hey guys i went to look at a 2007 Cooper S that has a flood title, the interior did'nt smell like mildew at all and i checked out all of the fuses,plugs, and battery nothing seemed rusted or corroded, but when i went to start it all the lights and beeps came on and seemed normal but when i pushed the button to start nothing happend but the lights would click off and reset as if the battery was dead but i also had a jumper pack connected to the battery too, so what id like to know is that the worst case scenario is the engine is hydro locked?, and how would i go be able to find that out?,and if there was electrical problems wouldn't the lights be not coming on?

 

I don't know the anwwer to your question, but I do know that I wouldn't touch that car. Unless someone is giving it to you, and you would like to have a project.
my2cents

 

I wouldn't buy a used MINI much less one with a flood title.....

 

hey thanks for responding, i already have a R53 and that i bought used and fixed up and love it! and id like to have another project, i can probably get this mini for 4-5k and at that price i wouldn't mind putting a new engine in myself , but i would just like to know how i can tell if the motor is bad or not or if the problem is electrical, do mechanics have a machine to tell if there are electrical problems with cars or is that something that just has to be done by process of elimination?

 

OUCH....These types of comments don't help me with my decision ...or maybe they do.

 

Sorry, i didn't mean to trash MINI because i love my car. I just wouldn't buy any car that has a high degree of electronics to it. I prefer buying new cars, well...new. If I were to buy an older car, it would be something that I can work on in the back yard with a buddy and a 12 pack (after the work has been finished). Something like a TJ Jeep Wrangler or an old hotrod.

 

pull the spark plugs out and see if it cranks.

 

I would get a white rag, rip off a small piece, duct tape it to the end of a coat hanger and dip it into each cylinder to see what I found out when I removed it. At least that way I could find out if each cylinder was clean. Having said that, I would give the car a wide berth unless you plan on replacing all of the electrical harnesses.

 

If you plug an OBD 2 reader in it will it read codes? That'll give you an idea whether or not the ecu is operational.

 

ok cool, thanks guys im gonna try and check the car out more thoroughly and try and bring a code reader with me, if i can confirm that there are no electrical problems id be more than happy to get it and fix it up even if i had to go to the extreme of replacing the engine.

 

We just experienced a major flood in our town (worst in 100 years). The thing I've learned is beware of mold. It's the one issue everyone in town is dealing with in a major way.

So your MINI will likely have mold issues in the future - and it could become so bad that you'd have to leave it.

Under the carpets in that car, behind the dash, etc - could be a black mold factory.

And I will say that our neighbors cars got flooded and they were declared totaled by the insurer.

So while the low price could be attractive (and still could be a deal of the century - you never know), I personally would run in the opposite direction.

 

Buying a car that was flooded is like playing Russian roulet. Water in the circuitry and wiring may go bad over time due to corrosion. It may turn out to be a great buy with no problems but on the other side, it may develope problems that could be headache and expensive to fix.....

 

Hmmm,,, A flood vehicle... I would have figured that the only damage would be body panels. Wouldn't you think that the MINI would have just floated along with the water and only bounce off other objects as light as it is? If you are old enough, recall the old VW Bug ad that showed how their car floated for like 30 minutes. It was a full page ad in Life mag. The problem with being old enough to remember that is I forgot the magazine! It's a win lose situation!

 

Since gen2 mini's have so much electronics....i would run away...
you might get it running today, but one electrical connection, that is damp and corroding....can cause huge issues....
The motor is the least of your worries...it is the computer and wiring harness....things might work for a few days/weeks, but the terminals corrode...and after a few months...the gremlins set in....

 

RUN! water and electronics do not mix. If no troubles npw, the continued rust/corrosion will lead to problems within 6 mo.

 

i fix salvage vehicals but would never touch a flood car...gremlins will haunt someone for years possibly.

 

There really is a reason insurance companies total cars that get flooded.... Some things just should never be resurrected.

 

You have received some very good information on what you could experience if you buy this car. This car would be a project car as you have already mentioned.

If you have the money to put into a car that might never get beyond a project, then go for it. An old wooden boat with termites might be a better investment.