I've owned a '09 JCW Clubman for about two years. It's got about 60k miles on the clock. Earlier this year I heard the infamous 'death rattle' and had the timing chain and tensioner replaced. Last Friday I got on the highway to head for home and the temperature warning light came on. It turned off after a minute or so. Fifteen minutes or so later the check engine light came on, so I decided to get off at the next exit, about four miles ahead. The engine died on the exit ramp with a big puff of white smoke and a strong smell of hot oil. I had it towed to the dealer and they are now telling me that the motor is destroyed and needs to be replaced. The estimate is $12k. Ouch!! I need some advice, please.
Did the dealer indicate what broke? If it was timing chain related and you had the dealer do the work, isn't there some warranty period involved?
Sounds to me like you overheated it - driving 4 more miles to the exit after the temp light came on - find a used motor, whatever went wrong is now your fault, not the dealer's. When the warning lights came on you should have stopped and called for a tow truck. I agree, find a used engine and motor on...... Anyone wanna take any bets on whether there will be a second post from the OP? I hate these one post "my car blew up right after the dealer worked on it" threads.....they just sound so much like trolling for business from a lawyer.
I'm in north New Jersey. Does anyone know any good independent Mini shops nearby? The dealer can't tell me what's wrong, other than the motor severely overheated. They're definitely in the 'remove and replace' mode, rather than repair.
Welcome to MA! why can it not be rebuilt? I would call an independent shop and get a second oppinion. But I agree I would go the used engine rout.
Call Helix they are in Philly. They are a VERY good shop. It will be worth the tow to have them do the work.
An independent shop that is not a stranger to MINIS will serve you well and save you a decent amount of money. Good luck with your repairs and Welcome to Motoring Alliance !!
Welcome to MA. I wish you didn't have to look for us under such horrible circumstances. Like several others, I think your best option is to get a good used engine and either install it yourself or hire a trustworthy independent shop. Try to get the dealership to give you some more specific diagnosis than it overheated and needs replacement. It could be rebuildable.
Thanks for all of your replies. Here's where things stand right now. First, the dealer reduced the quoted price for replacement of the motor from $12k to $8k. I contacted an independent Mini shop (Helix) and they ballparked the motor replacement at $8k. I also contacted a local mechanic who's done some other work for me in the past (not on the Mini). He also quoted $8k, but his price was for a used motor with 21k miles on it. Since $8k is still a truckload of dough, I called Mini USA. They offered to throw $1k into the pot, reducing the cost to $7k. Here's what's really bothering me. About 5k miles ago (and three months before the timing chain replacement) I had the car into the dealer's shop for an oil change and brake job. They reported that the water pump was leaking and its drive belt was cracked. I had both of these items fixed. Now, here I am only a few months later with a cooked motor. It seems to me that the overheating had to be caused by either a water pump that wasn't working properly or loss of coolant - the two things that I paid to have fixed only a few months ago. It just doesn't seem right to have to pay $7k for a repair brought about by the failure of a system I recently had repaired and for which I had such little warning. Am I missing something or looking at this the wrong way?
Seems logical to me. How long was their work warranted for? I can this Helix is one of MA's supporters. They may be more but they will do the best work.
What kind of warranty comes with the engines? I think that putting 7 grand into a new engine for an '09 is questionable UNLESS it comes with a great warranty. Also, if it were me, I would go with Helix, even if it is more $. You don't get the reputation Helix has by doing bad work...
I met with the Service Manager at the dealership this morning. The warrantee offered for the replacement motor is 2 years with unlimited miles in that period.
It's become painfully clear that I screwed myself big time by not stopping the instant I first saw the overheat warning light. Apparently just because the light went off didn't mean that the engine wasn't still overheating. The Service Manager explained to me that the light would have gone off when the coolant level dropped too far. At this point, it seems that going ahead with the repair at the dealership is my best option. Used JCW motors are few and far between and they're not cheap. My loan balance is too high to make junking the car a viable option. I lose Mini USA's $1,000 contribution to the job if I go to an independent shop.
It seems like almost all online forums have a arrogant ass who's quick with opinions but not much helpful advice. Thank you, Minidave, for identifying yourself as that person here.
Well, we do get a lot of people that pop in and ask a question about some horrid thing that has happened to their MINI. We offer explanations and and sometimes advice. Yet we never see or hear from that person again. I thank you for coming back and letting us know how the situation is being worked out. So few do.