A MINI (R53 Cooper S) Adventure
Discussion
rickygolf83 said:
excellent result there, chap I have been watching on youtube fitted one of their valves in his latest video, had one on my list of parts to get after watching, great to hear another positive review! 
Yep, it’s been a great little tweek. If you’re feeling brave I think you can just swap the spring. Whilst changing the BPV I tried to straighten out the many bent cooling fins on the intercooler. Despite careful manipulation with a toothpick, the alloy was starting to flake away.
I don’t have a reduced pulley and I’ve not noticed a loss of performance due to heat soak (although I’m sure it happens), plus I’m keeping the car as OEM as possible so I wasn’t keen on a larger/aftermarket replacement. A quick part number search threw up a Nissens OE spec option at a very good price. I’ve been satisfied with my Nissens radiator and AC condenser so took a punt:
It was certainly shinier and it really was OE fit and had the same core design etc so I couldn’t see it having any downside versus an OEM part. I decided to clean up the cover and coat that with GTechniq C4 plus use new stainless bolts too:
I don’t have a reduced pulley and I’ve not noticed a loss of performance due to heat soak (although I’m sure it happens), plus I’m keeping the car as OEM as possible so I wasn’t keen on a larger/aftermarket replacement. A quick part number search threw up a Nissens OE spec option at a very good price. I’ve been satisfied with my Nissens radiator and AC condenser so took a punt:
It was certainly shinier and it really was OE fit and had the same core design etc so I couldn’t see it having any downside versus an OEM part. I decided to clean up the cover and coat that with GTechniq C4 plus use new stainless bolts too:
I’m still slightly giddy at how well the little MINI is running since changing the BPV. Had a proper hoon today on some surprisingly pot-hole free B roads and loved every second.
I also swapped out the air filter. The previous owner had changed it but used a Blueprint part which didn’t fit perfectly. I’m sure it was sealed and effective but the genuine part fits perfectly so well worth the £12 splurge.
Of course, reliability is simply a function of time and I was reminded that mine was up by discovering that the xenon’s had lost their self levelling function. Arse. Guess I’ll be crawling beneath once again to figure out whether it’s the front or rear axle level sensor that’s playing up!
I also swapped out the air filter. The previous owner had changed it but used a Blueprint part which didn’t fit perfectly. I’m sure it was sealed and effective but the genuine part fits perfectly so well worth the £12 splurge.
Of course, reliability is simply a function of time and I was reminded that mine was up by discovering that the xenon’s had lost their self levelling function. Arse. Guess I’ll be crawling beneath once again to figure out whether it’s the front or rear axle level sensor that’s playing up!
tallpaul26 said:
I’m still slightly giddy at how well the little MINI is running since changing the BPV. Had a proper hoon today on some surprisingly pot-hole free B roads and loved every second.
I also swapped out the air filter. The previous owner had changed it but used a Blueprint part which didn’t fit perfectly. I’m sure it was sealed and effective but the genuine part fits perfectly so well worth the £12 splurge.
Of course, reliability is simply a function of time and I was reminded that mine was up by discovering that the xenon’s had lost their self levelling function. Arse. Guess I’ll be crawling beneath once again to figure out whether it’s the front or rear axle level sensor that’s playing up!
Lol, are you me?I also swapped out the air filter. The previous owner had changed it but used a Blueprint part which didn’t fit perfectly. I’m sure it was sealed and effective but the genuine part fits perfectly so well worth the £12 splurge.
Of course, reliability is simply a function of time and I was reminded that mine was up by discovering that the xenon’s had lost their self levelling function. Arse. Guess I’ll be crawling beneath once again to figure out whether it’s the front or rear axle level sensor that’s playing up!
I fixed the front end rumble on mine. OSF coil spring was misaligned from when I changed the top mounts, it was hitting the inside of the strut tower causing noise.
30 mins to fit spring compressors in situ and some wiggling sorted it.
I’ve been out tonight and the headlights are pointing at the floor.
It’s either the level sensors or the ball and socket adjusters inside the lamp unit which do the levelling. If it’s the latter, you just need to re-engage the ball and socket and all will be well.
If you switch the lights on before keying the ignition on, you should hear the levelling motors work. If they don’t, it’s the level sensors, if they do, it’s the ball / socket issue.
In other news, I’ve decide to keep my MCS for another year and get some benefit from my work / investment.
So I have this and the Lotus to play with.
wobert said:
Lol, are you me?
I fixed the front end rumble on mine. OSF coil spring was misaligned from when I changed the top mounts, it was hitting the inside of the strut tower causing noise.
30 mins to fit spring compressors in situ and some wiggling sorted it.
I’ve been out tonight and the headlights are pointing at the floor.
It’s either the level sensors or the ball and socket adjusters inside the lamp unit which do the levelling. If it’s the latter, you just need to re-engage the ball and socket and all will be well.
If you switch the lights on before keying the ignition on, you should hear the levelling motors work. If they don’t, it’s the level sensors, if they do, it’s the ball / socket issue.
In other news, I’ve decide to keep my MCS for another year and get some benefit from my work / investment.
So I have this and the Lotus to play with.
No motor noise, so it’s hopefully one of the sensors. Haven’t plugged my OBD tool in yet, not sure if the sensors would throw a code to identify the dodgy one or not? I do have a spare so I can swap them around and see if that sort it. Hopefully not a continuity break in the wiring to the BCU!I fixed the front end rumble on mine. OSF coil spring was misaligned from when I changed the top mounts, it was hitting the inside of the strut tower causing noise.
