I agree People want a new mini small engine chassis with modern powerful engines in a crammed engine bay. Doesn't work. Bottom of the basket plastics used aswell
If you know that MINIs are basically just small BMWs, and you're prepared to pay the astronomical repair bills that come with it, then I guess it would be a good car
I warned my daughter and her mother about the BMW mini, they bought it and it had similar issues to what was shown here. They had a hard time managing the repair bills and the payments etc. Nobody listens they just want what they think is cool.
@powderriver2424 agree least you tried they are so cool looking car and marketed on the iconic 60s mini. Hard enough paying the monthly payments never mind repair bills above regular yearly service and brakes and tyres etc. Novelty soon wears off when it's in the shop more than the home driveway
I own a 2012 Mini Cooper S (manual, turbocharged), purchased in 2019 from the original owner for $6,200, with 102,000 miles and good maintenance records. Now, at 153,000 miles, it's evident these cars require a solid repair budget and/or DIY skills, especially past 100,000 miles. Besides routine items like brakes and filters, I’ve replaced several parts, including the HPFP, both vanos solenoids, oil filter housing gasket, turbo oil line, starter motor, throttle body, thermostat, coolant crossover pipe, coolant overflow tank, water pump (twice), heater core (twice), auxiliary water pump, valve cover, and fuel pump relay (which I installed and had dealer programmed). While aftermarket parts help manage costs, reliability varies, resulting in two parts needing replacement after about two years. Performing most maintenance and repairs myself has significantly reduced expenses. I routinely change all fluids and engine oil every 3,000 miles, adding a quart between changes. The car runs perfectly, but I anticipate future issues requiring immediate attention. In contrast, my other two vehicles-a 1994 Toyota Pickup with a 22RE and a 1999 Lexus GS 400 with a 1UZ-FE VVTI-are much more reliable.
I rarely buy aftermarket parts anymore; especially [anchor] motor mounts, (cardone) CV axles, control arms, ball joints. I'll buy KYB struts and mounts, aftermarket rotors and pads, timkin wheel bearings, Aisin water pumps, Goodyear or Continental belts, felpro gaskets, mobil 1 oil filters; that's about it. For the most part OEM quality is barely acceptable; aftermarket is even cheaper chinesium.
Something I learnt from owning BMWs is to take every chance to upgrade anything that have to do with cooling to aluminum aftermarket whenever possible. Also, you'd find some odd bends on the oil lines especially on the turbo equipped cars ... replace these with standard braided lines with aftermarket adapters. this will end these issues for you in the future.
My wife had so many problems with her mini it was comical … alternator, trans, water pump, some issue with the steering IIRC. I didn’t think it was possible for it to be so frequently in the shop and not be Italian. Everything got fixed under warranty though and I convinced her to sell it shortly after that warranty expired. Her next car was a 2018 Subaru Impreza hatchback. Not as pretty, but Not one single problem on that car almost 7 years later.
Our local BMW/Mini dealer is about 25 minutes away and a former tech opened his own shop in town focusing on BMW/Mini and other German cars last year in an old Safelite 2-bay shop. At any one time there’s 10-14 Minis out front every single day. It’s crazy.
I bought my wife a 2006 MINI Cooper S convertible. Nearly 20 years old now with 120k miles our experience has been a good one. Our mechanic is a German guy who loves the MINI and never complains about working on them. It's hard not to love that car. It's so much fun.
@@68vette11 Absolutely agree! I’ve got a 2003 copper s, and it’s been a great experience and I’ve not had to fix much, and its failure rate has been extremely low. Great car and amazing to drive with the supercharger. Once it dies and cannot be revived, I’ll go back to a Honda.
I have a similar situation, I have a 2009 Cooper S Clubman and I have it serviced and maintained by an independent MINI specialist that only works on MINIs as he owns and enjoys them as well. I have over 110k miles and I have never had a breakdown being well maintained. The repairs are not that difficult as the engineers made them easy to take apart like a Lego toy. Happy Motoring!
Good luck with it! On my wife’s R52, I had an oil leak from the crank position sensor. To replace the o-ring on it, I discovered “front end service mode”. Took me 40 minutes the first time, 20 minutes the second and thereafter.
@@jimb1713this the service mode changes how hard the job it's so much easier and faster to just put in service mode doesn't take but 20 minutes tops lol I got a 2001 r50 a 2009 r56 and a 2012 r60 all 3 run like a top and have 0 leaks and all run great my r60 doesn't burn a drop of oil nor leaks any it's at 102,000 miles runs like a top
they actually make an aluminum thermostat housing for that. whenever I do a cooling system repair and plastic parts are involved I check for an aftermarket aluminum replacement. lots of aftermarket companies know that plastic cooling system parts are an issue. they actually make aluminum thermostat housings for that mini cooper.
I'm kind of surprised that the wizard didn't know that... It's a more expensive version of replacing the plastic Buick 3800 coolant elbows with metal units.
Yeah. It was the same thing with radiators. I got sick of busting the GM radiators with the plastic side tanks on my Cobalt SS/SC, so I threw a Mishimoto radiator in its place and it would easily tank the abuse of Pennsylvania.
@@uptownsamcv just for curiosity, I checked the cost of the new thermostat assembly and it wasn't that expensive. The highest was $85, all the ones I saw were plastic however.
@@spyderf16 same with my Dodge Caravan. Replaced the radiator a second time, this time with all aluminum. The first replacement with plastic only lasted a year.
@@adotintheshark4848 I have an aluminum radiator in my 05 Sienna minivan. as much work as it took to get it out, I wasn't trying to put a plastic one in. the van just hit 500,000 miles over the summer. only other cooling issue it ever had was the overflow tank that Toyota designed into the fan shroud. I ended up doing a custom setup with an off the shelf universal jug from Autozone...
Many years ago, I was at an airshow with a C-130 that I was the crew chief (mechanic) of. The C-130 was designed in the early 1950’s, and the one we had at the show was built in 1965 (they’re still being built btw). An older gentleman came in and was looking around, like so many do. We would get Vietnam vets coming in, they’d sit down, and relive their past, I figured that was this gents story. Nope, he was a structural engineer at Lockheed in the early 1950’s and had designed the windshield installation. I took him into the flight deck and asked how does the center windshield (there are 3) get replaced without disassembling half the flight deck. His response, it looked good on paper, before all that other junk (instrument panel, seats, overhead control panel, things that are necessary to operate the airplane) was put in.
The engineers are part of the problem, but so are the politicians who are never happy with how clean the exhaust gets. Reduce emissions 90%, and they want to reduce the remainder another 90%. Over here in the States, they reduce that last 1% another 90%! And that's why the cat is attached to the exhaust manifold. Then, we could argue that making parts out of plastic is either the bean counters' fault or trying to reduce weight to meet fuel economy standards...
I've always said it's not just the engineers, it's the bean counters, the stylists, and the drivers in the ivory Tower. Too many cooks spoil the broth. I do some cooking in my house as well as being a mechanic. I recently worked on a Nissan Murano to change its alternator. It looked like that mini mid job. Just to get enough room to extract and reinsert the alternator into, roughly, its proper location. And that gasket on the oil filter housing looks somewhat familiar from another job that I did :/ P. S. Were the Germans trying to emulate the original mini down to the point of oil leakage? Weren't all British vehicles supposed to have oil leaks? It was rumored that if they didn't have an oil puddle underneath them you should check to see if they had any oil in them at all!
Just bought a ‘13 Cooper Base Manual Non-Turbo (exactly as pictured on the CarFax site under car reviews). 6 previous owners, 165,700 miles. Car was getting ready for wholesale at a dealership. It had a check engine light on and a brake light on. No transmission, engine oil or coolant leaks found. All suspension parts were not torn/leaking. No body damage or interior wear. If you let it sit idling for 20 minutes or so, a bit of blue smoke comes out the tailpipe. Picked it up for $2,250. Haven’t bought a car in almost 20 years. This is going to be an interesting project 😊
@uptownsamcv 12 hours ago they actually make an aluminum thermostat housing for that. whenever I do a cooling system repair and plastic parts are involved I check for an aftermarket aluminum replacement. lots of aftermarket companies know that plastic cooling system parts are an issue. they actually make aluminum thermostat housings for that mini cooper.
@@JohnSmith-pl2bk Not as simple as that, cavitation in the cooling system can eat away the aluminum part faster than plastic depending on the flow and any dampaning in the system.
My Grand daughter took her Mini(has a turbo) to a shop near her to have it inspected and an oil and filter change. She got a call from the shop later in the day saying one of the mechanics broke something while removing the filter and now they are waiting on the replacement part, Will b e interesting to see if they have to remove a bunch of things for the repair. They admitted wrong, so that's a plus.
@@doglegjake6788 Update, He cracked the oil filter housing, and they will have it in by Saturday. I hope she gets a good used Toyota, before disaster strikes.
@@billtodd6509 CNBC just released a video talking about why USED Toyotas and Hondas are expensive. Yes, because when people learn their good lessons buying new or old other brands, they know they should have bought a used Toyota or Honda in the first place
Know this is a month (plus) old comment, but just wanted to say that damaging the oil filter housing or oil filter cap is *very* easy. The filter system uses a plastic cap on the housing, which is supposed to be torqued to a spec listed on the cap. Those caps can get brittle and break, or someone can easily get careless and over-toque the cap, which can damage the cap and housing. Tried helping a friend with an oil change a month or so ago, and cracked the filter cap trying to torque it to spec, the cap had just gotten too brittle. Learned then and there to just snug caps like that up, not to torque them.
