Sounds like the dealer is doing what they are told.....but there are other ways to handle it (but if they are paying for it..let them do it!!).....Many Gen2 owners are having great luck by "SEA_FOAMing" their cars using a product called SEA-FOAM....a product that is sprayed into the PCV line (with the car running), then allowed to sit for a few minutes (with the car off)....when the car re-starts, the carbon has been soaked, and will be burnt off, or knocked off, and burned...
The the dealer is doing it is what MINI wants (sounds like the guy you talked to was having a bad day..mixing up gen1 and gen2 mini's!)...they record their findings, and it gets billed internally to the correct department, and they keep track of the $$, while they devise a fix.
Many gen2 cars have issues with the PVC gasses condensing on the back-side of the intake valves, and forming carbon. Since Gen2 cars are direct injected, fuel, and the fuel, and detergents are sprayed into the cylinders, and DOES NOT get sprayed onto the back of the valves, like in other injection systems.
The goop that condenses on the back of the valves (evaporated oils, and other combustion byproducts) is baked on....and turns into carbon. This carbon then eventually restricts airflow, and causes performance loss, and codes.
At a recent Motoring club event, INSKIP MINI, in RI hosted a tech session, and they gave us a full description of what has been happening....for the record, MINI does not use, SEA_FOAM, but another competing product....if it does not work, then they open up the engine, and do a manual cleaning!
The above mentioned SEA-FOAM is kinda like a do-it at home carbon removal kit...works wonders on MINI's. The Gen2 folks love it.....
On the GEN1 MINI's, the changes are subtle, but I have seen the difference at a tune event...wow!! Most folks were using it as needed, or as a preventive product (every 7500 miles or so)....the AEROSOL version is easy to use...(do-not get the deep-creep spray, but the regular one if you do it someday).
Gen2 cars seem to have most of the bugs worked out, but this is a case where most future, direct injected cars may have an additional maintenance procedure, and perhaps a factory installed catch-can of sorts, to capture, and condense this "gunk".
MINI is not the only direct injected car with issues....other car makers are dealing with the same issues....so it is not a MINI only issues....it is due to the switch to direct Injection...it is more efficient, but with any change, there is a bit of a learning curve for the engineers to implement the changes!
Pardon me if you already said, but is this warranty work? If this is all under warranty, go for it, but I'm not convinced that your SA is barking up the right tree. If their work is on your dime, I would recommend going somewhere else.
Thank yo all for the great input. Sorry, YES this is all on their dime and it is still under full warranty so I am not too concerned at this point. I was not able to get the codes either. Good idea on the SEA-FOAM idea, I had seen that before however I had head that only the Gen-1 Mini's were really impacted with this problem. Thanks again for the info and the update.
