We have had our 2002 R50 for about a year now, and put maybe 2000 miles on it without major issue. Thermostat housing leak would be the most severe, followed by noisy steering pump and nonfunctioning low-speed on the radiator fan.

We moved 1100 miles last month, and had the Mini towed behind a UHaul on a full transport trailer (all 4 wheels off the ground). When I backed the car off the trailer, the black trim on the bottom of the front bumper got pulled forward and broken. Seems to be just cosmetic, not a huge deal.

Just off the trailer, I drove the car 4 miles at highway speed, smelled burning rubber. All 4 wheels spin freely. Can't really tell where the smell is coming from.

Also, after getting off the highway and onto the surface roads, the speedometer starts at 20MPH now. With the car stationary, it reads 20. If you're going 50, it reads 70. I parked the car after those 5 or so miles and I haven't driven it since.

Are these related? Separate issues? Any idea on what caused them, and what I can do to fix them?
Thank you guys for your time and expertise, any help would be highly appreciated!

 

I don't know if this is your issue but I would check the belt and belt tensioner as well as the harmonic balancer/ crank pulley, I hear that when they fail smells like burning rubber

 

Have you checked the wheel wells up front? The diverter could have displaced the wheel well liner such that it's rubbing on a tire.
No clue on the 20+ speedo - seems quite odd.

 

Try re-setting the guages. This will probably fix the speedo

The correct process for resetting the Dash is to hold the reset button when you turn the ignition on. Press the button till it reads 19 and wait. It will now flick from L on and L off. Press the button at L off and then keep pressing the button until you reach 21. Wait till it says reset and then press the button again. If all the dials flicker and the clock gets wiped then you are successful.

 

Speedo fixed by reset! Thank you Swimbaxter

I checked the wheel wells and found nothing encroaching on the tires. This doesn't rule out a bit of trim that may have been rubbing and knocked itself loose on the drive though.

I popped the hood, fired her up, let her warm up, and then revved it a bit. I didn't smell any burning rubber from the belt side of the motor. I shone a flashlight down to take a look at the crank pulley and didn't see any noticable wobble. It's hard to see the state of the rubber from above, and pulling the wheel and well liner isn't something I can do in the apartment parking lot.

Is a failing harmonic balancer something that can be detected by someone with a standard set of tools and no access to a lift?

 

Yes, there are a few threads about the tensoiner you can google with some good pictures.

The spring/piston thing that works as a push/pull to tension the belt fails.

Next the tensioner spangs past the bump-stop and wallops something like the water pump or other local device. (R53 and R50 are slightly different arrangements)

http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti...eplacement.htm

http://www.billswebspace.com/mcs.htm

 

I am so glad that worked for you!