@uptownsamcv 12 hours ago they actually make an aluminum thermostat housing for that. whenever I do a cooling system repair and plastic parts are involved I check for an aftermarket aluminum replacement. lots of aftermarket companies know that plastic cooling system parts are an issue. they actually make aluminum thermostat housings for that mini cooper.
I'm no BMW or plastic lover, but just for balance, I have recently had 2 internally corroded steel coolant pipes replaced on my Subaru Outback at 150000 miles due to leakage. Had to be ordered from Japan and a big teardown to replace.
Yeah, I had an old supercharged S. The plastics are terrible and the rubber gaskets all harden and leak. I was constantly chasing leaks at 130k miles. I eventually got it to stay dry, but had to replace a lot to get there. You definitely need to be able to do your own wrenching to make them worth keeping. It was an absolute blast to drive though.
Great video, Wizard. Bumper blocks, also known as parking curbs, wheel stops, or parking bumpers, are precast concrete barriers designed to enhance parking areas' safety and visual appeal. But that is so far back. It was probably a speed bump.
Wizard you and Misses Wizard make me laugh! Thank you so much. She’s the best “straight man” ever. I love my SL55 and my wife loves her Mini S. But the up keep takes time and money for sure. That’s why our daily drivers are an 06 Frontier and a Miata with a K24 swap. LOL
So glad I'm retired. I worked on very few of these but several had the same problems. Expensive and a pain to fix. I'd ask the customer "Why'd you but it?" and they would say "It's so cute!" Whatever. Parts are not cheap, either.
2014-2016 I used to work very close to an independent MINI mechanic, I never saw the place without at least three cars in there with the front off...complete garbage.
They design them that way on purpose so there will be catastrophic failures. Chrysler are the worst American cars but I would buy them long before I would buy a German car. We should not be allowed to import anything made in Germany until they stop being criminals. Remember that Volkswagen diesel scandal? Volkswagen should’ve been banned from the United States permanently
It's on purpose man. They know plastic has a service life. If they used metal it wouldn't have that problem. They know that. They also know they can only sell you one car every so often so they want it to break beyond sensible repair so they can sell a new one every so often too. That's corporations for you.
@@neil9616 Had they made the car just 6" longer the engine compartment would be big enough to allow access to these parts. My old AMC I6 engine was great-changing the water pump took 30 minutes.
C. Just had it done for the oil filter HOUSING gaskets, along with the oil cooler housing gaskets....plus I upgrade the oil cooler line to flexible S.S. line AND changed the oil return tube, too. While the car was apart, I also had the following replaced: crank shaft seal, water pump, friction pulley, and new v-belt. Plus, transmission fluid replaced along with filter. Naturally, a coolant flush was also done, while at it. NO OIL leaks anymore! Already did the thermostat and crossover pipe by myself. [the crossover pipe broke at the back of the water pump housing. I needed a 1.5 ft long pick and a boroscope to see down there to remove the bits and pieces from the housing, before installing the new pipe with O ring. The bluetooth HD boroscope was cheap, and a lifesaver.] PS: I went with an aftermarket valve cover (Aluminum) and did that job myself, last year. Half the price of the OEM plastic cover. Works much better...and it looks much better too. Doesn't warp from the turbo heat. This part is readily available on eBay or AliExpress, incl. PCV and new gaskets.
@@Kevinb1821 fully agree. I look through car sale sites in the UK and I have seen Porsche Cayenne going for £4,000 and that will totally make you cry to sleep with repairs. We have tons of Audi TT's for £1,000 to £3,000. Same with high mileage BMW 320's etc. I nearly bought a 2007 BMW 530D for 3 grand and spoke to a mechanic who specialises in BMW and he told me to run from it. Ended up with a Honda that I ran for near 3 years with not one single issue or breakdown.
@@Kevinb1821 The sad thing is MINIs really aren't that expensive new, they're moderately priced cars with BMW-priced parts and service, so no surprise owners often run into trouble affording things once they're out of warranty
I know SHOPS can't cut corners, do hack stuff, BUT on the WJ Jeep Grand cherokees a nice shortcut for REMOVING the ENTIRE front clip to access the E-fan relay is just to pop out the passenger headlight and holesaw a 2" cut through plastic shroud for perfect access to relay. Also cut access in floor board to access nightmare location of crank sensor (reads flywheel revolutions) and on 2nd gen Explorer did "professional" fuel pump access panel" under rear seat...not as difficult as one might think.
0:56 Something to do with the cartridge oil filter system. Housing, Stripped Threads, Warped Cap, Overheated Assembly, or abuse from techs who didnt have any Fs to give.
I remember a couple of months ago on the SMA channel with EricO, where he also had a car where the Oil Filter housing seal was leaking, but it wasn't THAT much of an issue to replace. His issue was that the seal was on permanent backorder, so he had to replace the complete oil filter housing, which came with a new seal.
The excuse that ‘it has to be maintained’ is garbage. Putting a stupid plastic coolant pipe is doomed to fail in a part that is constantly exposed to heat cycling. On our Hondas, the coolant crossover pipe is metal and goes into a metal housing using a rubber O-ring. Doesn’t leak and doesn’t fall apart. This is all cheap cost-cutting and these vehicles aren’t designed for the long term.
@@shelzmike @uptownsamcv 12 hours ago they actually make an aluminum thermostat housing for that. whenever I do a cooling system repair and plastic parts are involved I check for an aftermarket aluminum replacement. lots of aftermarket companies know that plastic cooling system parts are an issue. they actually make aluminum thermostat housings for that mini cooper.
Yeah that's what I was saying at that point. That pipe didn't disintegrate due to failure to maintain. The gasket didn't fail for that reason either - and failure to maintain wasn't why it was engineered to require so much work to access it.
@ as consumers we have to start holding manufacturers responsible for these disposable products. In a sense we do because of depreciation, but most cars are disposed of so quickly that manufacturers get away with shoddy designs.
It's copium for sure. A lot of things that fail on these cars are blatant repairs vs "maintenance" I mean hell, even rod bearings. People are so worried about them they get them replaced at intervals on some BMWs. Like what? Rod bearings are supposed to last the life of the car.
I owned a '09 Mini Cooper Clubman S, and I've been down the thermostat replacement myself. Fortunately I was able to find a step-by-step YT video on replacement, so I was able to do the task myself. My MINIs (also owned a '18 Countryman S All4) were for the most part reliable, and proper maintenance is key. I religiously followed the manufacturer's maintenance schedule on both and was better for it. I'd gladly own another, just not the most recent batch- they have lost the plot where MINI is concerned, I'd stick to R series (R53, R56, R55, etc) and maybe F series (F56, F60, etc). Comprehensive service history with the vehicle is a must.
The average lifespan and mileage expectations for cars between here and in Germany differ considerably. German cars may be often built with high precision but, paradoxically, aren't typically expected to reach the high mileage that many American drivers expect. Therefore, German vehicles are often retired well before hitting 100,000 miles. In contrast, a car in the U.S. with 100,000 miles can be seen as "just broken in," with many owners expecting at least double that mileage, especially with proper maintenance. This aligns with the American preference for longevity and a more extensive used car market, where high-mileage vehicles are still seen as viable and valued. German quality that results in reliability and longevity is a thing of the past. Every new Consumer Report is proving this. I owned a Passat with biodegradable plastics that biodegraded while driving.
You should know to tell the customer that they probably will need a new thermostat housing, plastic parts wherever you are close included into the estimate, as you said, you know it is fragile, so its not like you do not know this, and tell them in worst case scenario it will be that, anything else is bonus for the customer as you can send back the parts to pull it off the bill. also it will keep flow better in your shop if you do this as you will have all parts ready.
I bent a $1.50 clip inside the transmission of my DeLorean, and now it crunches ever so slightly when you shift quickly into Second. I bent it by slam shifting it a couple times. It requires a complete tear down to replace. That was 20 years ago. It still needs replaced.
As a long time owner of Mini Coopers I want to thank you for this video. The thermostat issues are just ridiculous. I love, love, love Mini Coopers as for the money I can not afford a better handling car. Even changing the running lights requires a special pair of pliers. I worry as my bought new 2006 "S" is a time bomb due to the coolant eroding the plastic. I have put just under 60k since new and they are just a flat out blast to drive.
Service manual was actually spot on?😮 I just pulled a servo from a 2014 IS 350 all you have to do to access it is remove the glove box with 5 screws and 2 panels , but the service manual says to remove the entire center console and I believe the carpet 😂
100% I had an ‘04 Cooper S. As you mentioned, the plastics were horrible. Every time I had to perform basic maintenance and checks, the plastic parts would deform or down right crack with the slightest bit of flexing just to try to get at something. And they’d fail after only one or two times of being removed and put back on. And access was also a problem as you highlighted here. Not to mention every time I did have to bring it to the shop it was a guarantee I’d be kissing $1200 to $1500 goodbye.
I own a Mini Clubman diesel, it just loves the winding country lanes over here in the Uk. Loved by anyone that had the original Mini. Its the retro thing. Generally cheap to run, unless you let the subframe rot, or need a bush changed. Its a car that needs to be loved.
I owned a 2009 R55 Clubman with the same Peugeot/Prince Engine. The thermostat housing was replaced at 8,000 miles under warranty due to a coolant leak. The best decision I made was selling it private party back in 2016 with only 29,000 miles.
We own a 2014 Mini Cooper Countryman. I maintain the living heck out of it. Had it about 9 years and no trouble so far. I put new plugs in the vehicle at 50 K miles. Being careful while doing this simple job still caused plastic parts to break!! I often wonder what kind of cheap crap they use on these expensive cars. My 1995 Toyota P/U truck still has all the original plastic parts in good shape........ go figure!
@uptownsamcv 12 hours ago they actually make an aluminum thermostat housing for that. whenever I do a cooling system repair and plastic parts are involved I check for an aftermarket aluminum replacement. lots of aftermarket companies know that plastic cooling system parts are an issue. they actually make aluminum thermostat housings for that mini cooper.
Plastic and rubber car parts don't last as long anymore because chemicals that used to be added to them to make them more stable are no longer legal as they were giving workers cancer. That's why a lot of people prefer New Old Stock parts to modern ones.
I get you with the BMW's. As a mechanic in Europe, it's not only bimmers. Is about everything on the market nowadays. But that engine, is a Peugeot one. A crappy one, it has to be said. No excuse, but those faults are well known in Peugeot's, gas and diesel cars, as they are very similar in their design...
Had the same issue with 2014 mini but its the B48 not the N series engine. Upgraded the housing to an aluminum one. Took me just over 2 hours to do in my driveway. I spent about $150 that included the housing, oil and coolant. Housing included a new filter but again this was on the b58 2.0 engine not the older series engine
I have an 07 Cooper S and have just done all of that plus the water pump, coils and there is still an annoying little leak behind the turbo. It’s amazing how many brittle plastic bits give up the ghost when trying to pull them apart. My local mechanics won’t touch it purely because of the labour cost to do any work. Andy (Australia)
@@Sam-go3mb You replace it instead. One time use Ford sump pans. 1 time use plastic valve covers WITH integral PCV valves....$800 to replace the PCV valve.....
Plastic intake manifold... lots of thermal cycles. What a great idea. I worked with a very competent engineer who interned with Fisher Price at the beginning of his career, working on Power Wheels. I'll bet Fisher Price can make a better intake manifold.
The more I watch your show, the more I love my 1990 Mustang daily driver. My 82 sits in the driveway…minty status. Any of my 4 foxbody mustangs easy to work on minus age issues. Any Mustangs are cars built with reality fixing possible problems… I love them…BMW is garbage… I seen them at pick n pull…obvious unreliablity
I get it, preventative maintenance is important but how do you maintain for end of life plastic? Short of a midlife overhaul at 100,000 miles where you pre emptively replace all the potential plastic failure points you really don’t have much of a choice.
100k is not "mid-life" in Europe, it's "I'm surprised it's still running" - we don't do as many miles as Americans so that 100k generally takes 10 years or so by which point everything is worn out on the car so it's best to replace it.
Ironically my Fiat Neon (2015 Dodge Dart) did something similar to me. Replaced an oil pan gasket because it was leaking to find that there was a 2nd leak from the thermostat housing, then found another leak from a heater hose. Ended up replacing most of the coolant hoses (1 was replaced last year).
Not surprised at the level of tear down to get at something so small. I still remember reading in my shade tree mechanic’s book for my previous Accord that if the starter goes out, the entire intake manifold has to come out (and before that, the radiator has to be drained due to a passage through the throttle body). I’ve also seen clips on the Dave’s Auto channel where they have to hoist up the pickup cab to get at the engine for a rebuild!
My mother got a new Mini of this generation. It was very well cared for, all regular services.. It started regularly breaking down after just 7 or 8 years with around 70K miles.. Junk cars, but fun to drive, like most BMW's.
I owned a 2013 Daewoo Sonic branded as a Chevy, 1.4L turbo, which was at least that bad, maybe worse. I bought it with under 30,000 miles from a relative who didn't need it anymore. I spent the next 60,000+ miles constantly working on it, it also had a thermostat like that, the PCV system was built into the plastic cam cover and the plastic intake manifold, which I replaced twice. The turbo oil line sprung a leak. The water pump failed. The evap cannister purge valve failed several times. Quite a few other things failed as well. And just before 100,000 miles the cam chain broke, destroying the engine. Meanwhile, my 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis just passed 390,000 miles, the only engine related problems were a failed alternator, a bad MAF sensor, and a serpentine belt tensioner and idler pulley. I just put new plugs in it. It's on its third set of plugs since new. It still has its original timing components, with no sign of a cam chain rattle. Transmission is also original, and has never been worked on. How would maintenance have prevented any of those problems? Looks like they were all gasket/seal failures.
All cars built after 2000, save for a few Asian vehicles, are meant to be recycled after the warranty expires. Otherwise, it's like owning a boat or recreational vehicle. A constant drain on the pocketbook as one thing after the other fails.
My 2002 Lexus Lx470 says ill run forever. Its the Jap cars designed in the 90s that are still great and reliable and were still sold through the early 2000's that will we see on the roads for a long time. Still do.
As much as some of the bells and whistles are great, anymore I would rather spend less (except for RCTA, backup camera and sensors, and Adaptive Cruise) knowing that the car isn’t likely to last. I’m not going to pay for a moonroof or Nappa leather for a car that may wind up in a compactor in 10 years.
I hope there is metal replacement or aftermarket for the plastic parts. I had a 2005 VW Passat, so many Audi plastic engine parts, which I was able to have repairs done with metal parts. Plastic is going to bend, fatigue, or melt.
Once upon a time I used to be a parts guy at a collision repair shop. Our techs seriously hated the new BMW Minis. Me, I loved the Austin Mini I started with all those years ago.
It could be worse! It could have been Another Motor Gone aka AMG. How much for a replacement engine? $60,000. I just need a crank and a block. We have one crank left in inventory and it will be $12,000. Get on the order list and we will make you a block in approximately 6 months for $20,000.
The owner of that mini is just starting on their journey of massive maintenance costs,, I bet they got a shock when they got your bill.!! Well done finding ALL the issues and fixing them. By the looks of the black sooty exhaust it won’t be long before it’s back in your shop sadly
I have a 2014 countryman All 4 JCW (R60/N18B16A) which I bought with 70k miles on it. Full service history on a one owner car which has done another 50k miles in my ownership. The only non service thing that I’ve done to it was to change the long life transmission oil (gearbox and transfer box) for “normal” oil which solved the stiff/slow gearchange. No issues with it at all although the oil change is awkward and takes time.
I work as a mechanic in a Montreal shop. At least 5 times, we gave an expensive repair estimate on a mini. The guy would say, "God I hate those cars!!!" So we'd tell him, well, fix it then get rid of it. But invariably the answer was, "Can't. My wife loves it...". You, sir, are a lucky man!
I have an e92 with an N52 engine. The oil filter housing is known to leak like this because of perished seals. BUT...with the way the N52 is configured, oil will leak onto the belts. Apparently, if enough leaks onto them and they slip off, the engine will physically ingest them and blow the whole thing.
I use to work on minis.with the right tools, you take the heat shields off the cat u have enough room to drop it with out taking everything you did apart. I hateted working on minis but once you learn the short cuts they are great money makers. The oil filter housing job would take me about 1:50 min. To r and r.
Great "wrenching" video Wizard (and Ms. Wizard), You have stepped up the mechanics and wrenching in the last few videos, and I for one wanted to let ya'll know that it is Great!!!!~~ That is why I watch.!!~
Owned 4 Minis, 2 Coopers when in the UK. Aside from punctures and a windscreen they were trouble free but we did maintain them to schedule. You are not going to pass the annual test there to keep them on the road if you don’t. Mini is top 5 in the 2024 reliability tables for the US.
Exactly. Much of the US has no MoT equivalent and the vast majority of people here don’t look after their cars. In Ohio people look for used cars from Pennsylvania which does require annual safety inspections.
Dude I'm laughing so hard. I mainly work on e36 and e46 (late 90s early 2000s) BMWs and they have the exact same problems. At the beginning when you said problem with the oil filter, I immediately said oil filter housing gasket and I was right🤣. Same things happen with the coolant pipes, they snap off. Its just funny cause I've never touched a cooper. Hell, even the new b58 engine has problems with expansion tanks and oil filter housings. Fortunately, the aftermarket support is amazing and you can get upgraded parts to make them bulletproof.
I’ve gotten pretty good at getting mine into service position. Takes about 30 minutes. I have to tackle the rear main seal and going to do a new clutch since I’m already there. Love the little car, it’s so fun.
We bought two new cars in 2005. A smart cabrio and a CTS sedan. The CTS was a lovely car to drive and came with full maintenance for four years. It was a dream to own (and the person who bought it is still driving it all these years later). The smart was super fun and a great city car. All services were done on or before time at Mercedes-Benz. Cost a damn fortune. The a/c failed completely 5 times in four years (covered by the basic and an extended warranty) but quite inconvenient. I finally sold it when M-B would not warranty an obviously failing alternator. After all those "A" and "B" services, I had had enough. I am reluctant to try German again.
@@eotikurac Service mode is when the mechanic raises the rear end up waist high, puts rear wheels on blocks., then the mechanic services it until it screams.
@@eotikurac Front-end service mode is when you pull the front (bumper, crash bar and move the radiator a bit), which is, to the uninitiated "pull the whole front-end", and to the initiated a painless 20/25 min job that gives easy access to everything at the front of the engine. Some mechanics like to complain about this procedure. But when you look at the engine bay, how else could you fit everything in a way that every common failure is easy to fix? There is simply no way. Front-end service mode is the next best thing (and not exclusive to BMW).
@eotikurac you can pull the entire front clip, radiator, bumpers, bracing and intercooler all as an assembly. It takes 25 min and you have complete access to the engine.
@@Maroco918 You forgot to mention the first gen is even easier because the headlights are connected to the hood/bonnet. Also doesn't have the metal brace going to the strut towers. After owning 6 Mini's I'll admit the supercharged is my favorite.
Had a 2008 Cooper S, and it did this exact same thing to me. Pulled the thermostat assembly off (and admittedly, I probably wasn't as careful as I should've been) and hear that plastic coolant tube crack where it connects to the block. But hey, I guess that was better than having it crack later on and having to tear the whole car back apart again.
@@TheBTG88 That depends on the state, and from what I can tell, US state inspections are universally jokes compared to things like the British MOT, Dutch APK, or German TÜV.
@ I have cars in both New York State and California. Emissions, safety, and maintenance inspections are required every 12 months. Cars are not legally allowed on public roads and can not be registered unless they pass all of them.
@@MrBlueBurd0451 Correct. I live in Alabama, and there is no inspection OR emissions testing here. I lived in GA for over 30 years, they have emissions testing only, depending on which county you live in. I was born and raised in PA where there is both annual inspection and emission testing.
ECS makes a upgraded cross pipe made from aluminum. I have purchased 2 so far. Install it and you never have that problem again. You can also get thermostat housings made from aluminum but never used any before.
@@eotikurac no it's not. The Mini in the video is a 2013 R56 with the N16 variant of the Prince Engine, which is a PSA engine on which BMW added a few things (like the unreliable timing chain and VANOS). It's the least unreliable variant of all petrol R56, but the whole 2nd generation (from 2007 to 2013, a bit later for convertibles/countryman) is widely known as unreliable and costly to maintain. You're thinking of the 3rd generation, F-chassis with BMW B-series engines, which are overall considered reliable for a BMW product.
Interesting to know that this gasket is easier on the prior r53 from 2003, although suffers the same issue with service mode... But I forgive that model for being so much smaller with much more packed in. Sad to see that even with these much bigger minis this stuff is a problem.
They're great until the warranty wears out. After about three years, all the plastic stuff starts deteriorating, and then it turns into a big money pit.
There's a certain cohort of people that buy used BMWs as a means of trying to buy street cred. Of course, this then results in greater loss of money than with a regular car. Either bricked in the driveway or stupid stuff like broken window actuators that they never bother to fix.
Oh I know the pain. The same gasket failed in mine beginning this year, but instead of oil, coolant was leaking. Before that the cross pipe broke so they changed the thermostat, pump and everything that can go wrong.
I just finished up doing that crossover pipe and thermostat housing on my '12 mini. Was rough, but was able to do it on my own. I love driving the car, but maintaining it is rough some days.
I disagree that it's a "lack of maintenance" problem. European cars have had enormous problems in North America in general, and I think some of it is more related to differences in climate, which results in more problems with some of the materials chosen to build the car with. Plastics aren't ideal for cars, but other manufacturers generally seem to manage to be more successful with them, so perhaps BMW is selecting plastic formulations that suffer more degradation in our environment. A lot of people I know who own BMWs (and other German cars) do regular maintenance.
It's not the climate, Germany has winter weather just like our northern cities. I would love to see a panel discussion of automotive engineers from GM, Stellantis, Toyota, Honda, Audi, BMW, Mercedes. These are the guys we should be mad at.
Just my 2 cents but driving a BMW down south with plastic parts is a recipe for disaster why cause those parts become super brittle. I've own many BMW's you must stay on top of inspections and you must do weekly inspections I live in Texas and I've learned 101 degree heat the car will never last and you say what many mechanics say about Americans drive it till the wheels burst off.
@@stackenali7059 YES! Vote for the only "president" since the Great Depression to leave office with fewer jobs than when he started! Vote for the "man" who oversaw almost a million preventable deaths! (Mostly his followers, fortunately). Vote for the chud who "presided" over the top-10 single-day stock drops as your 401K evaporated into thin air! We all know repugnants are the party of fiscal responsibility, so why not re-elect the guy who added 25% (7.8 TRILLION dollars) to our national debt and whose spending plan will add more than 6 trillion more? Remember, when voting Chump, make sure you request a crayon to match your IQ.
The absolute worst part of removing the core support assembly here in the rust belt are the headlight mounting bolts and ac condenser bolts. Both seize in almost every mini I've worked on.
Developed jointly by BMW and Peugeot and assembled by BMW at Hams Hall, England, using components supplied by Peugeot. Not really fare to say its all one or the other, its a joint venture product, but BMW is the most responsible for the ones that went into MINIs.
@11sfr base for the engine was PSA, head was enhanced by VANOS and some other few diddly bits by BMW, hence the "jointly developed". It was a replacement for Mini Trident engines and a stop gap until BMW developed own small Euro6 eengines. Prince was initially euro4 spec, then with LCI euro5 when they added ECU controlled oil pump and stop/start. Same engines were used in both forms NA and turbo by both companies. Hams Hall was supplying engines to both companies, PSA Royton and Mini Cowley.
@@Mac-t4y The Titanic was built in Ireland (modern-day Northern Ireland) using British components. The head designer Thomas Andrews was Irish. The people who conceptualized it were British. The ship building company Harland and Wolff was British (headquartered in England at the time) and it was constructed using Irish labor. There was... no involvement from BMW or German... anything?
First car was a 1972 original mini clubman estate. Although eventually it rusted to dust, mechanically it was fairly easy to work on and could do most of the jobs on it myself, and for a small car it was quite comfortable. Had a new BMW Mini in 2010 and it was awful; gave me backache to go on any journeys over 20 miles and most self maintenance was very limited. Not a good experience.🙁
This is exactly why I donated my Mini to an auto mechanic school - these cars are NOT worth spending $1,000 to $5000 to fix their stupid leaks!
Also good for training
Wizard just learnt the hard way
I agree
People want a new mini small engine chassis with modern powerful engines in a crammed engine bay.
Doesn't work.
Bottom of the basket plastics used aswell
If you know that MINIs are basically just small BMWs, and you're prepared to pay the astronomical repair bills that come with it, then I guess it would be a good car
I warned my daughter and her mother about the BMW mini, they bought it and it had similar issues to what was shown here. They had a hard time managing the repair bills and the payments etc. Nobody listens they just want what they think is cool.
@powderriver2424 agree least you tried they are so cool looking car and marketed on the iconic 60s mini.
Hard enough paying the monthly payments never mind repair bills above regular yearly service and brakes and tyres etc.
Novelty soon wears off when it's in the shop more than the home driveway
I own a 2012 Mini Cooper S (manual, turbocharged), purchased in 2019 from the original owner for $6,200, with 102,000 miles and good maintenance records. Now, at 153,000 miles, it's evident these cars require a solid repair budget and/or DIY skills, especially past 100,000 miles. Besides routine items like brakes and filters, I’ve replaced several parts, including the HPFP, both vanos solenoids, oil filter housing gasket, turbo oil line, starter motor, throttle body, thermostat, coolant crossover pipe, coolant overflow tank, water pump (twice), heater core (twice), auxiliary water pump, valve cover, and fuel pump relay (which I installed and had dealer programmed). While aftermarket parts help manage costs, reliability varies, resulting in two parts needing replacement after about two years. Performing most maintenance and repairs myself has significantly reduced expenses. I routinely change all fluids and engine oil every 3,000 miles, adding a quart between changes. The car runs perfectly, but I anticipate future issues requiring immediate attention. In contrast, my other two vehicles-a 1994 Toyota Pickup with a 22RE and a 1999 Lexus GS 400 with a 1UZ-FE VVTI-are much more reliable.
I rarely buy aftermarket parts anymore; especially [anchor] motor mounts, (cardone) CV axles, control arms, ball joints. I'll buy KYB struts and mounts, aftermarket rotors and pads, timkin wheel bearings, Aisin water pumps, Goodyear or Continental belts, felpro gaskets, mobil 1 oil filters; that's about it. For the most part OEM quality is barely acceptable; aftermarket is even cheaper chinesium.
lexus will go forever
watch out for any parts from China..unless you like doing the same job twice or more.
@@adotintheshark4848hey they use China parts when assembling these pieces of crap in oxford u.k. I know , used to deliver to this factory of crap ..
22RE = A legend!!!!
Something I learnt from owning BMWs is to take every chance to upgrade anything that have to do with cooling to aluminum aftermarket whenever possible. Also, you'd find some odd bends on the oil lines especially on the turbo equipped cars ... replace these with standard braided lines with aftermarket adapters. this will end these issues for you in the future.
My wife had so many problems with her mini it was comical … alternator, trans, water pump, some issue with the steering IIRC. I didn’t think it was possible for it to be so frequently in the shop and not be Italian. Everything got fixed under warranty though and I convinced her to sell it shortly after that warranty expired. Her next car was a 2018 Subaru Impreza hatchback. Not as pretty, but Not one single problem on that car almost 7 years later.
Yup, you can thank BMW for all of those woes.
The banter with Mrs Wizard on the thermostat was hilarious and heartwarming lol. I can tell yall are a great couple
@@future62 I do wish they wouldn't play with his Teschlong in those videos.
Our local BMW/Mini dealer is about 25 minutes away and a former tech opened his own shop in town focusing on BMW/Mini and other German cars last year in an old Safelite 2-bay shop. At any one time there’s 10-14 Minis out front every single day. It’s crazy.
I ❤my Honda Fit......I make sure it get's the scheduled maintenance, and It just goes and goes and nothing ever breaks.
Do you have the early ones with the 1st gear/takeoff from standstill problem?
@@JohnSmith-pl2bk nope...3rd gen
I bought my wife a 2006 MINI Cooper S convertible. Nearly 20 years old now with 120k miles our experience has been a good one. Our mechanic is a German guy who loves the MINI and never complains about working on them. It's hard not to love that car. It's so much fun.
2006 is first generation, totally different car
@@68vette11 Absolutely agree! I’ve got a 2003 copper s, and it’s been a great experience and I’ve not had to fix much, and its failure rate has been extremely low. Great car and amazing to drive with the supercharger. Once it dies and cannot be revived, I’ll go back to a Honda.
I have a similar situation, I have a 2009 Cooper S Clubman and I have it serviced and maintained by an independent MINI specialist that only works on MINIs as he owns and enjoys them as well. I have over 110k miles and I have never had a breakdown being well maintained. The repairs are not that difficult as the engineers made them easy to take apart like a Lego toy. Happy Motoring!
Good luck with it! On my wife’s R52, I had an oil leak from the crank position sensor. To replace the o-ring on it, I discovered “front end service mode”.
Took me 40 minutes the first time, 20 minutes the second and thereafter.
@@jimb1713this the service mode changes how hard the job it's so much easier and faster to just put in service mode doesn't take but 20 minutes tops lol I got a 2001 r50 a 2009 r56 and a 2012 r60 all 3 run like a top and have 0 leaks and all run great my r60 doesn't burn a drop of oil nor leaks any it's at 102,000 miles runs like a top
they actually make an aluminum thermostat housing for that. whenever I do a cooling system repair and plastic parts are involved I check for an aftermarket aluminum replacement. lots of aftermarket companies know that plastic cooling system parts are an issue. they actually make aluminum thermostat housings for that mini cooper.
I'm kind of surprised that the wizard didn't know that... It's a more expensive version of replacing the plastic Buick 3800 coolant elbows with metal units.
Yeah. It was the same thing with radiators. I got sick of busting the GM radiators with the plastic side tanks on my Cobalt SS/SC, so I threw a Mishimoto radiator in its place and it would easily tank the abuse of Pennsylvania.
@@uptownsamcv just for curiosity, I checked the cost of the new thermostat assembly and it wasn't that expensive. The highest was $85, all the ones I saw were plastic however.
@@spyderf16 same with my Dodge Caravan. Replaced the radiator a second time, this time with all aluminum. The first replacement with plastic only lasted a year.
@@adotintheshark4848 I have an aluminum radiator in my 05 Sienna minivan. as much work as it took to get it out, I wasn't trying to put a plastic one in. the van just hit 500,000 miles over the summer. only other cooling issue it ever had was the overflow tank that Toyota designed into the fan shroud. I ended up doing a custom setup with an off the shelf universal jug from Autozone...
They should FORCE The engineers to do service work on these things before they're released.
Many years ago, I was at an airshow with a C-130 that I was the crew chief (mechanic) of. The C-130 was designed in the early 1950’s, and the one we had at the show was built in 1965 (they’re still being built btw). An older gentleman came in and was looking around, like so many do. We would get Vietnam vets coming in, they’d sit down, and relive their past, I figured that was this gents story. Nope, he was a structural engineer at Lockheed in the early 1950’s and had designed the windshield installation. I took him into the flight deck and asked how does the center windshield (there are 3) get replaced without disassembling half the flight deck. His response, it looked good on paper, before all that other junk (instrument panel, seats, overhead control panel, things that are necessary to operate the airplane) was put in.
@@clydesuckfinger8068 , good one. I was on C-141's, during the Nam days. I did the same job as you & got my A & P. The AF paid for everything.
The engineers are not at fault for this disaster, blame the accountants.
The engineers are part of the problem, but so are the politicians who are never happy with how clean the exhaust gets. Reduce emissions 90%, and they want to reduce the remainder another 90%. Over here in the States, they reduce that last 1% another 90%! And that's why the cat is attached to the exhaust manifold. Then, we could argue that making parts out of plastic is either the bean counters' fault or trying to reduce weight to meet fuel economy standards...
I've always said it's not just the engineers, it's the bean counters, the stylists, and the drivers in the ivory Tower. Too many cooks spoil the broth. I do some cooking in my house as well as being a mechanic. I recently worked on a Nissan Murano to change its alternator. It looked like that mini mid job. Just to get enough room to extract and reinsert the alternator into, roughly, its proper location. And that gasket on the oil filter housing looks somewhat familiar from another job that I did :/
P. S. Were the Germans trying to emulate the original mini down to the point of oil leakage? Weren't all British vehicles supposed to have oil leaks? It was rumored that if they didn't have an oil puddle underneath them you should check to see if they had any oil in them at all!
Just bought a ‘13 Cooper Base Manual Non-Turbo (exactly as pictured on the CarFax site under car reviews). 6 previous owners, 165,700 miles. Car was getting ready for wholesale at a dealership. It had a check engine light on and a brake light on. No transmission, engine oil or coolant leaks found. All suspension parts were not torn/leaking. No body damage or interior wear. If you let it sit idling for 20 minutes or so, a bit of blue smoke comes out the tailpipe. Picked it up for $2,250. Haven’t bought a car in almost 20 years. This is going to be an interesting project 😊
@uptownsamcv
12 hours ago
they actually make an aluminum thermostat housing for that. whenever I do a cooling system repair and plastic parts are involved I check for an aftermarket aluminum replacement. lots of aftermarket companies know that plastic cooling system parts are an issue. they actually make aluminum thermostat housings for that mini cooper.
@@JohnSmith-pl2bk Not as simple as that, cavitation in the cooling system can eat away the aluminum part faster than plastic depending on the flow and any dampaning in the system.
@@pjladd04 this going to be an expensive project you mean. Oil is getting past the valve guides and then burning. Why? Cracked head.
Valve stem seals.
@@adotintheshark4848 in my case it was valve seals, not a cracked head. Let's not be dramatic.
My Grand daughter took her Mini(has a turbo) to a shop near her to have it inspected and an oil and filter change. She got a call from the shop later in the day saying one of the mechanics broke something while removing the filter and now they are waiting on the replacement part, Will b e interesting to see if they have to remove a bunch of things for the repair. They admitted wrong, so that's a plus.
The poor mechanic is gonna have to eat that for lunch the next 6 weeks 😂
@@doglegjake6788 Update, He cracked the oil filter housing, and they will have it in by Saturday. I hope she gets a good used Toyota, before disaster strikes.
@@billtodd6509 CNBC just released a video talking about why USED Toyotas and Hondas are expensive. Yes, because when people learn their good lessons buying new or old other brands, they know they should have bought a used Toyota or Honda in the first place
Know this is a month (plus) old comment, but just wanted to say that damaging the oil filter housing or oil filter cap is *very* easy. The filter system uses a plastic cap on the housing, which is supposed to be torqued to a spec listed on the cap. Those caps can get brittle and break, or someone can easily get careless and over-toque the cap, which can damage the cap and housing. Tried helping a friend with an oil change a month or so ago, and cracked the filter cap trying to torque it to spec, the cap had just gotten too brittle. Learned then and there to just snug caps like that up, not to torque them.
THE oil filter is know to leak for sure. 6:26 the convoluted piece of plastic is a thermostat housing that look like a nightmare.
@uptownsamcv
12 hours ago
they actually make an aluminum thermostat housing for that. whenever I do a cooling system repair and plastic parts are involved I check for an aftermarket aluminum replacement. lots of aftermarket companies know that plastic cooling system parts are an issue. they actually make aluminum thermostat housings for that mini cooper.
@@JohnSmith-pl2bk Thanks John, I will use a metal over a plastic housing. Peace v
I'm no BMW or plastic lover, but just for balance, I have recently had 2 internally corroded steel coolant pipes replaced on my Subaru Outback at 150000 miles due to leakage. Had to be ordered from Japan and a big teardown to replace.
Yeah, I had an old supercharged S. The plastics are terrible and the rubber gaskets all harden and leak. I was constantly chasing leaks at 130k miles. I eventually got it to stay dry, but had to replace a lot to get there. You definitely need to be able to do your own wrenching to make them worth keeping. It was an absolute blast to drive though.
Great video, Wizard. Bumper blocks, also known as parking curbs, wheel stops, or parking bumpers, are precast concrete barriers designed to enhance parking areas' safety and visual appeal. But that is so far back. It was probably a speed bump.
Wizard you and Misses Wizard make me laugh! Thank you so much. She’s the best “straight man” ever. I love my SL55 and my wife loves her Mini S. But the up keep takes time and money for sure. That’s why our daily drivers are an 06 Frontier and a Miata with a K24 swap. LOL
So glad I'm retired. I worked on very few of these but several had the same problems. Expensive and a pain to fix. I'd ask the customer "Why'd you but it?" and they would say "It's so cute!" Whatever. Parts are not cheap, either.
I almost purchased one of these a few years back. After seeing that it had 7 previous owners, I passed.
2014-2016 I used to work very close to an independent MINI mechanic, I never saw the place without at least three cars in there with the front off...complete garbage.
Good engineering is a lost art at auto manufacturers. They all produce garbage certainly not worth the money they want for these machines.
They design them that way on purpose so there will be catastrophic failures. Chrysler are the worst American cars but I would buy them long before I would buy a German car. We should not be allowed to import anything made in Germany until they stop being criminals. Remember that Volkswagen diesel scandal? Volkswagen should’ve been banned from the United States permanently
Nothing to do with engineering but quality
It's on purpose man. They know plastic has a service life. If they used metal it wouldn't have that problem. They know that. They also know they can only sell you one car every so often so they want it to break beyond sensible repair so they can sell a new one every so often too. That's corporations for you.
@@neil9616 Same thing, they've engineered the quality out just so it will get past new car warranty.
@@neil9616 Had they made the car just 6" longer the engine compartment would be big enough to allow access to these parts. My old AMC I6 engine was great-changing the water pump took 30 minutes.
C. Just had it done for the oil filter HOUSING gaskets, along with the oil cooler housing gaskets....plus I upgrade the oil cooler line to flexible S.S. line AND changed the oil return tube, too.
While the car was apart, I also had the following replaced: crank shaft seal, water pump, friction pulley, and new v-belt. Plus, transmission fluid replaced along with filter. Naturally, a coolant flush was also done, while at it. NO OIL leaks anymore!
Already did the thermostat and crossover pipe by myself. [the crossover pipe broke at the back of the water pump housing. I needed a 1.5 ft long pick and a boroscope to see down there to remove the bits and pieces from the housing, before installing the new pipe with O ring. The bluetooth HD boroscope was cheap, and a lifesaver.]
PS: I went with an aftermarket valve cover (Aluminum) and did that job myself, last year. Half the price of the OEM plastic cover. Works much better...and it looks much better too. Doesn't warp from the turbo heat. This part is readily available on eBay or AliExpress, incl. PCV and new gaskets.
There is a reason why here in the UK you can buy Mini after Mini listed in the £1,000 - £3,000 price range. They cost a fortune to repair.
Anytime I see a car that was expensive brand new but dirt cheap used. It’s a sign that repairs are very expensive
Seen them go for £300 actually.
@@Kevinb1821 fully agree. I look through car sale sites in the UK and I have seen Porsche Cayenne going for £4,000 and that will totally make you cry to sleep with repairs. We have tons of Audi TT's for £1,000 to £3,000. Same with high mileage BMW 320's etc. I nearly bought a 2007 BMW 530D for 3 grand and spoke to a mechanic who specialises in BMW and he told me to run from it. Ended up with a Honda that I ran for near 3 years with not one single issue or breakdown.
@@Kevinb1821 It's a German car out of warranty, so yea, repairs are very expensive.
@@Kevinb1821 The sad thing is MINIs really aren't that expensive new, they're moderately priced cars with BMW-priced parts and service, so no surprise owners often run into trouble affording things once they're out of warranty
I know SHOPS can't cut corners, do hack stuff, BUT on the WJ Jeep Grand cherokees a nice shortcut for REMOVING the ENTIRE front clip to access the E-fan relay is just to pop out the passenger headlight and holesaw a 2" cut through plastic shroud for perfect access to relay. Also cut access in floor board to access nightmare location of crank sensor (reads flywheel revolutions) and on 2nd gen Explorer did "professional" fuel pump access panel" under rear seat...not as difficult as one might think.
0:56 Something to do with the cartridge oil filter system.
Housing, Stripped Threads, Warped Cap, Overheated Assembly, or abuse from techs who didnt have any Fs to give.
I remember a couple of months ago on the SMA channel with EricO, where he also had a car where the Oil Filter housing seal was leaking, but it wasn't THAT much of an issue to replace. His issue was that the seal was on permanent backorder, so he had to replace the complete oil filter housing, which came with a new seal.
The excuse that ‘it has to be maintained’ is garbage. Putting a stupid plastic coolant pipe is doomed to fail in a part that is constantly exposed to heat cycling. On our Hondas, the coolant crossover pipe is metal and goes into a metal housing using a rubber O-ring. Doesn’t leak and doesn’t fall apart. This is all cheap cost-cutting and these vehicles aren’t designed for the long term.
@@shelzmike
@uptownsamcv
12 hours ago
they actually make an aluminum thermostat housing for that. whenever I do a cooling system repair and plastic parts are involved I check for an aftermarket aluminum replacement. lots of aftermarket companies know that plastic cooling system parts are an issue. they actually make aluminum thermostat housings for that mini cooper.
Yeah that's what I was saying at that point. That pipe didn't disintegrate due to failure to maintain. The gasket didn't fail for that reason either - and failure to maintain wasn't why it was engineered to require so much work to access it.
@ as consumers we have to start holding manufacturers responsible for these disposable products. In a sense we do because of depreciation, but most cars are disposed of so quickly that manufacturers get away with shoddy designs.
It's copium for sure. A lot of things that fail on these cars are blatant repairs vs "maintenance" I mean hell, even rod bearings. People are so worried about them they get them replaced at intervals on some BMWs. Like what? Rod bearings are supposed to last the life of the car.
I owned a '09 Mini Cooper Clubman S, and I've been down the thermostat replacement myself. Fortunately I was able to find a step-by-step YT video on replacement, so I was able to do the task myself. My MINIs (also owned a '18 Countryman S All4) were for the most part reliable, and proper maintenance is key. I religiously followed the manufacturer's maintenance schedule on both and was better for it. I'd gladly own another, just not the most recent batch- they have lost the plot where MINI is concerned, I'd stick to R series (R53, R56, R55, etc) and maybe F series (F56, F60, etc). Comprehensive service history with the vehicle is a must.
The average lifespan and mileage expectations for cars between here and in Germany differ considerably. German cars may be often built with high precision but, paradoxically, aren't typically expected to reach the high mileage that many American drivers expect. Therefore, German vehicles are often retired well before hitting 100,000 miles.
In contrast, a car in the U.S. with 100,000 miles can be seen as "just broken in," with many owners expecting at least double that mileage, especially with proper maintenance. This aligns with the American preference for longevity and a more extensive used car market, where high-mileage vehicles are still seen as viable and valued. German quality that results in reliability and longevity is a thing of the past. Every new Consumer Report is proving this. I owned a Passat with biodegradable plastics that biodegraded while driving.
The 1.9PD engine from Germany is a bit of a legend though. Very long lived and also made with good precision - no oil use even after 200,000km.
You should know to tell the customer that they probably will need a new thermostat housing, plastic parts wherever you are close included into the estimate, as you said, you know it is fragile, so its not like you do not know this, and tell them in worst case scenario it will be that, anything else is bonus for the customer as you can send back the parts to pull it off the bill.
also it will keep flow better in your shop if you do this as you will have all parts ready.
I bent a $1.50 clip inside the transmission of my DeLorean, and now it crunches ever so slightly when you shift quickly into Second. I bent it by slam shifting it a couple times. It requires a complete tear down to replace. That was 20 years ago. It still needs replaced.
If only you had a time machine to go back to when you did that. 😉
As a long time owner of Mini Coopers I want to thank you for this video. The thermostat issues are just ridiculous. I love, love, love Mini Coopers as for the money I can not afford a better handling car. Even changing the running lights requires a special pair of pliers. I worry as my bought new 2006 "S" is a time bomb due to the coolant eroding the plastic. I have put just under 60k since new and they are just a flat out blast to drive.
Service manual was actually spot on?😮 I just pulled a servo from a 2014 IS 350 all you have to do to access it is remove the glove box with 5 screws and 2 panels , but the service manual says to remove the entire center console and I believe the carpet 😂
100%
I had an ‘04 Cooper S. As you mentioned, the plastics were horrible. Every time I had to perform basic maintenance and checks, the plastic parts would deform or down right crack with the slightest bit of flexing just to try to get at something. And they’d fail after only one or two times of being removed and put back on. And access was also a problem as you highlighted here. Not to mention every time I did have to bring it to the shop it was a guarantee I’d be kissing $1200 to $1500 goodbye.
I own a Mini Clubman diesel, it just loves the winding country lanes over here in the Uk. Loved by anyone that had the original Mini. Its the retro thing. Generally cheap to run, unless you let the subframe rot, or need a bush changed. Its a car that needs to be loved.
I ran a cooper diesel for 5 years and it only needed 2 injectors once. Other than than it just needed oil and brakes.
“The bill is definitely not gonna be mini” but “many”
Endless money pit! -Scotty Kilmer-
@@thehound5794 Drunk Scotty on anything that isn't an outdated Toyota.
He's right.. Cannot compete with cheap plastics used in coolant parts that's should of been aluminum
I owned a 2009 R55 Clubman with the same Peugeot/Prince Engine. The thermostat housing was replaced at 8,000 miles under warranty due to a coolant leak. The best decision I made was selling it private party back in 2016 with only 29,000 miles.
There were a lot of problems with the early Prince units. The 2011-13 updated engines were far more reliable.
We own a 2014 Mini Cooper Countryman. I maintain the living heck out of it. Had it about 9 years and no trouble so far. I put new plugs in the vehicle at 50 K miles. Being careful while doing this simple job still caused plastic parts to break!! I often wonder what kind of cheap crap they use on these expensive cars. My 1995 Toyota P/U truck still has all the original plastic parts in good shape........ go figure!
@uptownsamcv
12 hours ago
they actually make an aluminum thermostat housing for that. whenever I do a cooling system repair and plastic parts are involved I check for an aftermarket aluminum replacement. lots of aftermarket companies know that plastic cooling system parts are an issue. they actually make aluminum thermostat housings for that mini cooper.
Plastic and rubber car parts don't last as long anymore because chemicals that used to be added to them to make them more stable are no longer legal as they were giving workers cancer. That's why a lot of people prefer New Old Stock parts to modern ones.
I get you with the BMW's. As a mechanic in Europe, it's not only bimmers. Is about everything on the market nowadays. But that engine, is a Peugeot one. A crappy one, it has to be said. No excuse, but those faults are well known in Peugeot's, gas and diesel cars, as they are very similar in their design...
Design has nothing to do with it is the quality
Block is peugeot, head is bmw.
