1st Gen R53 Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: Potential R53 Purchase

S or Justa?

 

R53 is an S

 

Call me a fool. :crazy:

 

This is a bit old, but things to look for..

http://www.motoringfile.com/2009/10/15/motoringfiles-r50r53-buyers-guide-updated/

 

My sub60k has had these done (not chronological)
-fuel pump
-fuel filter assembly due to faulty intank fuel pressure regulator
-refreshed w/ new fuel rail pulse regulator.
-bush & ball joint refresh...remember to replace the chf11s ps fluid & hose clamps while subframe & ps pump are off. Check PS fan, too.
-multiple front strutmounts
-added Cravenspeed anti mushroom strut plates
-rear strutmounts
-cv joint & steering rack boots
-coolant temp sensor
-multiple belt tensioner dampers
-crank pulley...went ATI
-hi speed coolant fan bypass mod
-replaced headliner w/ pleather
-filled lower engine mount w/ sikaflex pu seal
-passenger side engine mount...go Vibratechnics
-Coolant reservoir...go Greene Performance.... remind Colin to check for proper cap & hose fittings to go w/ it.
-plugs & leads
-serpentine belt
-oil pan & oil pump cover gaskets + crank seal. Check tensioner while doing this.
-oil filter housing gasket
-pads & fluids...rubber failure is more age than miles.
-swapped a fumoto valve in as my drain bolt seized
-rebuilt the Denso alternator
-check thermostat & oil cooler for leaks.
-suspension & hatch struts.

That's pretty much the short list of things to watch out for. I got the more British build...Good luck w/ the purchase. Hope yours is more German.

 

Sorry man I was busy loading up Marzo's house into a truck for his trip to Detroit Tuned yesterday.

The advice above is a very good start but I would also ask for service records and get a car fax.

I would also check the rear taillights for rust and if you car pull back or out the rubber door seals (rubber seal) and check for rust.

If you get some type of maintenance history doc you will know what you will want to address first. At 44k you should be good as long as it was not sitting outside in the rushbelt.

Your at a dealership so use all the dealership tools, car fax, vin look up and stick that car up on a lift with a tech. Hopefully you are at a BMW / MINI dealership.

 

maybe a bit late to the party, but this is a good guide of what to look for. I just checked a car over and had a long list of things taken from the video I went through. Glad I did that, because I know I would have forgotten a few things.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUhzyfb3cxg"]Buying a used 2002-2006 MINI Cooper - what to look for mechanically - YouTube[/ame]

As for what I have experienced on my R53s and would expect almost all cars to be prone to:

oil leaks from front of engine (dipstick tube, CPS sensor)
belt Tensioner going bad
coolant reservoir leaking
front lower control arm bushings going bad
tie rods and ball joints wearing out
front axles developing vibrations
thermostat going bad (mine ran a bit hot)
nobody services the supercharger oil
check if battery still has a vent tube on it - most cheap auto parts shops will slap a normal battery in and ditch the breather tube
fuel filter clogging up
fuel pump getting weak (due to above)
exhaust may be quite rusty in back if from the wrong climate

 

a few more things - here's what I have done to an 86k Mini since I bought it (now in the mid 90s), and I am not even close to done with the refresh

Oil/Filter
sway bar bushings replaced
ignition wires, coil, spark plugs
Oil and Filter change, clean air filter
fuel filter replaced
new mirror caps (white)
fuel pump replaced
Bridgestone Potenza RE760 tires
ATI engine damper, new belt, new idler pulley, new tensioner, crank seal
Helix rear lower control arms installed
Valve cover gasket replacement, intercooler cleaned, CPS o-ring
super charger oil change, new o-ring on dip stick tube
termostat, housing, and gasket changed
new radiator foam installed in new rad support
Oil and Filter change, Fumoto drain valve installed
Coolant flush and refill with Extended life Penzoil
Top engine mount and bolt replaced, bottom engine mount new
Whiteline rear adjustable downlinks installed
Revalved BC Racing coilovers with Swift Springs installed
Ride height adjusted to 24.3 and 24.6" at front/rear wheel well -
4 wheel alignment and camer -1.75 front, -1.5 rear, 0 toe front 0.1 rear
M7 strut bar installed
Royal Purple SynchroMax gear oil
new RF tire after puncture. moved to rear
DDMworks CAI and K+N filter installed
rear rotors Akebono pads, stainless lines, brass bushings, full fluid flush
power steering pump and fan replaced (recall) - fluid looks fresh, too
Oil and Filter change, Fumoto drain valve removed (hits new PS fan)
new Battery (Walmart H5 Everstart Maxx $109 5 year warranty)
Low speed fan resistor mod wired up and mounted to bumper
New powersteering hoses and fluid refill upon install
new driver side A arm (rust)
MOOG tie rods, inner and outer, new boots
MOOG inner and outer ball joints
Powerflex lower control arm bushings
POR-15 painted subframe to stop rust
Replaced driver and passenger side axles with rebuilt OEM Mini axles
New Wilwood Rotors and new pads
New retaining springs for brake pads, cleaned and polished glide surfaces
New Timken front hubs/wheel bearings
New water pump
another supercharger service, just because I was doing the water pump

 

airbag light could be expensive to fix, or just a bad cable/connection. Brakes are a couple hundred bucks for a full refresh, if you do it yourself under $200. The leaks are cheap to fix, but high labor. Rear main seal rarely leaks, while CPS and dip stick oil drains across the entire bottom of the motor to the back, making it look like a main seal leak. Sloppy oil filter changes can also put a lot of oil on the back of the motor - I thought I had a leak behind the damper, but it turned out to just be oil that had come down from the filter housing.


hard starting - does it do it even after it has just been started? If sitting overnight, fuel pressure drops in most cars and it is advised to turn the key to the first click, listen to the fuel pump buzz as it builds pressure and when it stops to turn over the motor. Really makes a difference in normal starting. However, if the car has pressure built up it should start easily. If it starts poorly on a repeatable basis, there may be some significant maintenance necessary (fuel pump, filter, plugs, wires, and that is the easy list - root cause could be much more difficult to determine). Plus for me that type of thing is usually a sign to walk away as it hints at overall lack of care.

 

Airbags are an easy fix. Just have the dealer reset the codes with the BMW / MINI tool and run a test. Most times it's some idiot unplugged a seat cable (yellow) and turned the key on and that set off the hard code. This happens a lot. :ihih:

The OC3 mat (passenger side seat occupancy sensor) had a recall and the fix is still free. I get a reminder card every 6 months but they don't understand I changed my seats and have no airbags in my replacement Mitsubishi EVO IX Recaros. :lol::lol: I used a resistor to code around the seat airbag sensors in the seats and the dash ones are still active along with all the other airbags.

I would always plan on replacing the Belt, All Pulleys including the a ATI Crank Damper, Idler, and new belt tensioner. Along with new OEM Coil, OEM wires, and New OEM NGK plugs.

 

Oh and couple more things to look out for.

If you see a Red MSD Coil , ALTA parts & stickers or M7 stuff run away quickly.

Poor choices made by previous owner shows lack of judgment since they bought cheap crap parts.

If you see a ALTA belt tension stop that shows you the person that owned the car was a complete dork.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

hey, I have an Alta 15% pulley, Subaru coil, Bosch wires, and an M7 strut brace... :incazzato: