Most liked posts in thread: What did you do with your MINI today?

  1. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    May 4, 2009
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    Sorry, I just saw your question today. No, it does not replace the own narrow band.

    The Innovative wideband has its own new bung before the CAT on my RMW header and is wired directly to my ViPEC ECU. I replaced the OEM ECU with the ViPEC.

    My Aquamist Meth kit is also directly wired to the ViPEC ECU and it also controls the meth system. I have twin maps now for just gas and gas + meth all at the touch of a button on the meth gauge while driving.
     
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  2. MCS0518

    MCS0518 Active Member

    Jan 13, 2018
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    Drove from Savannah, GA to Hampton, VA, for the weekend. Drove excellent and hit 223,000 miles on the way up.

    Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
     
  3. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

    Jun 4, 2009
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    That's a handsome car. More than likely it is much much better than when it rolled off of the line in Coventry.
     
  4. Gary L

    Gary L New Member

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    Participated in the Auto Faire XXVIII-Amazing Rally/Tour today.
     
  5. cristo

    cristo Well-Known Member

    Jan 4, 2015
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    Put in the pump yesterday.
    Old pump and new pump seemed about the same in function, except the motor on the old one ran
    faster when tested with a 9V battery and with the car's 12V, and had 40 ohm resistance vs new one at 110
    ohms from pin 1 to pin 4. Solenoids both worked fine, and heaters had the same 30 ohm resistance on both.
    Can't seem to get the evap readiness code to complete despite doing drive cycles, but my scan tool does show
    the new pump working and pulsing during a test period and no codes so far, whereas the code was
    coming back pretty quickly with the old pump. Checked out the carbon canister well while it was out, too.
    I was down to about a quarter tank so I did add 4 gallons to get it a little over half a tank and started with
    a cold engine so that the evap test would run during a drive cycle.

    Fingers crossed that it's fixed now.

    Also got a couple of the lower radiator hose hanger clamps to hold it up against the radiator base as the
    old ones were shot (actually one broken and one missing) and the hose was drooping.
     
  6. cristo

    cristo Well-Known Member

    Jan 4, 2015
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    Finally got the evap monitor cycle to complete and no CEL or even pending codes.
    Next weekend has oil and filter change, brake fluid flush, and Powerflex yellow lower engine mount bushings on the list, weather permitting.
     
  7. Sully

    Sully Administrator
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    Jul 21, 2015
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    Sorry for the delay - was traveling. Regarding the GP Thanks! it’s a fun one. Drove it today then worked on getting enough space to get it back in the actual garage.


    3C3BFB5B-9B4C-4AE9-AFB7-6193B6A3C4DE.jpeg
     
  8. caseydog

    caseydog Well-Known Member

    Nov 7, 2012
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    I photograph a lot of cars that sit for months (or years) in garages and warehouses. I have seen a whole lot of rodent poop over the years. I once opened the hood on a Road Runner 440 Six-Pack, and there was a nest on the intake manifold.

    The worst thing is when they chew on wires in a car. A customer of mine had his Lamborghini Murcialago in the shop for weeks due to mice/rats living in the cavities of the undercarriage, and chewing up wires.

    CD
     
  9. beken

    beken Well-Known Member

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    Having returned from the Bacon Invasion and MTTS, we have decided it is time to replace the family car. The wife, thinking the MINI folk are so much fun, would like a Countryman. Cash is tight, so I am considering a mildly optioned F60 Cooper. or a better optioned lease returned R60 Cooper S. It's going to an automatic transmission, and if I am going to buy a truck, it is going to be All4. Any advice?

    Keeping my R53 until death do us part.
     
  10. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    Jul 31, 2009
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    Thanks CD. This is on my R58 with the N14 engine and this sound is very pronounced even my wife hears is. It is defiantly a new sound. I think is is in the valve train the more I think of it. I don't get home till tonight, tomorrow I will pull the valve cover. Oil change too often?? never. I am just keeping it clean. The oil is still good sure but It does stay cleaner:D
     
  11. beken

    beken Well-Known Member

    Jan 13, 2010
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    Not sure I bought the MINI strictly for reliability. It is a fine balance between reliability, fun to drive, fuel economy, comfort, safety, handling, performance etc etc etc....
    In my R53, I sacrificed some fuel economy and reliability for performance by installing a reduced pulley and 22mm rear swaybar. But the overall ownership value (which is subjective) is very high.
    If I wanted well built and reliable, I would probably go for a Toyota Corolla, but the wife hates Toyota seats and the performance is abysmal. If I wanted strictly performance, I probably would have gone for a Corvette, or Lotus Elise or Cayman. But it was the balance overall of what I wanted that drew me to the MINI in the case of the R53.


    We have been looking at other cars also. But the wife would like to stick to MINI or BMW because both our cars are closing in on 15 years old and the chassis still feels as solid as when they were new. Can't say that for many of the cars that cost a bit less and have a reputation for being "better built".

    I've just recovered from a rear-ender. It was a joke the difference in damage between our BMW and the Hyundai Optima that hit us. Our car had some minor bumper damage, the car that hit us was barely driveable with a lot more front end damage.
     
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  12. Qik

    Qik Well-Known Member

    Oct 27, 2015
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    Wow. MINI's are pretty well known for being able to take a hit with the best of em. I've seen a couple different cases where a larger SUV pulled out in front of MINI's and ended up on their side while the MINI's just had some front end damage. Aside from the reliability aspect they're built like tanks.
     
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  13. caseydog

    caseydog Well-Known Member

    Nov 7, 2012
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    Safety is all about engineering. Race cars weighing 1,500 pounds crash at 200 MPH, and the drivers walk away. German automakers are the best at engineering safety into cars. MINIs are German engineered.

    Here in Texas, people think a Chevy Suburban is what you need to be safe. It is a false sense of security. I'll take a small, well engineered car over a big, poorly engineered SUV any day of the week.

    CD
     
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  14. caseydog

    caseydog Well-Known Member

    Nov 7, 2012
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    I don't buy new cars anymore. I buy pre-owned, and let someone else take the new-car depreciation hit. I haven't had a car payment in a long time, either.

    Good luck, and be patient. There will be another car you want at some point. There will be another good deal. After I sold my last car, I drove a rental car for about a month while I took my time shopping for a new one. I wouldn't have done that 20 years ago. With age comes wisdom... which kind of makes up for the aches and pains, belly fat, and grey hair.

    CD
     
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  15. MCS0518

    MCS0518 Active Member

    Jan 13, 2018
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    Going to wash it in the morning and go check out the cars and coffee meet in the morning here.[​IMG]

    Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
     
  16. cristo

    cristo Well-Known Member

    Jan 4, 2015
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    Bought a right angle drill adapter to drill in to the bolt piece to use a bolt extractor but still couldn't get a good angle on it.
    So, I used a dremel with a cut off disc to grind a slot into the fragment (and part of the tensioner), and was able
    to back it out with a socket wrench/small screwdriver bit.
    Somehow, getting the new bolt started took way too long, but finally got it in. Yeah!!

    Looks better than having the bracket tied up where it doesn't belong.
     
  17. beken

    beken Well-Known Member

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    Brought the car to my local MINI dealer for an oil change this morning. I use the dealer because they give me a discount price. Dealer just called and said the oil change is done and that my car is still in really good shape, especially with that much mileage on it. Said the serpentine belt might be starting to wear, but it still looks okay for now and asked if I wanted it changed anyways and I said it can wait until next time.

    Other than that, we're good! Pretty happy that I've kept a good rapport with the dealer service center. Don't feel ripped off.
     
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  18. GokartPilot

    GokartPilot Well-Known Member

    Jan 9, 2012
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    I was hoping to find a mobile guy, no such luck. If I had wanted him to do all the work he wasn't going to get to me until October. Pulling it myself gets me in this week and saves me over $100, win - win
     
  19. cristo

    cristo Well-Known Member

    Jan 4, 2015
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    #16094 cristo, Aug 27, 2018
    Last edited: Aug 27, 2018
    Replaced some bulbs today:

    3497 (Stanley version from Honda, not the cheapo Taiwan or China ones) - 45 candlepower, 27 W as opposed to 32 cp, 21 W for standard 1156/7506/P21W
    for the top brake/parking lights in the back. They measure about a half to 2/3 stop brighter than stock.

    Solaris (from Bimmian.com) 7507 (PY21W) lightly silvered amber bulbs for front and rear indicators. They test equal in brightness to the stock yellow bulbs.
    Solaris (from Bimmian.com) 194 lightly silvered amber bulbs for front side indicators. They also test equal in brightness to the stock yellow bulbs.

    796 Halogen 35W bulb for the rear (lower right) backup bulb. 2 stops brighter than stock 1156/etc.

    I didn't upgrade the rear (lower left) fog bulb since I practically never use it.

    Have not been impressed with most LED lights, which is why I stayed with incandescent bulbs,
    plus you don't get bulb out lights on the dash or have to add parallel resistors or bulbs with built in resistors
    to fool the CanBus that all the right lights are there and working.
     
  20. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    Jul 31, 2009
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    So I got in a short race with a CTS-V the other day. The Helmet stayed with him till 3 gear then he started to pull away thats when we both stoped. I knew I was out gunned but it was fun and I was surprised I stayed with him so long. After that the car would not idle smooth, and had a check engine light. I checked the codes. Man All sorts of ECU codes. I lost count of all the codes. I looked under the hood and all it was, was the hose from the front PVC to the intake had come loos.

    Moral of the story....look under the hood first. Maintenance 101!

    Oh and don't go home and tell your wife you raced a Cadillac CTS-V. All I have heard the past few days is "oh look I can barley keep up with an old mans car." I even have showed her what a CTS-V is. Its no use:D
     
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