Because that's what it is! 1 Big POS! But trying to stay positive and fix it up. Seems like every time we fix a major problem a week later something else happens.
Sounds like this specimen was ridden hard and put away wet a few too many times before you got a hold of it.... Hang in there!
I'd recommend finding a competent MINI mechanic, be it dealer or independent. Have them trouble-shoot your MINI. Armed with that information you may be able to fix your MINI correctly. Have you checked for codes? Good luck
Yep, I've made a bad decision a time or two when buying used cars in the past. There are many kinds of cars I would buy used but I would really be very cautious when buying a car that could well have been driven by a 'fan boy'. The worst purchase I ever made was an '87 911 in '01. I had to swallow hard, take my lumps, sell it at a considerable loss and move on.
This one wasn't beat up, we bought it from a friend. I guess mini parts age faster than most other cars, especially rubber hoses and gaskets! That's what we've been replacing. Oil pan gasket, valve cover gasket, hoses and crankshaft sensor o ring! There was a huge oil leak from that oring! I just figured out why it was having a rough idle and stalling! We thought it was cold weather because it kept stalling in weather below freezing and then it got warm outside and the car ran great! Again this week it went below freezing and the car would not drive! I took off the air filter hose and cleaned out the throttle body with carb spray and wiped it clean with a rag then tightened up the hose again super tight and it started like a champ! I drove it for a couple miles and she's back to full power! Please don't get me wrong, i love the little car! It rides like its on rails, but i do get pretty mad when stuff breaks thats not supposed to at 85,000 miles. Ie alternator, s drive pulleys, cooling fan and water pump. Im an aircraft mechanic retired from the navy and i absolutely hate bringing this thing to the dealer! They quoted me over 5,000 dollars for parts and labor for everything i fixed in a couple of hours and 1,000 dollars in parts! Hopefully she stays running for a while now that the throttle sensor is all cleaned up! I make my daughter do a lot of the work to it! So she learns how to repair it! She loves it! We've made a lot of videos on how to fix the mini! She did most of the work herself!
We like to see the Video. I've had to do the oil pan and valve cover gasket. The belt tensioner does have to be changed fairly often. It can be had for $70 on Amazon. You my want to check the control arm bushings, the stock ones go bad around 30k. Replace them with power flex they will last forever. My 2002 S has 130k on it they are great cars. Good luck! We're here to help.