30 mins to fit spring compressors in situ and some wiggling sorted it.
I’ve been out tonight and the headlights are pointing at the floor.
It’s either the level sensors or the ball and socket adjusters inside the lamp unit which do the levelling. If it’s the latter, you just need to re-engage the ball and socket and all will be well.
If you switch the lights on before keying the ignition on, you should hear the levelling motors work. If they don’t, it’s the level sensors, if they do, it’s the ball / socket issue.
In other news, I’ve decide to keep my MCS for another year and get some benefit from my work / investment.
So I have this and the Lotus to play with.
I thought about selling this for about an hour! I fancy an M235i and nice ones look a bargain at £15k… could just SORN the MINI and tuck it in the garage but I don’t think standing unused would do it much good at this age.
I pulled one of my headlights out, the facelift lamp units have no ball and socket!
The motors work and it goes through the levelling process. I’m now thinking they have been set low, I’ve got them up to a reasonable level now, but I’m thinking a proper set up in a garage maybe the best.
You’re right, leaving them standing doesn’t do them a lot of good. I’ve run my MCS every week, just enough to get the oil upto temperature and everything hot.
It makes such a difference imho.
The motors work and it goes through the levelling process. I’m now thinking they have been set low, I’ve got them up to a reasonable level now, but I’m thinking a proper set up in a garage maybe the best.
You’re right, leaving them standing doesn’t do them a lot of good. I’ve run my MCS every week, just enough to get the oil upto temperature and everything hot.
It makes such a difference imho.
wobert said:
Lol, are you me?
I fixed the front end rumble on mine. OSF coil spring was misaligned from when I changed the top mounts, it was hitting the inside of the strut tower causing noise.
30 mins to fit spring compressors in situ and some wiggling sorted it.
I’ve been out tonight and the headlights are pointing at the floor.
It’s either the level sensors or the ball and socket adjusters inside the lamp unit which do the levelling. If it’s the latter, you just need to re-engage the ball and socket and all will be well.
If you switch the lights on before keying the ignition on, you should hear the levelling motors work. If they don’t, it’s the level sensors, if they do, it’s the ball / socket issue.
In other news, I’ve decide to keep my MCS for another year and get some benefit from my work / investment.
So I have this and the Lotus to play with.
Keep the mini-you’ll regret it if you sell it !!I fixed the front end rumble on mine. OSF coil spring was misaligned from when I changed the top mounts, it was hitting the inside of the strut tower causing noise.
30 mins to fit spring compressors in situ and some wiggling sorted it.
I’ve been out tonight and the headlights are pointing at the floor.
It’s either the level sensors or the ball and socket adjusters inside the lamp unit which do the levelling. If it’s the latter, you just need to re-engage the ball and socket and all will be well.
If you switch the lights on before keying the ignition on, you should hear the levelling motors work. If they don’t, it’s the level sensors, if they do, it’s the ball / socket issue.
In other news, I’ve decide to keep my MCS for another year and get some benefit from my work / investment.
So I have this and the Lotus to play with.
One of the jobs still to do was deep clean the interior. Basically I want to pull it all out, clean it and refit it. I decided to start with the easy part, the rear:
That’s the rear seats, trim panels and boot carpet out. Nothing much beneath them so just wipe round.
I then attacked the seats and carpet with my wet vac:
The seats weren’t too bad but unsurprisingly the boot carpet was pretty minging:
Handy use of the laundry to dry this lot out!
I’ll save the front seats and carpet for a weekend with a decent forecast!
That’s the rear seats, trim panels and boot carpet out. Nothing much beneath them so just wipe round.
I then attacked the seats and carpet with my wet vac:
The seats weren’t too bad but unsurprisingly the boot carpet was pretty minging:
Handy use of the laundry to dry this lot out!
I’ll save the front seats and carpet for a weekend with a decent forecast!
With the back half of the interior out I noticed how sad the rear speakers looked. The internet suggests that basically any speaker is better so I bought a cheap kit off eBay that came with front and rear speakers, brackets and the wiring adaptors:
For comparison, the rears:
Swapped the fronts too and discovered the OE tweeters were blown so sticking some 2 ways in wasn’t a complete waste of time after all!
They sound ok, nothing special but really a small amp is needed to actually make much difference to the quality of the output from the stock headunit.
For comparison, the rears:
Swapped the fronts too and discovered the OE tweeters were blown so sticking some 2 ways in wasn’t a complete waste of time after all!
They sound ok, nothing special but really a small amp is needed to actually make much difference to the quality of the output from the stock headunit.
I fear these marginal gains may not make for particularly interesting reading but nonetheless, I continue to make them…
Next up, lower door seals!
These have a strip of metal running through them and mine were corroded. They’re only a few quid each so seemed daft not to just changed them.
Old versus new:
They’re only clipped in but the clips break when you try to pull them out so the door card needs to come off to hoover out the broken ends (or just let them rattle around!).
New seal in place:
Next up, lower door seals!
These have a strip of metal running through them and mine were corroded. They’re only a few quid each so seemed daft not to just changed them.
Old versus new:
They’re only clipped in but the clips break when you try to pull them out so the door card needs to come off to hoover out the broken ends (or just let them rattle around!).
New seal in place:
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff