So I have been a long time reader first time contributor…..

I took my supercharger intercooler off to clean and saw this

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...23b&id=2800216

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pi...388&id=2800216

leaking manifold?? give me good news and tell me its a common problem and easy fix….

on a smaller scale…. I sprayed my intercooler down with engine degreaser… how bad would it be if there was some left in it and i put it back in.

 

Can't see the pics,
But the ic will usually have some oil/residue in it...
A catch can can help keep it cleaner...many folks clean out the IC on a regular basis....
Do not attatch a wet/soapy IC to the car...let it dry 100%, then reinstall.

 

Ps..rinse it out...
Degreaser in a motor's intake...= nothing good, and tons of bad....

 

It is a fuel injector leak…..

BTW rinsing now … fun!

 

Sorry, could not see the pic...it sounds like You got lucky catching it!
The o' rings are pretty cheap..use new ones on the injectors... The rail can be replaced if bent...
Either way, good to hear you found it before something bad happened.

 

was going for a while … surprised it didn't kick out a CEL.

I figured it was faulty for a while because the bolt on the header directly under it is rusted beyond recognition.

 

Did you go ahead and put new oil in the SC while you had it off? Curious if yours still had the correct amount in it.

 

I'm a noob… I indulge in fluid changes brake and tire rotations …. so no I didn't even think of adding SC oil… but I only took off the intercooler (this is where you can jump in and tell me I'm retarded) with the four bolts on top of the manifold.

 

Sorry, I misread. I thought you meant, SC and intercooler.

 

The IC removal/reinstall is about a 15 minute job...simple diy...it is actually required on a GP to get at the sparkplugs....the SC is a VERY involved produre...almost all day or more at best to remove/reinstall.

One tip...in the future upload you pics to the site, or use a 3rd party hosting site that does not require login's to see the pics...due to possible security issues, fishing scams mostly, it is usually recommended that folks never enter the password on a provided link...the links can be crafted to look real, but redirect folks to a look-alike site that steals their username+password.
That is the reason you have gotten so little input.....

 

Thanks for the advice…. it wouldn't load on here last night and they were supposed to be available to the public links …

but this DIY project has made a turn for the worse … after my midnight madness of cleaning intercoolers, changing fuel filters the car wouldn't start …. it has gone through multiple "fits"

At first it sounded like spark but no fire, sounded like the first half of a ignition but no follow through… at this point I'm assuming its from lack of gasoline in the system.

After a while what seemed to me with some research (despite two dealers and one tuners never hearing of it) the engine immobilizer kicked in … and it worked just how you would imagine mini's would design a immobilizer… gauges flutters, headlights flashed like a strobe light and windows went up and down like my mcs rebelling teen at the club.

I left it alone over night then figured I may have drained the battery with all the work in the car, leaving the lights on the inside on, it being a freakishly cold night in new orleans …. I had someone jump me but still no luck, swapped the battery and still no luck… but I'm back to the old battery which has no charge now.

at this point I'm back a the starting point but with more gas in the tank… hopefully that was it and I'm waiting for a jump.

I am more than happy to hear comments and advice

 

So I guess you changed the tiny filter by the fuel pressure regulator...the horse-shoe clip there can be a bit tuff to get...
If you give up, some shops, for a fee, will work on "basket case" cars...just be around to tell the mechanic what you did, so they can check/undo your work as needed....an independant shop is much more likely to do this...but it can charge more than the "standard" rate, they know you are desperate, and the issues to fix can be interested....
Good Luck....
The only real way to charge the battery is to put it on a charger...or leave a set of jumper cables attatched to it for an extented period of time...
Low voltage can make odd things happen with these cars , hopefully with some good voltage, all will be fine.

 

so … this fuel filter has turned into a mega debacle.

I tried…
jumping the battery
new battery
bleeding the fuel system
dumping the excess fuel (by depressing the throttle all the way down)
checked and double checked the seal on the filter and housing
pouring more fuel into the tank

I had to go back to work so I had it towed to the only place that would work on minis (I had to beg them to take the car too) … a BMW dealer

Anyone want to share good ideas at this point I'm all ears.

Also anyone in the New Orleans area know of shops that work on Minis?