Hey y'all! So my '06 MCS died last week. Need a new fuel pump, radiator, serpentine belt, & head... My mechanic quoted me at about $1,650... sounds reasonable right? I have the 2006 MCS with the sports package and a munch of other awesomness... she does have 145k on her.. Just wondering what you guys think? Is it worth it? I bought it in October 2017 for $5k (dumb I know) knowing it needed some work, but still. What do you guys think?

Thanks!

 

A head? What happened as the car could have died for many reasons... are there any warning lights on?

 

It was making that diesel sound and then it was running hot. I was constantly checking the coolant, which needed filling about once a week. Well one day on the way to work it just dumped all the coolant, and the red transmission light came on. I waited for it to cool off then I refilled it and noticed the radiator was leaking a bit, figured I would tow it home. Tow guy had me turn it on and then it dumped all the coolant again. Had it towed to the mechanic on Sunday. It was a cracked head apparently.

I must add that the person I bought it from did not take care of it at all. It had regular oil, regular gas, and no maintenance done to it when I 'rescued' her. Oh, and a 6 year old battery and broken control arm. Both of those have been fixed. The oil has been replaced and the maintenance I've been completing as I can.

 

All of that including the head and labor sounds almost too good. Is your mechanic a MINI specialist? Also, do you have a manual or automatic, what’s your budget, and how attached are you to the car? Unfortunately, MINI’s aren’t the most reliable and can be expensive to repair.

I would be worried about other issues popping up from the lack of maintenance by the previous owner, especially if you have an auto transmission.

 

Yes he is a MINI specialist (he has a special love for MINI's) and yes, it is an automatic. I was always a Honda girl. Can take one apart and put it back together, now I'm just learning this one.

 

Yes, he is a MINI specialist (he loves MINIs) and yes it is an auto tranny. I was always a Honda girl, so I'm just learning the ropes on the MINI. I like it, (I love it!) and the edition is rare and the added perks are rare as well. I thought I would be doing the work throughout just not all at once..

 

A neglected car can be very worrisome :(

Its great you wanted to " save" this car.....I probably would do the same..

If there is NO rust and ALL else is good. I would spend the 1650.00 to have fixed.

Sounds VERY low priced for ALL the work to be done.

As above asked....is your mechanic a " Mini" specialist ?

These cars are awesome and I LOVE them....but can be/ are pricey to maintain

Good Luck