I really enjoy your common sense approach to vehicle maintenance and repairs
Had the same issue with 2014 mini but its the B48 not the N series engine. Upgraded the housing to an aluminum one. Took me just over 2 hours to do in my driveway. I spent about $150 that included the housing, oil and coolant. Housing included a new filter but again this was on the b58 2.0 engine not the older series engine
How's the reliability with the newer BMW engines? Still leaky?
Its been ok so far, I have the mini with 106k so so good and a bmw x1 with the same engine
I have an 07 Cooper S and have just done all of that plus the water pump, coils and there is still an annoying little leak behind the turbo. It’s amazing how many brittle plastic bits give up the ghost when trying to pull them apart. My local mechanics won’t touch it purely because of the labour cost to do any work. Andy (Australia)
I knew in the late 90's when I first seen plastic valve covers and intake manifolds the crap show was coming!
*Valve
Yeah exactly 'it's because people don't maintain their cars' how the hell you supposed to maintain cheap plastic lmao
@@Sam-go3mb
You replace it instead.
One time use Ford sump pans.
1 time use plastic valve covers WITH integral PCV valves....$800 to replace the PCV valve.....
@JohnSmith-pl2bk yeah manufacturers that do that can 'replace' my foot in their ass instead
Plastic intake manifold... lots of thermal cycles. What a great idea. I worked with a very competent engineer who interned with Fisher Price at the beginning of his career, working on Power Wheels. I'll bet Fisher Price can make a better intake manifold.
The more I watch your show, the more I love my 1990 Mustang daily driver. My 82 sits in the driveway…minty status. Any of my 4 foxbody mustangs easy to work on minus age issues. Any Mustangs are cars built with reality fixing possible problems… I love them…BMW is garbage… I seen them at pick n pull…obvious unreliablity
I get it, preventative maintenance is important but how do you maintain for end of life plastic? Short of a midlife overhaul at 100,000 miles where you pre emptively replace all the potential plastic failure points you really don’t have much of a choice.
100k is not "mid-life" in Europe, it's "I'm surprised it's still running" - we don't do as many miles as Americans so that 100k generally takes 10 years or so by which point everything is worn out on the car so it's best to replace it.
@@lloydcollins6337 A 10 year, 100,000mile/150,000km car should be "just run-in"!
"Doing the maintenance" on a BMW or MINI is *precisely* replacing all the plastic cooling system parts every 7-10 years or so!
Ironically my Fiat Neon (2015 Dodge Dart) did something similar to me. Replaced an oil pan gasket because it was leaking to find that there was a 2nd leak from the thermostat housing, then found another leak from a heater hose. Ended up replacing most of the coolant hoses (1 was replaced last year).
9:10 - I call them parking blocks. But I've heard people call them all kikds of things.
Also called brick bats. Usually on the east coast.
Nothing beats a 72 Malibu 4 door, you can fix the factory air, put a good sound system and comfortable seats!
Not surprised at the level of tear down to get at something so small. I still remember reading in my shade tree mechanic’s book for my previous Accord that if the starter goes out, the entire intake manifold has to come out (and before that, the radiator has to be drained due to a passage through the throttle body). I’ve also seen clips on the Dave’s Auto channel where they have to hoist up the pickup cab to get at the engine for a rebuild!
I love when people go under and show any car especially in any Cooper of course thanks for video!
My mother got a new Mini of this generation. It was very well cared for, all regular services.. It started regularly breaking down after just 7 or 8 years with around 70K miles..
Junk cars, but fun to drive, like most BMW's.
I owned a 2013 Daewoo Sonic branded as a Chevy, 1.4L turbo, which was at least that bad, maybe worse. I bought it with under 30,000 miles from a relative who didn't need it anymore. I spent the next 60,000+ miles constantly working on it, it also had a thermostat like that, the PCV system was built into the plastic cam cover and the plastic intake manifold, which I replaced twice. The turbo oil line sprung a leak. The water pump failed. The evap cannister purge valve failed several times. Quite a few other things failed as well. And just before 100,000 miles the cam chain broke, destroying the engine. Meanwhile, my 2006 Mercury Grand Marquis just passed 390,000 miles, the only engine related problems were a failed alternator, a bad MAF sensor, and a serpentine belt tensioner and idler pulley. I just put new plugs in it. It's on its third set of plugs since new. It still has its original timing components, with no sign of a cam chain rattle. Transmission is also original, and has never been worked on.
How would maintenance have prevented any of those problems? Looks like they were all gasket/seal failures.
All cars built after 2000, save for a few Asian vehicles, are meant to be recycled after the warranty expires. Otherwise, it's like owning a boat or recreational vehicle. A constant drain on the pocketbook as one thing after the other fails.
Acura/Lexus made some of their best cars in the 2000s. Highly recommend if you don't want anything too old.
My 2002 Lexus Lx470 says ill run forever. Its the Jap cars designed in the 90s that are still great and reliable and were still sold through the early 2000's that will we see on the roads for a long time. Still do.
I see your comment and raise you a GMT800. These trucks will outlast about everything, as long as they don't rust.
As much as some of the bells and whistles are great, anymore I would rather spend less (except for RCTA, backup camera and sensors, and Adaptive Cruise) knowing that the car isn’t likely to last. I’m not going to pay for a moonroof or Nappa leather for a car that may wind up in a compactor in 10 years.
As the owner of an ‘05 Mini, I can confirm that direct from the mouth of BMW USA Corporate in New Jersey: “Lifetime means 10 years.”
I hope there is metal replacement or aftermarket for the plastic parts. I had a 2005 VW Passat, so many Audi plastic engine parts, which I was able to have repairs done with metal parts. Plastic is going to bend, fatigue, or melt.
So your friend says it’s a lack of regular maintenance? No way! Preventative maintenance shouldn’t include half the stuff you’re dealing with there.
You've got to properly maintain that IKEA bathroom sink drain pipe. Polish it regularly. Oh wait, you can't, because it's inaccessible.
That’s German myopia
Once upon a time I used to be a parts guy at a collision repair shop. Our techs seriously hated the new BMW Minis. Me, I loved the Austin Mini I started with all those years ago.
LOL "Achey-Breakey Plastic."
I'd say creaky leaky is more accurate
It could be worse! It could have been Another Motor Gone aka AMG. How much for a replacement engine? $60,000. I just need a crank and a block. We have one crank left in inventory and it will be $12,000. Get on the order list and we will make you a block in approximately 6 months for $20,000.
Recycling container plastic used to fab the original parts. Green tech is just amazing for long-term durability!
The Car Wizard would hate aviation maintenance, there is a lot of tearing down to get access to the cheap simple fix.
Most planes like Cessna are easier then cars to work on
That T-stat is crazy. My Friend had a jag and some of the coolant hoses were pretty crazy.
The owner of that mini is just starting on their journey of massive maintenance costs,, I bet they got a shock when they got your bill.!! Well done finding ALL the issues and fixing them. By the looks of the black sooty exhaust it won’t be long before it’s back in your shop sadly
That the definition of a endless money pit.
See other comments..1 quart per 1000 miles of sump oil is "normal"..
I have a 2014 countryman All 4 JCW (R60/N18B16A) which I bought with 70k miles on it. Full service history on a one owner car which has done another 50k miles in my ownership. The only non service thing that I’ve done to it was to change the long life transmission oil (gearbox and transfer box) for “normal” oil which solved the stiff/slow gearchange. No issues with it at all although the oil change is awkward and takes time.
My wife wanted to get one of those Mini Coopers. I said "I don't think so". Glad she has a Honda.
i've bought 3. all problem free. Hondas are great if all you need is an appliance.
I work as a mechanic in a Montreal shop. At least 5 times, we gave an expensive repair estimate on a mini. The guy would say, "God I hate those cars!!!" So we'd tell him, well, fix it then get rid of it. But invariably the answer was, "Can't. My wife loves it...". You, sir, are a lucky man!
I have an e92 with an N52 engine. The oil filter housing is known to leak like this because of perished seals.
BUT...with the way the N52 is configured, oil will leak onto the belts. Apparently, if enough leaks onto them and they slip off, the engine will physically ingest them and blow the whole thing.
With all these youtube videos showcasing how much of a nightmare it is to fix these Mini's, I'm shocked people are still driving them...
They are fashion statements like Stilettos. The people that buy them don't care that they are impractical and expensive.
@@Noah_Eor they think mini is just a ordinary brand like Honda
They are like BMW, they are fast, fun to drive, and it occasionally turns an eye.
@@Magicstarfire I know that is just normal people would think mini is a separate grange
They don't care cuz they are cute and a BMW!
I use to work on minis.with the right tools, you take the heat shields off the cat u have enough room to drop it with out taking everything you did apart. I hateted working on minis but once you learn the short cuts they are great money makers. The oil filter housing job would take me about 1:50 min. To r and r.
I remember reading as a kid, decades ago, about "planned obsolescence" in the auto industry so the concept is certainly not obsolete!
Great "wrenching" video Wizard (and Ms. Wizard), You have stepped up the mechanics and wrenching in the last few videos, and I for one wanted to let ya'll know that it is Great!!!!~~ That is why I watch.!!~
Owned 4 Minis, 2 Coopers when in the UK. Aside from punctures and a windscreen they were trouble free but we did maintain them to schedule. You are not going to pass the annual test there to keep them on the road if you don’t. Mini is top 5 in the 2024 reliability tables for the US.
Exactly. Much of the US has no MoT equivalent and the vast majority of people here don’t look after their cars. In Ohio people look for used cars from Pennsylvania which does require annual safety inspections.
