Picked the Mini after the 05 JCW install. Drove about 60 miles home. The car felt like it had a bit more throttle tip-in torque than before, nice. But after pushing it a little I was dissappointed by mid range and top end power. While refreshing the washer fluid today I noticed that the stock airbox and filter were still in place, not the JCW dual flap air box.

I'm awaiting a reply from the service department. I told the Service advisor - who asked for all 5's on his report card - that if you want all fives I now want to see the new computer re-map, the new plugs vs stock and the new air box, period!

Simply amazing! Perhaps...my 05 airbox is installed on some mechanic's Mini S.

 

I would be pissed . Thats just not right.

 

Just spoke with a buddy of mine from another dealership - where I did not buy the car from. He said there should an absolute night and day difference from the stock S to the 05 JCW. He asked me to drive the car to his shop tomorrow and he'll put it on the computer and check things out. But my over the phone description of the airbox told him it is not correct. He also said that even if all else was done correctly, the stock air box will cause all sorts of ECU problems.

 

I'm presuming you'll keep us posted.

Which dealer did your install? Did you do it at the time you first picked up your new car, or was it done later?

Hunter

 

You should have him step through each JCW part that was supposed to be installed and confirm that it was in fact installed. How do you know he put the JCW head on? Is the new JCW supercharger on?

My point is, is that this kit is big $$$ and if he left an obvious part off like the airbox, then maybe he left off something less obvious to the untrained eye. Maybe building up his own car on the cheap??

Good luck!

 

Yeah I would deffenately go with this advise and see if the head and SC is on. Because like he said if you dont know what your looking for it might not be there. And if it isnt there this is something you could take a long ways as far as gettin the kit half price of having some kind of settlement for it if it ends up being in your favor.

 

All of those thoughts are running rampant thru my mind. I just received a phone call from Westchester BMW Mini - the place of purchase - And was told by my MA via the service advisor and tech that the 05 JCW kit does not come with a new airbox. I just left a message with the service advisor and the tech stating all the componenets that do come with 05 kit and that further, I am having the car looked at by another BMW Mini service dept. tomorrow. I explained that I have worked around cars for about 25 years, that I reasearch my pruchases before hand, and, that if your service tech doesn't know what is included in the kit, then perhaps he should be sweeping floors...or maybe the parts are sitting in his or a friends Mini S.

I now have zero tolerance for any screw-ups from that department.

The car was delivered in late Spetember, but the 05 JCW kits were delayed. Mine was installed last Friday. This is a classic example supporting a factory only JCW installation. I'll not do this again.

 

Give em hell Meb...

 

Now that shiet is whack!! 05's do not come with new airboxes???
Wonder what else they no longer come with that WE have not found out about yet.
Maybe only the 210 HP kit comes with it.

Get em man!!!

 

Wonder what else that kit no longer comes with that WE have not noticed yet.

Meb, is your kit the 210HP kit. Maybe the airbox only comes with that kit.

Good luck.

 

meb,

I would seriously check to see if they didn't put an '04 kit on your car. I would call JCW up with your serial number and find out what version of the kit. I think there is a major screwup. First, I know that they double, double check the kits when they are shipped out, so I highly doubt the package didn't come with an airbox. If the dealership really didn't have an airbox, I would really check to see if it isn't even the right kit. Sorry about the mess up. I have an 05 JCW, and yes you do notice a night and day difference. Not just a little more throttle response. So something is definitely wrong.

 

I had emailed MiniUSA asking them about ways to identify the 04 vs 05 superchargers because I was fearful that someone would screw up and try to stick the 04 version on my 05. MiniUSA emailed me and told me the two were incompatable due to changes in the motor and the 04 version would not fit.

Hopefully this is true. Best of luck getting this sorted.

 

bummer

 

The 2004 & 2005 SC does have a differnt SC rotor coating and slightly different water pump but there is no install difference from 2002's to 2005's. JCW is still shipping easton superchargers that have 2003 casting dates but with updated rotors. The rotor coating change really doesnt effect the US market but does effect off shore markets who have had enviromental fuel additives added to pump gas.

 

burn them!..JK

 

Where did you get this from? The JCW has always used the Gen5 Eaton Supercharger, which includes the upgraded rotor coating. This was one of the main selling points of the JCW kit, early on. The standard MCS had the Gen4 Eaton until early in 2004 (Sometime in May) in which the standard MCS began receiving the Gen5 Supercharger. There is no proof that anything has been done to the water pump or the gearing. People who have taken these things apart haven't seen this either. I am curious as to whether you got different information from someone else.

 

There should def. be a major difference in power.... If you don;t hear from JCW, post your seriel number, and maybe we can at least see if it is after one of ours (assuming the numbers are sequential from production).

Does your ECU have the JCW sticker on it?

 

Did they even install the JCW? Too bad you can't easily check the cylinder head, though checking the s/c pulley should be an easy one.

 

meb,

I believe that the only incompatability between an '04 and '05 JCW kit is the location of the exhaust hangar points. The '05s have modified one or more hangar points so the '04 exhaust can't be hung without modification. So, that may be an easy thing to spot from under the car if it is an '04 Kit.

Also, if you can a glimpse of the belt that is used on the SC, you may be able to see a part number printed across the web. The JCW belt part number is 11-28-0-300-802 and the original belt part number is 11-28-7520-199-692637 (an '04 part number but still may be used in the '05s).

It does sound like they installed and '04. The kit number (the "S" number of the JCW kit) will be your key to sorting this out.

Good luck!

Theo

 

Aren't they supposed to install the latest kit?

Don't let them screw you on this. Good luck!

 

I happened to be sitting next to one of the OEM sales managers from eaton while having lunch at the SEMA show last month and asked why the last four JCW kits I had ordered had 2003 casting marks on the SC body but had gen 5 part numbers. The improvements from generation to generation have been mostly reliabilty and vendor component changes and not from performance design changes.

 

I thought all of the 05 kits were the 210...... ?

 

I still have not been contacted by the dealership. Let me be honest, however; the dealership up to this point has been wonderful. The sales department was and continues to be a pleasure to work with, and the service depeartment was also wonderful. I was given a 5 Series BMW as a loaner for the four days the car was in for the JCW install - over a weekend. Everything else, with the exception of a few greasy finger prints on the inside of the car, was what I would expect from BMW. The intake continues to be a question. I was told by another dealership that the correct air box is in my car. But upon examination, I cannot tell the difference between the stock MSC air box and the 05 JCW air box installed in my car. If I go directly to John Cooper Works web site, the photo of the air box is quite different from mine. It has a JCW logo and a flap that opens electronically above 4,500 rpms. Are 'our' air boxes different?

So, does anyone have a picture of an 05 JCW air box - external and internal? I cannot seem to get hold of an 05 JCW air box from anyone to verify my own fears or otherwise.

 

Thats not right demand your satisfaction, the customer is laways right!

 

meb,

My '05 JCW airbox looks just like the one on the JCW site. It should come with a JCW plate on top of it, and it does look different than a stock '04.