£4K to spend what would you do ?

[phib]

I really need a small car for family to use when they come and stay ... after a bumper incident on my rs6 and the mother in law !

So been looking at minis which I like and am well aware of timing chain issues etc

I really fancy a cooper s as I will use it a bit as well.

But the bit i don’t know is when you got a new timing chain kit does that fix the issues once and for all ? Or is it something you need to revisit ?

Basically have about £3k- £4K to spend on one but don't wang to end up spending another £1k to sort engine out.

Any advice very welcome

Phib

[E-bmw]

Firstly you need to decide which one you want as some have the issue & some don't.

The r53 01/06 Supercharged Cooper s doesn't, the next model does & your £3/4k is on the money for either.

[crankedup]

We have just purchased a 2009 cooper, 68000 on the clock, FSH, all of the ‘issues’ addressed correctly such as the timing chain. Admit it’s a base car but 3.5k from a private seller it was a no brained for us, great little car.

[phib]

Thanks guys, I think the turbo one is the one I want as the mpg is better in theory.

3.5 for 68k miles one sounds good

Thanks

Phib

[phib]

Can I ask what the other issues were that were addressed ?

Thanks

[SlimJim16v]

You have to think of the timing chain as a service item, maybe 50k.
Some also drink oil, the only way you'll find out is to buy it.

[Burgmeister]

You'll hear loads of scaremongering over the the R56 N14 engine - which, if you want an S on that budget, is what you'll be buying.

I own one; bought at 55k miles and now on 75k miles.

It needed a new chain and tensioners and a new thermostat housing (it is made of plastic and you'll know its leaking as you'll have no coolant in the reservoir) as soon as I bought it. The cost of these was c. £900.

It isn't a cheap car to run; mine often needs various things doing but then it is no spring chicken and is to be expected. I have persevered with run flats at c. £110 a corner and which last about 2 years on the fronts but many choose to do away with them for ride quality reasons.

Mine drinks oil, roughly 8 litres a year. The dipstick is useless and now i've got a sense of when it needs to be topped up. Another warning that you're running low on oil is if the oil light comes up on the dash if you take a corner in a spirited fashion and then goes off once you complete the corner.

Mine has recently needed a new coil pack as it was misfiring under load. Mine also is likely to need a new clutch soon and im waiting for the fuel pump to 'die' as that's another common fault.

Mine has never actually let me down and left me stranded at the roadside but it does go through service items far more quickly than any of my previous cars (MX5's and VW Polo/ Golf).

[CoolHands]

As comments above. I have a 2009 cooper s, first thing I had done was a walnut decoke (quite cheap). I’ve had to replace the thermostat housing (developed a leak) and water pipe (as worth doing at same time if you’ve removed the inlet manifold etc for ease of access) which I did myself; quite enjoyable if you like working on cars. Dipstick is useless you need to make sure you keep oil topped up as it’s possibly the cause of timing chain issues (oil runs low).

Also for chap above - I’ve read that a new rocker cover can help cure oil burning issues as the inbuilt valves become useless. No cure except renewal.

Thermostat + pipe

Edited by CoolHands on Tuesday 23 July 15:23

[crankedup]

phib said:

Can I ask what the other issues were that were addressed ?

Thanks

Our cooper, 2009 model has had the timing chain/hubs complete kit.
Bolt crank lower.
V Belt
inlet solenoid
sump sealer
and of course fresh engine oil & filter
That cost £986 inc.

The vanos valve solenoid £240 inc

Edit to add : thermostat housing replaced at £185.

Previous owner had the joy of this little lot at around the 60,000 mile mark. Every car has its weak points so spending about 1k every 60,000 miles isn’t at all bad on the mini weak points.
Having said that it looks like our A/C has packed up, separate thread.

Edited by crankedup on Tuesday 23 July 15:04