Dude I'm laughing so hard. I mainly work on e36 and e46 (late 90s early 2000s) BMWs and they have the exact same problems. At the beginning when you said problem with the oil filter, I immediately said oil filter housing gasket and I was right🤣. Same things happen with the coolant pipes, they snap off. Its just funny cause I've never touched a cooper. Hell, even the new b58 engine has problems with expansion tanks and oil filter housings. Fortunately, the aftermarket support is amazing and you can get upgraded parts to make them bulletproof.
I’ve gotten pretty good at getting mine into service position. Takes about 30 minutes. I have to tackle the rear main seal and going to do a new clutch since I’m already there. Love the little car, it’s so fun.
We bought two new cars in 2005. A smart cabrio and a CTS sedan. The CTS was a lovely car to drive and came with full maintenance for four years. It was a dream to own (and the person who bought it is still driving it all these years later). The smart was super fun and a great city car. All services were done on or before time at Mercedes-Benz. Cost a damn fortune. The a/c failed completely 5 times in four years (covered by the basic and an extended warranty) but quite inconvenient. I finally sold it when M-B would not warranty an obviously failing alternator. After all those "A" and "B" services, I had had enough. I am reluctant to try German again.
Ask your german friend how many miles a year the average german actually drives
in average 10kmls
As a mini cooper tech this hurts my soul. Service mode take 25 min and you'd have complete access
what the hell is service mode?
@@eotikurac Service mode is when the mechanic raises the rear end up waist high, puts rear wheels on blocks., then the mechanic services it until it screams.
@@eotikurac Front-end service mode is when you pull the front (bumper, crash bar and move the radiator a bit), which is, to the uninitiated "pull the whole front-end", and to the initiated a painless 20/25 min job that gives easy access to everything at the front of the engine.
Some mechanics like to complain about this procedure.
But when you look at the engine bay, how else could you fit everything in a way that every common failure is easy to fix? There is simply no way.
Front-end service mode is the next best thing (and not exclusive to BMW).
@eotikurac you can pull the entire front clip, radiator, bumpers, bracing and intercooler all as an assembly. It takes 25 min and you have complete access to the engine.
@@Maroco918 You forgot to mention the first gen is even easier because the headlights are connected to the hood/bonnet. Also doesn't have the metal brace going to the strut towers. After owning 6 Mini's I'll admit the supercharged is my favorite.
Had a 2008 Cooper S, and it did this exact same thing to me. Pulled the thermostat assembly off (and admittedly, I probably wasn't as careful as I should've been) and hear that plastic coolant tube crack where it connects to the block. But hey, I guess that was better than having it crack later on and having to tear the whole car back apart again.
in Europe we have mandatory car inspections every year or two depending on country, you won`t pass it with these issues.
In the US, we have annual mandatory inspections as well. The car can not have an annual registration without one.
@@TheBTG88 That depends on the state, and from what I can tell, US state inspections are universally jokes compared to things like the British MOT, Dutch APK, or German TÜV.
@ I have cars in both New York State and California. Emissions, safety, and maintenance inspections are required every 12 months. Cars are not legally allowed on public roads and can not be registered unless they pass all of them.
@@MrBlueBurd0451 Correct. I live in Alabama, and there is no inspection OR emissions testing here. I lived in GA for over 30 years, they have emissions testing only, depending on which county you live in. I was born and raised in PA where there is both annual inspection and emission testing.
@@TheBTG88 There are 48 other states, champ. Most of the forgotten ones in the middle don't require anything.
ECS makes a upgraded cross pipe made from aluminum. I have purchased 2 so far. Install it and you never have that problem again. You can also get thermostat housings made from aluminum but never used any before.
Its an engine built by BMW along with Peugeot and Citroen. Great combination!
NO! it's 100% a bmw. the only part that breaks down on a peugeot 208 is german - the engine.
@@eotikurac no it's not. The Mini in the video is a 2013 R56 with the N16 variant of the Prince Engine, which is a PSA engine on which BMW added a few things (like the unreliable timing chain and VANOS). It's the least unreliable variant of all petrol R56, but the whole 2nd generation (from 2007 to 2013, a bit later for convertibles/countryman) is widely known as unreliable and costly to maintain.
You're thinking of the 3rd generation, F-chassis with BMW B-series engines, which are overall considered reliable for a BMW product.
Interesting to know that this gasket is easier on the prior r53 from 2003, although suffers the same issue with service mode... But I forgive that model for being so much smaller with much more packed in. Sad to see that even with these much bigger minis this stuff is a problem.
Don't understand why people gush over BMW. Guess they never had to fix one.🙄🦅
They're great until the warranty wears out. After about three years, all the plastic stuff starts deteriorating, and then it turns into a big money pit.
Or PAY to have one fixed! 😅
There's a certain cohort of people that buy used BMWs as a means of trying to buy street cred. Of course, this then results in greater loss of money than with a regular car. Either bricked in the driveway or stupid stuff like broken window actuators that they never bother to fix.
Oh I know the pain. The same gasket failed in mine beginning this year, but instead of oil, coolant was leaking. Before that the cross pipe broke so they changed the thermostat, pump and everything that can go wrong.
A $2K repair is reasonable after 11 years. That's about 2 month's payments on a new car.
People don't budget for car repairs, so they spend every penny they have and freak out when a minor cost arises.
@@tim3172 True. A friend recently had a $2K repair that was in the shop multiple times for the same repair. He bought a new car.
I just finished up doing that crossover pipe and thermostat housing on my '12 mini. Was rough, but was able to do it on my own.
I love driving the car, but maintaining it is rough some days.
I disagree that it's a "lack of maintenance" problem. European cars have had enormous problems in North America in general, and I think some of it is more related to differences in climate, which results in more problems with some of the materials chosen to build the car with. Plastics aren't ideal for cars, but other manufacturers generally seem to manage to be more successful with them, so perhaps BMW is selecting plastic formulations that suffer more degradation in our environment.
A lot of people I know who own BMWs (and other German cars) do regular maintenance.
I own a Japanese car. I change the oil.
The End.
It's not the climate, Germany has winter weather just like our northern cities. I would love to see a panel discussion of automotive engineers from GM, Stellantis, Toyota, Honda, Audi, BMW, Mercedes. These are the guys we should be mad at.
Thank you for all the videos! Great job as usual man.
BMW = Bavarian Manure Wagon.
I should add about the smart. You also had to remove the front bodywork to replace the headlight bulbs. I got quite good at it (unfortunately).
Just my 2 cents but driving a BMW down south with plastic parts is a recipe for disaster why cause those parts become super brittle. I've own many BMW's you must stay on top of inspections and you must do weekly inspections I live in Texas and I've learned 101 degree heat the car will never last and you say what many mechanics say about Americans drive it till the wheels burst off.
Love the Jarvik 5! Also the mystery word for is what it hit is the is "wallet", it hit a wallet.
2025 will be the year of DIY auto repair. Two thirds of Americans will be living paycheck to paycheck.
Vote accordingly. DJT.
@@stackenali7059 yikes
@@stackenali7059 VOTE TRUMP. VERY GOOD FOR AMERIKANS
@@stackenali7059 YES! Vote for the only "president" since the Great Depression to leave office with fewer jobs than when he started!
Vote for the "man" who oversaw almost a million preventable deaths! (Mostly his followers, fortunately).
Vote for the chud who "presided" over the top-10 single-day stock drops as your 401K evaporated into thin air!
We all know repugnants are the party of fiscal responsibility, so why not re-elect the guy who added 25% (7.8 TRILLION dollars) to our national debt and whose spending plan will add more than 6 trillion more?
Remember, when voting Chump, make sure you request a crayon to match your IQ.
The absolute worst part of removing the core support assembly here in the rust belt are the headlight mounting bolts and ac condenser bolts. Both seize in almost every mini I've worked on.
Do not buy any Mini Cooper vehicle, ever.
Happy for you and Ninja 😂
Hoovie brought a Veyron.
Both plan for a new house 😂
Ahhh, BMW parts cobbled together by English workers, what could go wrong?
@CarWizard The n12/n16 engine in Mini R56 is actually not BMW, it is Prince engine from Peugeot, French....
Developed jointly by BMW and Peugeot and assembled by BMW at Hams Hall, England, using components supplied by Peugeot. Not really fare to say its all one or the other, its a joint venture product, but BMW is the most responsible for the ones that went into MINIs.
@11sfr base for the engine was PSA, head was enhanced by VANOS and some other few diddly bits by BMW, hence the "jointly developed". It was a replacement for Mini Trident engines and a stop gap until BMW developed own small Euro6 eengines. Prince was initially euro4 spec, then with LCI euro5 when they added ECU controlled oil pump and stop/start. Same engines were used in both forms NA and turbo by both companies. Hams Hall was supplying engines to both companies, PSA Royton and Mini Cowley.
BMW and British design. The worst combination
Lol facts
You mean the Titanic.
@@Mac-t4y The Titanic was built in Ireland (modern-day Northern Ireland) using British components.
The head designer Thomas Andrews was Irish. The people who conceptualized it were British.
The ship building company Harland and Wolff was British (headquartered in England at the time) and it was constructed using Irish labor.
There was... no involvement from BMW or German... anything?
BMWs have the same issue with the filter housing. Cheap gasket costs a fortune to replace.
First car was a 1972 original mini clubman estate. Although eventually it rusted to dust, mechanically it was fairly easy to work on and could do most of the jobs on it myself, and for a small car it was quite comfortable. Had a new BMW Mini in 2010 and it was awful; gave me backache to go on any journeys over 20 miles and most self maintenance was very limited. Not a good experience.🙁
You remove the lower motor mount. Then strap the engine forward. Check the Mod Mini video on the subject.
Turn the radio up has always been my go to reapair solution 😂