Hello,

I have a 2011 Mini Cooper S with 61k miles with engine problems. Needless to say when the car starts there is a ticking noise that comes from the engine. I've taken it to a local shop who diagnosed it as valve tapping and I would have to replace the entire engine for 6300. I then took it to the local Mini dealer and they drained the oil and noticed about 20% water mixed in with the oil; no metal pieces were found in the oil. They replaced the oil hoping that would be the fix but the noise still persists. The next step would be to break down the engine to see where the problem lies but that would cost me 1000 dollars just to do that. I've talked to some people who listened to the noise and they seem to think it's a spun bearing. Based on everything it seems like the car needs an engine replacement. The car starts and can drive. My questions are what is the cost of a used engine with around the same miles plus installation? Is it worth replacing the engine when I still owe some money on the car? Where would I go to find an engine replacement for a reasonable cost? How much would I get for the car as is with the known engine problem?

Any answers would be very appreciated. Thank you.

PS I tried to attach a video of the engine noise. I do not know if it worked or not.

 

That sounds like a bottom-end issue to me. Rod knock. Water in the oil will ruin the crank and/or the rod bearings. You need to find out why the water is getting into the crankcase, fix that issue, then deal with the crank and rod end damage. Best solution to me would be a new or rebuilt engine, or a good used one with some kind of warranty. Nothing cheap or easy. Man, that really sucks!

 

I think there was a recent post where the cost to rebuild a Gen2 engine was around $4500, so $6,300 that includes labor to remove/replace is really not that bad of price BUT it is a major cost for a car of that age and is a big bummer.

 

Where are you located?

 

I'm in North New Jersey about 20 miles south of Newark airport. The exact town is Avenel.