Well it wasn't really horrible, but it was extremely inconvenient and unnecessarily expensive. Don't end up like me, read this embarrassing post.

I'll get to this later in the story but, I started off by purchasing what I thought, and was told by a local auto parts store to be the proper spark plugs for my car. WRONG! There is only one stinking spark plug for an R56 MCS, and it's impossible to find anywhere. Nobody stocks them in their store or their regional warehouses. They're just impossible to find anywhere except at a mini dealership. For some reason they have a ton in stock.

But I digress... This morning I woke up and tried taking out the stock spark plugs with a standard 16mm spark plug socket. That's the socket that every video on youtube recommends, along with all the info I could find on the multitude of forums which I am a member of. My socket didn't even fit down to the spark plug. There's some sort of metal ring just above the spark plug end, and you need a really thin-walled socket to get at the plug. So I borrowed a skinnier 16mm socket from a buddy of mine.

All it did was spin around the plug it didn't do a thing. So I then came to this forum again and found a thread describing all the sizes of the spark plugs in every mini since the dawn of time. I discovered that I needed a 14 mm socket. What the hell? Every other car on the road uses a 16mm spark plug, that's why every spark plug socket is 16mm!!!! So I went to the store and picked up a 6 point 14mm socket. Well that didn't work either; turns out that not only are the stock spark plugs an unusual size, they are also unusually shaped. A 12 point 14mm deep socket is necessary to take out these stock spark plugs. And of course, you can only get one of those sockets if you buy a whole set. At least that's the deal in northern virginia, lame.

So I finally had the right socket to remove these pesky spark plugs. I took all the plugs out, and started putting the new ones in. For some reason the new plugs weren't going into the holes the way they were supposed to. I then compared the stock spark plugs to the new spark plugs, and found them to be completely different sizes. The stock spark plugs are long and skinny while the new plugs were shorter and wider. I then called up every local auto parts store for the proper plugs and as usual, nobody had them, nor could they be ordered. I finally called up Mini to learn that they were buying up all the spark plugs and selling them back to us at $22.81 a pop. Absolutely ridiculous!!!!

I drove down there and gave them a taste of my frustration. Turns out they charge the public $100 for a set of plugs plus 2 hours of labor to change them out. So I paid for the plugs, and then installed them in front of the main entrance to the dealership just to show people it takes 10 minutes to do. I had a few people watching, so I at least feel like I made an extremely vague point.

To continue, the plugs that came out of my car looked awful. I've only got 50k miles on the car and they looked worse than the ones that came out of my old Crossfire after 100k miles. That tells me that changing the oil every 15k is a bad idea. I also changed my oil this morning before I tackled the spark plug issue, and it turns out I was running about 2 quarts low. I only went 5k miles since my last oil change and I put a in a fresh quart about 2k miles ago. These cars seriously burn oil, and I just don't think it's necessary.

I know I probably sound like an idiot for not doing more research, but spark plugs shouldn't be a difficult thing. Mini makes it so we have no choice but to go to the source for parts just to get plucked like a chicken. It's just not fair. Don't get me wrong, I love my mini, and I want to keep it forever, but stupid German technicalities like this are exhausting. Every time I want to modify or work on my car, something about my particular vehicle makes it impossible to just follow the directions. I've been told that Mini switched to a DOHC in 2008 for the MCS engine, and that makes the newest minis different than the older minis on the road.

I hope this post has saved you from being the same moron I was.

 

I sometimes buy my plugs at germanautoparts.com. They are not the cheapest... but they are fast and have parts in stock. I usually get a few maintenance parts to lower shipping costs when I order from them.

Also try sparkplugs.com as well. They are cheaper but they really only deal with sparkplugs and some oil.

 

Speechless

 

Darned interesting, I'm sure that's what you said after all this :-).

It's special, all right. Just sniffing around a bit (I still think I know how, after 7 years in the auto parts business in the 70's-80's, but a lot has changed) for instance Bosch calls out an "OE / Specialty" plug ZR7SI332S, definitely an oddball. A general google for it shows it unavailable in a few places, and also as a fitment for certain Peugeot and Citroen models (imagine that).

One UK site that no longer had them was asking 23 GBP each for them. Ouch.

Duly noted. And that they looked like cr@p after 50,000 miles. My JCW tuning kit spec says to change them at 30k miles. Oh joy. At $22 each.

Two hours labor, and $88 in parts plus shop supplies, etc. So $300 or so to change plugs on a 4-cyl car. Breathtaking.

