After a fun few days of running the Dragon, highway 28, and hanging out with MINI friends, I started my journey back home on Saturday around 12:30pm. I had a slow run though the Dragon thanks to traffic and 9 state troopers fallowed by a nice drive over the Foothill Parkway. However, once I started to try and drive at highway speeds in 6th gear, my day changed for the worse. My R53 started to dive forward with loss of power, then lunge forward seconds later with more power. We pulled over at a Sonic, popped the hood and found nothing amiss. No codes, no loose wires, nothing. I looked up MINI of Knoxville and inquired about there hours. They said they were only open till 5, it was now 2:30, and to see if I could limp the car in, so I did. Made it about 2 miles down the road and it was getting worse. So.. There I was, almost 3, sitting and waiting for AAA. I called MINI of Knoxville to let them know a wrecker was in route, but it could be 45 min or more before they were able to get us. Jayme, the service manager, asked that I let him know when the wrecker arrived and that he would have a tech waiting. He also said he would do his best to get us back on the road and headed home. After sitting on the road for 30 min, a state trooper pulled over to ask if help was on the way. I said it was. I also said that I had hoped not to talk to a TN trooper this trip, but I did not think it would have been under these circumstances. He laughed, said he was up on the Dragon that morning and was glad we were safe. 15 minutes after the trooper left, a wrecker was driving by in the outside lane. He then hit his lights and worked his way all the way over and backed up to see if we were AAA members. We said we were and we were expecting a truck any min. He was not our lift, but he called dispatch to see if he could take us in sense it was a short trip. They okayed the lift and we were at the dealer just after 4. There was Eric, standing, waiting for us right by the service counter. Jayme was finishing up with another customer, so Eric asked us what the car was doing and was ready to go as soon as Jayme got the work order typed up. Within 45 min they found that I had been running lean, due to a sticky waste gate on the super charger, causing the car going into limp mode. He lubed up the gate, cleared the codes, test drove the car and told me to do my best to keep it out of the boost until we got home. It took me almost 4 hours to notice, but they also cleared the passenger side airbag light that had been on. I could not have asked for a better experience with MINI of Knoxville. When the car started to first act up I was frustrated because it happened right after we left the company of so many knowledgeable MINI mechanics. However, MINI of Knoxville went above and beyond to make sure I got in and back on the road. They had the tech waiting, possibly putting aside other projects, to make sure I was not stranded over the weekend. They also were very fair on the price. They could have charged me a full hour rate, the diagnostic fee plus the fix plus any number of things, but they did not. They helped me out without stripping my wallet clean. The car only hiccuped a few times on the way home, but nothing like I was getting by the Knoxville airport. My dad and I are sleepy. My R53 is home now, waiting for me to source a waste gate and clean the fuel injectors. If it was not for MINI of Knoxville's amazing customer service my father and I would still be 7 hours from home in a hotel. Sean
The folks at MoK rock. I had one of my best buying experiences there, and what little service experience I've had has been wonderful too. Glad to see my hometown peeps did good by you.
Glad you made it home safe Sean. You were up to your armpits in MINI tech's at the dragon, but the car farts on the way home. Ain't it always the way it seems. MINI of Knoxville sure came through for you. I'm glad you didn't wait until today to drive home. If I can be of any help call me.
Yeah, there were many blessings about how it happened. I am also glad it didnt crap our between Knoxville and Cinci where there is no dealer, much less the awesome one. Chuck, I will give you a call as soon as I find out how much the waste gate is going to cost. I would love to have the car back up and running for River Run. However, like all my tools, the Bently manual is also in storage.
Have a Bentley as well if needed. Thanks for using my car for the demo and fixing that little paint issue.
Sean, in retrospect, a story that you'll tell for years...and I bet it will get better everytime someone tells it :devil: Glad you made it back and my hat's off to you for the great detailing clinics you directed.
Similar story, but Hendrick's Mini - delivered an alternator to Fontana SAME DAY - Saturday! (Yeah, I was the one asking for an alternator at the closing dinner). It arrived Fontana at 1:30AM, we installed it in our garage that night, 565 miles home the next day without a hiccup. Mini people are amazing, hats off to Steve at Hendricks! Side note: When you alternator quits, the car goes into "hypothermia" conserving electric power for only the essentials - which does NOT include the power steering if you turn the car off at all. In this mode, it IS possible to get from the Overlook to Fontana (without power steering!), but not without serious caution (running radios, and "blockers" front and rear) and serious use of arms!
I know what you mean. I was was just past the lower dam, heading to Robbinsville when the clip holding the shifter broke. I managed to find second and third and limp back, where Way fixed the problem so it will never happen again. The MINI community is truly a great one. Jim
Yes, I heard about that... and I have to say that was very impressive for Hendrick Mini to do that for you. I bought my car from them and have quite a few issues but Stephen is fantastic, I'd buy my car from him in a heartbeat. Glad to hear you also got your car back in running condition, what they did was well above and beyond the call of duty. Mark
Your welcome. Once I get this sorted out, lets get the rest of the car done. I could do that. Much prefer that over some other offered items to detail.... As for the Bentley looks like I can figure it out without it. Thanks to the great friends and community, I found that there is no waste gate. It is the bypass, which makes more sense to me. Just a little miss speak. Sean
I heard about the late night alternator install and donated some beer to the cause. I'm glad to hear that it all came out OK.
It came out great... and I'm guessing you're one of the reasons Colin came back so, umm, happy! Well done, my Mini friend! :beer Sometimes it's the adversity that "makes" a vacation. Staying up with your buds working on a car until 330AM, bedding down at 4AM, and then having it all work out in the end - priceless! Now, about that dent in the ol' credit card... :-(
I've worked on a Miata supercharger alignment in a hot parking lot for hours on a Deal's Gap weekend, and it's one of the most memorable experiences of my decade and a half of gatherings. Sometimes adversity breeds the best memories!
My first thanksgiving away from home: Helping a friend do a full brake job in the parking lot behind our apartment on his newly acquired 1970 Porsche 914. It was around 25 degrees out and snowing. We would run down, work for 20 min, run up, defrost our fingers in the apartment and run back down again for another 20 min. Pizza Hut pizza made for a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner! Ahhh... good times!