Most liked posts in thread: First post - and trouble already

  1. CHKMINI

    CHKMINI Club Coordinator
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    #9 CHKMINI, Sep 20, 2014
    Check under the hood in the small plastic box on the firewall that houses the positive jump start terminal. These have been known to come loose and cause the symptoms that you describe. If not loose, I vote for the battery.
     
  2. minsanity

    minsanity Well-Known Member

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    #15 minsanity, Sep 21, 2014
    Tried both. The alternator & the damn crank pulley failed on separate occasions.
    Alternator symptoms: batt light on; AC/cooling fan/powersteering gone; temp shoots up.
    Cure: Rebuilt w/ Denso core from some Toyota found in a salvage yard. Same rating, same shaped core, fits the MINI Denso shell perfectly. Twas a fluke experimental fix. Amazing discovery.
    Crank Pulley symptoms: batt light on; AC/fan/powersteering gone. Batt light goes off when AC off. Burnt rubber smell. Temp shoots up.
    Cure: ATI Super Damper

    Make sure you won't overheat.
    Both fixes are DIYable. Not easy, but very doable. Hope you hunt it down.
     
  3. Rawhyde

    Rawhyde Active Member

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    #16 Rawhyde, Sep 21, 2014
    Good idea. Since this will be hard to see happening, just put a witness mark from the center of the pulley to the outer edge. Drive for a while (a few days) and look to see if the mark is still a straight line.
     
  4. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

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    #2 Nathan, Sep 20, 2014
    Welcome, thanks for joining Motoring Alliance, the FUN and Friendly MINI Community.

    How old is the battery. They don't last more than a few years usually and when they start to go all kinds of bad things happen.
     
  5. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    #12 Dave.0, Sep 20, 2014
    Welcome to M/A the FUN Mini site. :Thumbsup:


    It all ideas above fail to be an issue have your main crank pulley looked. Depending on your cars milage and if it's still the OEM your crank pulley may be separating and about to fail.

    FYI ~ you do not want it to fail while driving. :nonod:
     
  6. papa-j

    papa-j Active Member
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    #6 papa-j, Sep 20, 2014
    water in the boot?

    Hi and welcome - Was there any standing water down in the battery box lately? My 2004 did some very strange stuff when the box didn't drain and had a lot of water in it. It has behaved well after clearing the drain and cleaning up all the fuse block stuff in the box.
     
  7. BlimeyCabrio

    BlimeyCabrio Oscar Goldman of MINIs
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    #13 BlimeyCabrio, Sep 21, 2014
    Crank pulley was one thing I was thinking also.
    When they start failing, symptoms can be very erratic, depending on what accessories aren't being driven consistently by the belt (alternator, supercharger, water pump) and how hard you drive.
     
  8. Apok

    Apok New Member

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    #18 Apok, Sep 21, 2014
    Gremlins dude.
     
  9. MNMiniDriver

    MNMiniDriver New Member

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    #3 MNMiniDriver, Sep 20, 2014
    Thanks for the welcome!

    Battery is nearly new ~1 year. Posts are clean.
     
  10. MNMiniDriver

    MNMiniDriver New Member

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    #4 MNMiniDriver, Sep 20, 2014
    Just left lights on for a few minutes to get rid of the surface charge. Now battery reads near 12 volts with the car off. But now the thing will not crank to start.

    And an odd, rhythmic clicking coming from the engine with key disengaged and out of the ignition. (injectors??) Dash lights still work.
     
  11. M1N1

    M1N1 Well-Known Member

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    #5 M1N1, Sep 20, 2014
    Best battery for R50/R53?
     
  12. MNMiniDriver

    MNMiniDriver New Member

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    #7 MNMiniDriver, Sep 20, 2014
    Interesting idea, but nope. Dry as a bone.
     
  13. ScottinBend

    ScottinBend Space Cowboy
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    #8 ScottinBend, Sep 20, 2014
    Most will go with either the Optima red top or a lead acid Diehard/equivalent .
     
  14. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    #10 MCS02, Sep 20, 2014
    I second CHKMINI! The only way to know if the battery is good it to have it load tested. Most auto parts stores can do it for you.

    Welcome to MA!
     
  15. Firebro17

    Firebro17 Dazed, but not Confused
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    #11 Firebro17, Sep 20, 2014
    Interstate battery here. A perfect fit with no issues.
     
  16. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    #14 Dave.0, Sep 21, 2014
    Yup I was thinking the OEM crank damper is ok when cold as the rubber is hard. Then as the car gets warm it starts to slip causing all kind of issues.
     
  17. MNMiniDriver

    MNMiniDriver New Member

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    #17 MNMiniDriver, Sep 21, 2014
    The positive jump start terminal seemed fine. Have not had the battery load tested yet.

    But I have tried starting the car. Now I get a rhythmic click-click-click, and the driver's window goes down about an inch with each click. There is enough juice left in the battery to power the window back up and closed again.

    Can't make this stuff up...

    And thanks everyone, for the welcome.
     
  18. willzone1

    willzone1 New Member

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    #19 willzone1, Sep 23, 2014
    Hi MNMiniDriver,
    Same car here, had the same issue a year or two ago. For me it was an issue with the power steering pump cooling fan. It's a part that has been recalled now because so many of us have had the same issue. Hit up a dealer and they should fix it for free, if that's what it is!
     
  19. walshe_ian

    walshe_ian Member

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    #20 walshe_ian, Sep 24, 2014
    Find so one with a scanguage and check fault codes
     
  20. patchelect

    patchelect New Member

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    #21 patchelect, Oct 8, 2014
    It's been a few weeks. Any news/updates? I HATE difficult problems that make no sense and have no pattern. Have you owned this car for a while? Lurking and driving aren't the same thing~