 

Well after two NGK plugs failed in my r56 (both under warranty. I'll be listening to my gut and changing them to Bosch Iridium ( http://www.autozone.com/autozone/par...vice=221184478 )

My warranty is up in two months and on that day the plugs will be changed! I already have a torque wrench and 14mm bi-hex coming from sears. Grand total for the wrench and socket is 31.00

For those interested they are:
Sears Item# 00930875000
Sears Item# 00944690000

And if a coil fails for any reason I am putting some BWD's coils in....because I've had one of them fail under warranty as well!

 

Good luck with those Bosch plugs. They are known to be quite finicky.

 

Realoem.com is your friend. You can find any part number for any year MC. Including spark plugs. I ordered mine from amazon.com for around $40 for all 4 I think, and the socket for $30.

NGK Part # ILZKBR7A-8G

Here is the link to amazon.

 

Yup....this aint you daddy's chevy.
Early on in gen1, it was hard to find the right plugs....ever notice how the oems say "bmw" on them...takes a few years for them to become common in aftermarket versions....
sorry it was such a cluster to get the plugs changed...
but please tell us you used a Torque wrench when putting in the new plugs......

 

PS
When watching u-tube vids on how to do stuff, make sure the vid is on THE RIGHT CAR!!
THE GEN1 MINI, with the tritec motor is really a different car than the gen2 with the pugot...as you found out!! Very basic....just cause the body is similar does not mean the parts are the same......

 

Ah, a Google search on "r56 spark plug change" gives a #1 hit on my post at the THMMC site where I cross-posted my DIY blog entry on changing spark plugs in a 2nd Gen MINI. Too bad you didn't find that first, might have saved you some trouble. At least you did get to demonstrate for some folks just how easy it is.

 

...and after all that I shure as he!! wouldn't have admitted that I never check my oil.

 

One of the best places to buy MINI parts and great customer service as well.

http://www.waymotorworks.com/spark-p...-cooper-s.html

 

You own a MINI so it should be no surprise they are special NGK plugs Welcome to the world of German autos

The dealer is always going to rip you off on parts. Buy them from Way or Detroit Tuned and you'll always get a fair price. Admittedly not everyone has a deep well 14mm 12pt 3/8" socket in their toolbox. If you do, it's just like changing any other set of spark plugs. Torque 'em down to spec and you're good!

 

All the vids I found on YouTube were for 2nd gen minis. The problem was that they were for 2007 mcs. BMW switched the mcs to a dual overhead cam in 2008, that's why those videos were worthless to me. And I check my oil every 3 fill ups, thats why i put a quart of oil in the car 2000 miles ago. The Stupid dipstick always says the same thing anway. I think I'm just going to start listening to the timing chain rattle, that's usually a good indication of when more oil needs to go into the car.

 

Nope, no torque wrench. I've developed a feel for tightening down spark plugs. That's the one thing that I have down pat.

 

Did you not read the part about me adding a quart of oil 2000 miles ago? I check my oil every third trip to the pump. And besides, if you truly know your mini and listen to it, the timing chain rattle will tell you all you need to know about oil levels, hahaha

 

No kidding... I found a number of gen 2 videos on youtube, but I couldn't find one for a model later than a 2007. In 2008 they switched the gen 2 to a DOHC. At least that's what I'm told, and that's why the plugs are different for a 2008 and later in comparison to the 2007 model year. Trickery around every turn I tell ya.

 

Just don't want someone else to get misinformation from this post. The 1st gen cars have numeric designations as do their motors. Then 2nd gen cars made a multiyear transition starting in model year 2007 (convertible lagged by a year, thus the 2008 thing you heard) It can be complicated, but learn what yours is (R56) and your engine designation (should be N14) and don't be shy about reinforcing these two names any time you buy a part or read someone's advice.

I too was freaked when I realized I needed to buy a freak thinwall 14mm 12pt, but I've got 91k and have gotten my mileage out of that tool now. Iridium plugs are a sticker shock but they are usually worth their money in my experience with high mileage German cars.

Welcome to the fold.

 

+1
gen1 (iron block, tritec motor, regular induction/supercharged, hardtop to my2006, cabrio till 2008my.., the r50/r53/t52).
The gen2 cars, with the pugot motor, 2007hardtopmy+, cabrio2009+, regulat and turbo.
Mini's do tend to need a few speciall tools, but MANY modern cars are becoming less generic and more specialized in many ways...simple way to get more mpg's, less emmision, less weight, less emissions...and more $$ on return service.

 

Just received my shipment from sears and the Schwaben 14mm 12 point spark plug socket will not work with the NGK plugs in my 2009 MCS. The magnet in the socket hits the porcelain. Not sure if I'll be returning this or not...

It does work great with the magnet removed and some electrical tap on the points on the socket. Of course you can also use the socket and a separate magnet to get the plugs out.