Help! Advice 2008 75K Clubman major exhaust & engine
 

Hi everyone,

I have a 2008 Clubman automatic with 75,500 miles on it. Bought it in 2011 from Passport Mini of Alexandria in Northern Virginia, having had only one owner previously.

Check engine light has come on a few times. The first time, another Mini dealership fixed it (solenoids replaced); this was in 2012 -2013 approx.

Had one 02 sensor (#1? ) replaced in July 2017 by a private repair shop.

Check engine light came on, blinking yellow, on Dec 26 and was lurching and stalling. AutoZone ran the diagnostic and found error codes: P0302 Cylinder number 2 misfire; P2195 O2 sensor signal stuck lean bank 1 sensor 1.

Towed it to a private repair shop same day. They replaced ignition coils on cylinders 1 and 2.

I've been driving the car since then, although the check engine light came on 15 miles after I had the ignition coils replaced. I've been driving it since then (light is not flashing, it's steady yellow), and it's been driving ok. I've noticed some smell from the exhaust, though (actually have noticed this off and on for probably a few years). The Mini dealership has repaired other things and have done all other repairs since I bought the car.

Today, Jan 27, 2018, I took it to the dealer to figure out the check-engine light once and for all. Thinking of selling the car anyway. They tell me that I need to replace the exhaust system for $2800, and the problems might have been caused by some kind of oil seal inside the engine (can't remember now exactly what that was) for another $3,000.

Also, the AC has stopped working and will need flushing, etc for $225.

I've asked the dealer to tell me how much they'd give me for my car. It's not worth paying $5800 to fix the engine problems.

IS this normal? It seems very unusual to have these major engine problems with only 75K miles on it. I have usually kept enough oil in the car, especially during the last 15-20K miles, and had regular oil changes.

What do you think is a fair price for the dealer to give me? What should I do?

Thanks for your help.
Amy

Going to move this the Gen2 Stock Problems & Issues area. Should get some better views.

Sorry to hear you have so many issues... I have had my 2007 S since new... my problems started about 70K.... a long list of problems... but the typical experience for a R56 S owner. IMO... you have a stainless steel exhaust - at worst the catalytic converter needs to be replaced. Their diagnosis sounds a little fishy and non-specific to me and may be taking advantage of you because of gender. Personally I do most of the work myself otherwise the car would be unaffordable. I take mine to Passport in Gaithersburg and trust their diagnosis - they have always been correct. I pay 125 for the diagnosis and they really go through the car even though they know I rarely let them do the work. Best of luck and don't give up!

Thank you, and clarification
 

Dear Dan,

Thanks very much for your helpful advice. Just FYI, I can now report the specific things that Passport Mini diagnosed with my car:

1. Catalytic converter needs replacing--just as you thought;
2. There's an internal oil leak from the valve seal.

They are offering to bring the cost of these two repairs down to $4,000 from the original $5,800 they quoted.

Still, I don't know if it's worth getting fixed. How long could I drive it before these things cause more problems? And am I causing a lot of pollution by not replacing the catalytic converter?

Thank you,
Amy

You could save a lot of money by bringing your MINI to an independent shop.

https://www.minirepairshops.com/

A couple questions....

1) how much oil does your mini use? A quart every 1000-1500 miles is not unusual. 2) Where is the oil seal leak? The valve seals, the PCV system, the turbo oil seal? those are the typical places oil will leak and be ingested. If the answer to #1 is 1500 or greater - I would not worry about it being a problem to you cat. 3) You really should replace the cat for two reasons - pollution and you will never pass an emissions test again. Also - a clogged cat can cause a significant amount of back pressure and power loss.

Good luck - may want to check out some of those independent shops.

No matter what you do, don't go to a dealer! with the quoted price, you could buy another functioning Mini!

As mentioned before, local shops can provide good service for much less. This forum is also rich with info as you can see. Maybe local Mini enthusiasts can help you fix it for even less money.

As dmyer, I do my own repair and even gone beyond to restore Minis.

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Agree with the advice to get it to an indy shop - they have a lot more flexible repair options, and MINI dealers seem to have a difficult time retaining experienced tech's (not slamming dealers or techs....just a non-scientific observation).

If you decide to keep the car, it would be advisable to replace the other two coils...the recommendation is to replace all four when they start failing.