY ran like new until 8 months later, in August 2010, (now 60k miles on the odometer and 20k miles on the new engine) when she started idling unusually at lights and some hesitation upon acceleration. I took it back to the dealership and they said it's the HPFP...again. "Fortunately" for me, it's covered under the two year replacement warranty...b/c now my original warranty is up and the extended warranty I have wouldn't cover it.

I thought this would be it but I was wrong. My car was still idling rough afterwards and my service rep told me to try a couple bottles of the fuel injector cleaner. "If that doesn't help, bring it in and we'll remove the head and we'll flush the fuel injectors, but it will be at least $250. Maybe more." The fuel injector cleaner has helped some but I still have the idling/acceleration issue intermittently each day.

I don't feel like the problem is getting fixed and I am becoming more and more scared to take her anywhere. I REALLY don't want to lose this car but I'm not sure how to get the dealership to fix the actual problem without charging me an arm and a leg.

Can anyone please help me with what I should do? With an engine that is barely a year old, this doesn't seem like it should be a problem and I feel like the warranty should cover all of these repairs.
I really appreciate any help you guys can offer...oh, and RUBY does too!

 

Hello, and welcome!

Sorry to hear about "Ruby's" woes. Unfortunately, they read sort-of like a laundry list of the main problems encountered with the Cooper S: HPFP; timing chain/tensioner problems/failures; and carbon build-up. And sadly, "Ruby" seems to have experienced all of them... I can't offer a lot of first-hand advice on these problems, but this section of the forum contains numerous threads that do, so you might start reading through them.

Lilke you, other folks have had mulitple replacements of the HPFP. For whatever consolation it might be, MINI recently extended the warranty on the HPFP to 10 years/120,000 miles, and you should receive a letter from them to that effect. So, at least you won't have to pay for that repair, should "Ruby" ever need it again. Hopefully, MINI will finally work out the kinks and start installing pumps that are more durable...

Based on what I've read on the forum, MINI continues to work the timing chain tensioner issue. There appears to have been a number of "fixes," and "Ruby" has likely gotten the most recent with her engine replacement.

The final problem seems to be carbon build-up. Many folks on this site recommend using Seafoam to alleviate that, which is a bit different that a standard fuel injector cleaner. It's also important to use Top Tier premium fuel from distributors like Chevron or Shell (see http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html for a complete list), if for no other reason than to deflect the accusations leveled by some MINI dealers about "bad fuel" when confronted with owner complaints about rough idling and such. This topic tends to be one of the sore points on the forum, as BMW/MINI seems to be washing their hands of it and charging folks for what some view as something that should be covered under the free maintenance program (i.e., routine/periodic cleaning the carbon deposits from the head); others maintain that the carbon deposits are simply a characteristic of the engine design (direct injection or "DI"), and as such, owners just need to be aware that there is additional maintenance involved, whether or not MINI covers it. As with all polarizing topics, the truth may lie somewhere in the middle...

You didn't specify which dealer in Texas has been servicing "Ruby," but my initial impression is they aren't treating you any better or worse than a lot other people who experience these problems. I think "Ruby" may be past the worst of her woes, but only time (and perhaps some Seafoam) will tell...

 

A long list of why I will never buy another BMW product. Not just the car, but the company and dealers.

Another vote. do the seafoam, buy a bottle of Chevron treatment to clean the injectors. BG if you can't fine Chevron. " Bad gas" is nothing but identifying a dishonest dealer.

 

Thanks for the help and I'll be trying the Seafoam ASAP. I also hope that RUBY is past most of her problems, I'd hate to lose her!

Thanks again!

 

Be sure to follow the instructions for Seafoam, either on the product or, say, at the following web site (http://forums.nicoclub.com/how-to-se...y-t126583.html). It's "administered" a bit differently than a standard fuel injection cleaner, all of which usually gets dumped into your fuel tank.

 

Should try a reflash to latest dealer specs as a "good will" and if it fixes it give me 800$ lol


ps: should only take 5 min to do

 

take it to the dealer and tell them to do a fuel injection cleaning service, there's a bulletin update on this issue.

 

Have them update the software... it takes 5 min!

 

uhh not.


can be HOURS. absolutely incredible but true.

 

depends on the last time the car was updated: anywhere from a half-hour (when I had my windows reprogrammed) to 6-7 hours.

 

maybe you waited for that much time but the software exchange its self im sure only takes but about 10 min at the most.

 

They reflashed my software for window problems and it definately took more than 10 minutes. More like 4-5 hours.

 

Well im wrong, i could care less. Im basing off of the experience i have from flashing. Regardless to how much time it takes a new flash couldnt hurt to verify its not a tuning issue.