MINI Timing Chain Tensioner - Engine Siezure
Discussion
Hi,
Resurrecting this one with an update on a 2015 R59 Mini Cooper S Roadster with full service history and a 12 month warranty:
Purchased from a Nissan Dealership with just 30240 miles on the clock. I had driven it less than 600 miles when the 'Death Rattle' occurred and I had a P1338 code pop up on the dash. This is a generic code for cam timing so the Nissan dealership sent the car to MINI and they diagnosed a Timing Chain failure. MINI refused to pay toward the cost but Nissan stepped in and paid the entire bill and gave me a courtesy car for the two weeks that MINI had it. Now previously I had an R53 Cooper S that had done 181,000 miles with no engine issues (supercharger was serviced at 100,000 and the power steering pump was replaced at 120,000). Seeing as my car is a later engine I would say be very wary on any Mini from 2007 to 2018, which I believe is when they have replaced the Peugeot units with the BMW engines. How can the R53 Chrysler unit (also a timing chain) do 180,000 and yet the Peugeot unit fails at 30,000?
I should have bought a 350Z from Nissan instead.
Resurrecting this one with an update on a 2015 R59 Mini Cooper S Roadster with full service history and a 12 month warranty:
Purchased from a Nissan Dealership with just 30240 miles on the clock. I had driven it less than 600 miles when the 'Death Rattle' occurred and I had a P1338 code pop up on the dash. This is a generic code for cam timing so the Nissan dealership sent the car to MINI and they diagnosed a Timing Chain failure. MINI refused to pay toward the cost but Nissan stepped in and paid the entire bill and gave me a courtesy car for the two weeks that MINI had it. Now previously I had an R53 Cooper S that had done 181,000 miles with no engine issues (supercharger was serviced at 100,000 and the power steering pump was replaced at 120,000). Seeing as my car is a later engine I would say be very wary on any Mini from 2007 to 2018, which I believe is when they have replaced the Peugeot units with the BMW engines. How can the R53 Chrysler unit (also a timing chain) do 180,000 and yet the Peugeot unit fails at 30,000?
I should have bought a 350Z from Nissan instead.
zipimini said:
Hi,
Resurrecting this one with an update on a 2015 R59 Mini Cooper S Roadster with full service history and a 12 month warranty:
Purchased from a Nissan Dealership with just 30240 miles on the clock. I had driven it less than 600 miles when the 'Death Rattle' occurred and I had a P1338 code pop up on the dash. This is a generic code for cam timing so the Nissan dealership sent the car to MINI and they diagnosed a Timing Chain failure. MINI refused to pay toward the cost but Nissan stepped in and paid the entire bill and gave me a courtesy car for the two weeks that MINI had it. Now previously I had an R53 Cooper S that had done 181,000 miles with no engine issues (supercharger was serviced at 100,000 and the power steering pump was replaced at 120,000). Seeing as my car is a later engine I would say be very wary on any Mini from 2007 to 2018, which I believe is when they have replaced the Peugeot units with the BMW engines. How can the R53 Chrysler unit (also a timing chain) do 180,000 and yet the Peugeot unit fails at 30,000?
I should have bought a 350Z from Nissan instead.
iResurrecting this one with an update on a 2015 R59 Mini Cooper S Roadster with full service history and a 12 month warranty:
Purchased from a Nissan Dealership with just 30240 miles on the clock. I had driven it less than 600 miles when the 'Death Rattle' occurred and I had a P1338 code pop up on the dash. This is a generic code for cam timing so the Nissan dealership sent the car to MINI and they diagnosed a Timing Chain failure. MINI refused to pay toward the cost but Nissan stepped in and paid the entire bill and gave me a courtesy car for the two weeks that MINI had it. Now previously I had an R53 Cooper S that had done 181,000 miles with no engine issues (supercharger was serviced at 100,000 and the power steering pump was replaced at 120,000). Seeing as my car is a later engine I would say be very wary on any Mini from 2007 to 2018, which I believe is when they have replaced the Peugeot units with the BMW engines. How can the R53 Chrysler unit (also a timing chain) do 180,000 and yet the Peugeot unit fails at 30,000?
I should have bought a 350Z from Nissan instead.
All R59 had the prince engine according to Wiki which was renowned for timing chain issues in turbo form - engines on later mini's F56 series did not use this engine from 2014 onwards but some R56 derived models (such as our R59) continued for an extended period with the old prince engine. The R56 prince engine was designated N14 bur superseded in hatchback minis to N18 engines in about 2010. A bit of research at time of purchase would have raised issues with the engine of our R59, fortunately Nissan/Bmw sorted it for you.
Issue did not continue in F56 generation minis -from about 2014-15 onwards
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