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

I'm going to get the front control arm bushings replaced, as well as the oil pan gasket and keep the engine oil and power steering fluid tanks filled. There are 3 or 4 other places here in town that may have the code scanner I need to address the EML and SES light problems, but the other stuff will have to wait for now.

 

Couldn't wait until October, wanted to see the new LED's in, so there they are. I dig 'em if for the simple fact they have orange indicators and no chrome.

Seat Covers came in, too. Will give those a test fit tomorrow, but I'm really pleased with the quality. Very well made, nice thick neoprene and I should have gotten covers ages ago.

Installed the Blacked out LED 3rd brake light from Out Motoring, dead as a door-nail. Fortunately, that's a super easy thing to get into.

got a sheet of coming next week so that I can make some lower rear bumper inserts/vents.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/706412047/ccg-plastic-diamond-grill-mesh-sheet?ref=shop_home_active_13&frs=1

Monday, the battery box guard should be here from GTT, UK.

I found these fins, pretty heavy ABS, very rigid, for which I think will work for fabricating a rear diffuser. I have some measurements to do, and fortunately, over the years, many folks have given it a go so I'll try to take the best parts from all of them, and make my own.

hat bin is full of MINI stuff just waiting. Blackout grill is marked and ready to cut so I can get around the driving light mounts.

 

I drove my car last Saturday for an hour.

I had to go out and collect more OEM parts for my motor swap this winter.

If you know me you know I am OCD about maintenance so anything that attaches to my new motor will be brand new like the motor. All sensors and etc.

 

To my MINI to Lowe’s and picked up 10 large bags of top soil and 2 bags of grass seed.

 

Changed the oil, the MINI now has 50,000 miles on it. I will change the oil in the automatic transmission next week.

I've been hearing something banging under the car when I drive over rough surfaces like my gravel driveway. It turned out that the exhaust hangers just ahead of the second catalytic converter were not attached to the exhaust pipe! They were easy to reattach, but I think it has been like that since it was new, though I have only started hearing the clanking sound in the last few months. It is all better now.

 

I had the underside of my bonnet clear coated.

 

All decals off, spoiler is off, all badges removed, all residues removed...all spots where things were are buffed and polished. Down to just getting the plastidip clear bra off, will start with that project this weekend. I'm really hoping that a soak in wd40 or goo gone and a pressure washer will make fast work of it. Fingers crossed.

 

Replaced the #2 (downstream) O2 sensor.
Kept getting a pending code for the
heater circuit every several weeks
despite normal resistance of 6 ohms
and less than 40K miles.
It never lit the CEL, though.
Will keep scanning every once in a
while and see if the new one solves that.
Also put my rear shock stone chip guards
back on. The fasteners that secure them
broke and don’t seem to be available
separately, and the stupid little guards
cost over $50 each, so I modified some
other fasteners so that they would work.

This one works if you use a paring knife to
bevel off the square corners of the shaft
a little bit.
https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-mini-parts/securing-clip-priced-each/51711496621/

 

I finally got my wife's S back from a mechanic who knows what he is doing and who had a code reader that actually located the problems the warning lights were showing. $875 for new supercharger boots and new lower radiator clamps [one of which was broken and the other was barely hanging on]...labor and tax included. I took it out for a ride of about 30 miles today and it runs perfectly, with no more warning lights! I also aired up her tires which had not had air for the last 2 months in the shops while I was searching for someone who knows what he is doing. Looks like I have a new mechanic, too, as it is the first time the labor was less than the parts!

Her S was down since August first.

