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

Finally got around to reinstalling the ram air tube & sun roof air deflect.

 

I bet that's possible. I'd bet that you can photoshop up what you want and shoot it with slide film to get a transparency image for the projection. I might shoot it from several different distances, so you get multiple sizes.

If I weren't so damn lazy, this honestly sounds like a great side-hustle!

LOL. Looks like someone already beat me to it! https://www.carledlogo.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjwpMOIBhBAEiwAy5M6YMJwWs1MNah_72CQQwVSLXj6pmk1-IjAU_B-xV76OOzXh-5Dyt47FRoCo34QAvD_BwE

 

I am in contact with PSMINI (Puget Sound MINIs) the MINI club in Washington State, and have participated in a few events with them in the past. Hopefully, will do more when they allow Canadians to cross the border into the US again.

You are free to join up the Facebook groups for Size MINI Club of Vancouver and LXMBC (Vancouver MINI Cooper Club).

 

Wow, a whole weekend of people not doing anything to post on this thread? Wow.

Guess my item of note I had to have the 2011 flat-towed to the MINI dealer Schomp in South of Denver for the dreaded half-power engine light, it would not stay running. I had service schedule for this coming Friday for general service, oil, brake fluid change, safety check, etc. etc. Guess I will wait and see how much I have to dip out of my bank for this one. It might be time to let the 86K mile Countryman find it's next owner.

Anyone have a suggestion other than a new or newer MINI Countryman for the wife. I am taking thoughts on the subject. I am leaning toward Audi Q3/4/5 if I can find a good color lower mileage used.

Don

 

I read that the current new car shortages are to continue until 2023. Sounds amazing but they do predict a number of things correctly.

 

I took checkers to car wash today. A little dusty setting in it's cover. It looks great now, the only problem is I need to pull the wheels so I can clean the back side (white wheels).

 

Yeah... a plastic gas can in the car isn't exactly the driving experience you hope for when you shell out for an A6, but I appreciate the option.

There was a year where I went to several large MINI events and wound up needing to give some fuel to other folks who had run out. Siphoning gas from a modern gas tank is a PITA. I often wondered about adding a Y to the fuel line for just this purpose. Tap into the line, run it to a valve so you can turn off the flow and then to a quick-connect fitting (all tucks under the rear seat). Then you carry a 10-15' fuel hose with the quick connect on one side. When you need some fuel, you connect the extension line, put the other end in the empty tank and open the valve... instant, pressurized fuel delivery with no anti-siphon devices and/or sucking on siphon hoses to start the draw. I've seen this on sail boats that have fuel polishing systems set-up, but they usually have a dedicated fuel pump set up to draw diesel from the tank, pass it through a water-separator / filter combo and then back into the tank (to clean out diesel bug). Sometimes they add an output to a hose, so they can share fuel easily with someone else via a can or draw off a sample of their fuel to see what's in there.

I got lazy and paid for the dealership oil change and tire rotation... I don't even think that my low-profile floor jack that I use on the MINI will lift the A6 without blowing a gasket. Hell... I don't even know where the filter is on that car and it's got an electronic 'dipstick'. I also got a software update, which I'm hoping fixes some of the nitpicks that I have with the computer nannies in the car. Unfortunately, they had to order a new fuel door actuator (power lock), so I'll have to go back in a week or so.

 

I'm thinking about cleaning my wheels, but it's a pain. The only way is to pull them off the car so I can clean the back side other wise they look bad to me. I normally pull them every other time I wash the car. I'm getting to old for this, but I hate it when they look dirty with brake dust.

 

I bought a set of these a few years back and love 'em! If you use them regularly, you can clean the inside of the wheel barrels pretty well.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L3KDUD0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Finely got around to cleaning my wheels today. Boy what a job. It's been 2 hours since I started and all I have done so far is 2 wheels washed next comes the suspension and brakes then I'll do the other side. Oh well I'm retired and have a bad back.

 

Pouring rain with periods of sunshine.

 

My car crossed the 296000 kms milestone 2 days ago. Given the pandemic, working from home and my recently retirement, I estimate crossing the 300,000 milestone in June of 2022. My original estimate of crossing 300,000 was for January 2021. I've never gotten this far on any car I have ever owned or driven before. So with some diligent maintenance ,the R53 has been quite reliable. Most reliable car I've ever owned in my 45 years of driving.

 

2009 JCW
Pretty much only used Shell V-Power NITRO 93.... If you go to their website it shows a picture of prestine clean valve.... Well, I don't know where they got that picture from, but it isn't from a direct injection engine...

But anyway, I finished up with my carbon / walnut blast today...

I decided I would do it over a two day period so I could focus on getting it right.

Here's my DIY setup...


Look down in cylinder #1 with my borescope (a must have tool that plays nice with WIFI and my iphone..



The nasty carbon mushrooms....



Cleaned...



Had no extra parts after "reassemble in reverse order"

You don't realize the loss of power over time as the carbon restriction continues to build... It's back now... Whoo Boy, it's back... The problem manifested itself as a random ignition misfire and stumble with a cold engine start that tended to disappear after the engine reaches operating temperature.. It runs now like the day I bought it...

 

Yes, the vac attachment works well, but as a safety precaution, I still plugged any opening where I removed hose connections and stuffed clean rags down the intakes in the head. I pretested the gun without the vac attachment and it shot a pretty good stream of walnut grains all over my shop floor, so I'll be sweeping up this mess this morning...

Next up will be an oil and filter change...