New (to me) car, f56
Discussion
OK, so not the most exciting car on here but picking up our first mini today, a 14 plate mini one d with the BMW blown triple. Engine really impressed me on test drive, really quiet, and these cars seem a much higher quality, if less overall 'character' than older models. Am used to running old cars, last two being a 2.8 turbo Saab 9-3 convertible and a lovely e39 BMW 525i se, so am expecting to see big fuel savings, probably not enough to offset payments, but at almost 20k miles a year, it certainly helps!!
Week in, wee car covered 400 miles on trip computer, average mpg down to 55mpg due to cold starts and many short journeys, still more than acceptable though. Filled up last Friday, still have two lights lit on fuel gauge. Really fallen for this wee car, feels old fashioned inside with its retro vents and upright windscreen, yet is as modern as can be. A car you can love. Do I get strange looks? Yup, 50year old bearded 22stone weightlifter with scars all over my head. Hell, I'd rather be an anomaly than a cliche!!
OK so 5000 miles in and eml has lit up. Car runs perfectly, still getting great mpg, code reader showed a few faults, sensors and pressure in exhaust which may point to egr valve...is this a big job, expensive? Is there an egr delete option like with many other diesels. I had factored for this when I bought a modern Diesel, just didn't expect it so soon, only owned car a few months.
CarsOrBikes said:
I expect that might be due to such light use, things maybe not getting hot enough to keep clean, late diesels are designed to deliver performance as well as economy so maybe 30 miles of Italian decoke will help haha, low road speed, high load, higher engine speed, harder acceleration, and repeat. Shame but sounds a great car, Mrs had the R56 Cooper D which was 50+ mpg which was good. These cars are getting lighter which is helping some claim the higher numbers.
I'd have bought that blue cat S considering the price was for two cars, seemed like a nice car regardless, insurance won't be difficult and they like to write stuff off easily, so for a bolt on repair with damage pics it would be ok, especially with almost a 6 month assurance, you don't see that often. Cat N looks better on history but some can be as bad in terms of damage as it is only a matter of engineers opinion.
Car is in 47k miles and since I bought it is regularly subjected to 800-1000 miles weeksI'd have bought that blue cat S considering the price was for two cars, seemed like a nice car regardless, insurance won't be difficult and they like to write stuff off easily, so for a bolt on repair with damage pics it would be ok, especially with almost a 6 month assurance, you don't see that often. Cat N looks better on history but some can be as bad in terms of damage as it is only a matter of engineers opinion.
undred orse said:
Glad the Mini is going well - it looks a good one and they do have a character that is lacking in a lot of other stuff. Like you I don't fit the accepted stereotype as I'm a big old git and I came from a BMW X6 to mine and love it still after 2 years.
I'd just like to say in this backwater of PH how much your contributions add to the NPE threads you post in. I don't agree with the majority of your views but appreciate how you approach the issues and the manner in which you add to the debate and sometimes open our eyes to an alternative line of thought. It is refreshing and much appreciated by me at least. Thanks.
Thank you very much brother man, it would be a boring world if we were all the same as the oft used cliche goes. Hope your mini works out for you. I'd just like to say in this backwater of PH how much your contributions add to the NPE threads you post in. I don't agree with the majority of your views but appreciate how you approach the issues and the manner in which you add to the debate and sometimes open our eyes to an alternative line of thought. It is refreshing and much appreciated by me at least. Thanks.
Big x6 fan too..but i have made a deal with myself that the mini stays until by hook, crook of gainful reliable employment I can afford a decent mileage 8-10 year old Lexus ls600h. Think that would see me out!!
Edited by biggbn on Friday 7th June 21:53
Just about to turn 90k, and thanks to a new anti roll bar link and front brakes now drives as well and as rattle free as the day I got it. Longest I've kept a car, given the current climate I'll just keep it till it falls to pieces. Still have a hankering for an aftermarket cruise control and a remap but life gets in the way at the end of every month and by about the 5th am skint again!!
Had my first problem the other day, no clutch. Just lost the pedal, no previous problems, no slipping, but it just wouldn't go into gear. Sterling service from the AA who recovered me to my garage of choice and car back with me a day later. Slave cylinder and hydraulic pipe, both external, replaced, car good as gold again. Thank goodness it didn't need a clutch!!
nickfrog said:
biggbn said:
Had my first problem the other day, no clutch. Just lost the pedal, no previous problems, no slipping, but it just wouldn't go into gear. Sterling service from the AA who recovered me to my garage of choice and car back with me a day later. Slave cylinder and hydraulic pipe, both external, replaced, car good as gold again. Thank goodness it didn't need a clutch!!
Must have been a relief indeed. Around £200 all told for the repair I assume ?Have been having eml on dash and a restricted power message...car still driving fine bur definitely felt a little strangled. EGR valve and heater plugs were the fault codes so all swapped out...and problem remained. My mechanic said he had bought an aftermarket EGR and suspected this was the problem. All this coincided with a BMW recall for the EGR cooler; mine was OK on inspection, but luckily the foreman mechanic was friends with my mechanic and after a brief chat, he agreed the EGR was still to blame...to shorten a long story, offending valve was replaced with genuine BMW part and all fault codes are now gone, car driving as well as ever. So, top tip, use original parts when possible. 105k miles now, I'm past the point of 'cashing it in', so I guess we will find out how many miles one of these can do before they become uneconomic to keep.
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