 

Well, I like it a lot. 45K with "Go Pedal" [Jeep power module], "Auto Flash" [transmission module] and full Ragazon dual quad tip exhaust with Cold Air Intake. Very good power and quick gear changes. Have a great Jeep mechanic in Ruidoso. The only hick up was the coolant reservoir leak which was changed and some kind of radiator fan replacement which was a recall. It is the "Trailhawk" model with an extra inch clearance and rear locker. Electronic lockers which work great even though there was a lot of backlash about it. As usual as most love to bitch about everything. I went through uphill, not intentionally [!!!] 2~3 feet of snow last winter and amazingly she made it with no problem which honestly shocked me! I was at the point of no return on a Forest Rd were the gate was left open and with that much snow I could not make a U turn. So far so good... It is a 2017. I don't like the ride of the Wrangler and especially the door hinges which are clothe and will chop your foot either on the exit or the entrance when parked on an incline!!! Really annoying... Love those $50,000 Jeeps which are kept 6 inches lifted with all the gizmos and have never seen even a Forest Rd! Many of those around here...
[sarcasm!!!]

*** Nice rock chip in the windshield just when I dropped my windshield insurance. $580 + Tax! Can you believe it? I always wondered were the wipers sensors were. They are in the windshield! Which is also soundproof! I wonder how much a JCW windshield would be...

 

I had the automatic transmission in the MINI serviced. From what I've read, the automatic transmission in the MINI should be serviced every 50,000 miles (despite MINI's claim of lifetime fluid). I tried to get an estimate for a transmission service at my local MINI dealership and they said that it wasn't necessary.The odometer was just a few miles short of 50,000 miles. I read up on how to do it myself, but it is quite an involved process to access the pan on the automatic and I didn't want to do it. My VW has the same transmission and the flat rate manual says it takes 1.5 hours. For the MINI, the flat rate manual says 3.2 hours. There is a transmission shop near me that specialises in Aisin 09G and 09M transmissions, like the MINI has, so I took it to them.

I haven't had any problems with the transmission, this was preventative maintenance.

 

Off with the Dragon / Summer tire and wheels.
On with the S-Heavies with new All-Season tires with deep tread.
Like I will be driving in the snow. Lol

 

I need to add air to my winter tire also as I was screeching all over yesterday with the Tq my car has. I did not even have the Meth on.

 

This was actually a couple of weeks ago. Went rental car motoring on the very narrow and twisty roads on Mykonos Greece.

 

I put it in the garage, we're taking the Audi on our 25th anniversary weekend starting tomorrow - to the Lake of the Ozarks. Taking the Poodle Boys with us too! Heaven help us....

 

Got the lip on, side splitters, and changed out the DRL turn signal lights to modern LEDs.

 

Washed it and parked it next to it's big sis:



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

Drove the Countryman from Vancouver BC to Vancouver WA today. On the way, met up with another Countryman and we motored together until I turned off at Vancouver WA. We waved at each other.
So wondering if somebody here drives a BRG F60 Countryman Cooper S, Washington plates BHU5454. I'm the owner of the Lapus Luxury Blue F60 Countryman Cooper S, BC plates SEE-777. Great fun motoring with you.

 

The struts were replaced this year. The balance and the alignments are perfect and were also done again this year. Since I have 3 MINIs, I don't drive my S as much as used to. That said, when I have the 15s installed, it's usually from April to November, because then the Blizzaks go back on.

Those crappy BFGs were just under 3 years old and certainly should have lasted longer.

On my way home from the installer, those Nittos almost made me cry from happiness..soooooooo smooth and quiet, as compared to those BFGs. When I left this morning to the installer, it was 26 miles down in light rain and the car felt as if it was wallowing. The way home, in heavy rain, was about 45 miles and I never feared a bit. I drove secondary roads, cluttered with leaves and the new tires reminded me of how many pleasurable miles I put on the old set of Nittos when I tracked my S, drove to and from the Dragon, and, [gasp] interstate miles with nary a hitch.

I turned 138 k on the way home.

 

NOPE. The ones I just got rid of were utter pieces of crap, even though warranted for 35k.

However, I DO love Nitto NEO GENs and will keep them as my non winter tire until I no longer drive.
They are the best rain tires I have ever had.