R55 Cooper S

[scrw.]

Water pump / friction wheel / belt tensioner. If you are digging around near the subframe I would do them, maybe also the rear engine mount bush.

[scrw.]

Slight miss fire on the problem child at high revs in all gears, thinking HP fuel pump is on the way out, but think plugs and coils will get done first. Still need to sort out the exhaust as it is rattling going over pot holes, getting annoying now, however tight I get the clamps they work lose.

[tommobot]

scrw. said:

old.....
2020-01-16_09-03-44 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

Ebay special intercooler and new air con and water rads. Brackets on the intercooler are a touch out, my OCD may survive once it is hidden behind the bumper.

2020-01-16_09-04-42 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

All stop until the downpipe arrives now.

I've got the subframe and front bumper off the front of the car at the moment, co-incidently Mrs Tommobot commented that the Mini could do with a bit more ooomph.

Hows the Ebay intercooler holding up, would think potentially follow it up with a very gentle remap eventually?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/175370482470

Was thinking this intercooler, which is a cheap enough gamble and has got to be atleast a bit better than the OEM?

[scrw.]

Holding up fine, you have to be a bit creative with mounting as the lugs are a bit out, easy enough though.

[tommobot]

Got it fitted, removed front subframe, new lower arms and rear bushes, new droplinks ... Drives 100% better.

Now the car has rewarded me with another heavy oil leak.

Looks like its covering the front lambda sensor, thinking vacuum pump O-ring?

[scrw.]

vac pump, turbo oil feed on the block, oil cooler/filter housing. Vac pump is easiest to diagnose, turbo oil feed is the biggest pita to fix, so expect it will be that LOL.

[tommobot]

turbo oil feed on the block, oil cooler/filter housing - Literally just did them a few weeks ago so it bloody better not be!!!

[scrw.]

cat heat shield gets right in the way to diagnose front block oil leaks :/ Been there

[scrw.]

Under the problem child for the first time in a while, right rear abs sensor playing up

2023-06-08_06-26-02 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

Now annoyingly Bimmerlink is refusing to clear ANY codes from ANY of the ECUs, this is a new one on me, everything up to date android wise, always did it before (have a reoccurring side airbag fault due to a poor connector I haven't fixed yet, not clearing that any more)

2023-06-08_08-07-16 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

Off to try it with my android tablet just in case it is a headunit issue

[CoolHands]

Or put battery on a charger? Maybe it thinks voltage is low so won’t do anything. Come to that plug phone in at same time too.

[scrw.]

checked the battery status, at 28% life and is the original BMW one from 2009, may get a new one

[scrw.]

New battery, managed to clear the airbag error I get sometimes due to a dodgy under seat wire but unable to clear the ABS sensor fault. Anyone know if there are other points to look for other than a faulty sensor? Will see if you can easily see the tone wheel on the hub without stripping it down.


On a plus note, new dipstick, crap photo but you can see the oil level MUCH easier. Some chap on the R55 facebook group is selling them at £18 a pop inc delivery.

20230615_165911 by Old_Chad, on Flickr

[scrw.]

MOT looming so best sort the ABS out. 2 new rear oem sensors and still an issue. Done some digging around and looks likely to be the tone wheel on the back of the bearing. Just going to get a bearing unit, not got time to inspect it then order a new unit. Plus point from todays tinkering is I have fixed the miss fire, seems the plugs are worn, gone from a .8mm gap to 1.2mm gap in 6k miles! Just regapped until I can get some more monday. Has anyone else seen tbis sort on wear in a small milage from Bosch Irridium plugs? Getting NGK to replace them.

[scrw.]

Oh and cixed the rattle too, exhaust heat sheild had worn through on the fixing nuts, just replaced the washers with large penny washers, I like an easy fix

[scrw.]

Well good news/bad news evening spannering last night. Bearing unit is replaced, it was going bad, leaking grease & had a tight spot when rotating in hand, so a good catch given it was making no noise. Bad point it didn't fix the issue Looking like it could be the ABS unit playing up, while I don't mind swapping it myself I am short on time to fix this before MOT so the problem child is off to a local BMW specialist for a tinker....my wallet is twitching!

[scrw.]

My wallet swerved a big bill, seems a broken wire in the loom to the ABS sensor. Needed an ARB bush for its MOT too, so over all not too bad result from a garage visit

[drgoatboy]

scrw. said:

My wallet swerved a big bill, seems a broken wire in the loom to the ABS sensor. Needed an ARB bush for its MOT too, so over all not too bad result from a garage visit

That's good they diagnosed that rather than blindly changing the sensor then still having to fix the loom...

[CoolHands]

I’ve just discovered I’ve got a bloody engine oil leak on mine. In the summer I did the oil filter housing gaskets etc while I had the head off (so downpipe was off etc) so it’s a real pisser. I can’t see fk all cos there’s no space but it appears to be either oil filter housing gaskets or maybe the oil filter housing o ring if I’m extremely lucky, but that seems unlikely

[scrw.]

Well the final bill for an MOT, replacing and ARB link, fixing the ABS issue, test & top up antifreeze......£216 inc vat. Think I will be using that garage again

[scrw.]

Another boring update, 72300 miles reached, just done an oil change to 10-60 Fuch synth oil (has quietened the engine down on cold starts). Rear engine mount needs replacing now, unsure if I go poly or just stick a rubber one in. Due to my main car being written off by a drunk driver the Mini is my main transport for a month or so.

72340 miles oil change, 10-60 Fuch synth oil by Old_Chad, on Flickr