Section: Ask MotoringFile
Jan 3rd, 2009
So you have a MINI. You got the Sport pack and thought performance tires were a good idea. Then it snowed and you almost died. What should you do? That’s the question that prompted this week’s Ask MF sent in by Scott:
I have a 2006 MCS with the sport package and performance runflats I just bought used and I need some recommendations on snow tires to get me through winter. I’m in western Michigan so I really need some dedicated snows rather than all-seasons. Any suggestions?
Blizzak, Nokian, Dunlop and Michelin all make solid snows for the MINI. There some versions that do better in deep snow and some that are more performance oriented. It would seem you need something that gears towards rather than performance due to where you’re located and the amount of snow I remember getting growing up not far from there. Because of that I’d start with taking a look at the Nokian and Blizzak line-up first.
But what else is out there? Lets hear it in the comment section below.
Dec 22nd, 2008
This is a question we get asked quite a bit around these parts. It’s also a question that we have covered in a few older episodes of White Roof Radio.
MF Reader Chris writes.
I know nobody trusts Consumer Reports, but they appear to say that Mini Cooper reliability improved greatly from 2005 on. Would it be safe to purchase a 2005 - 2006 Mini Cooper, or should I save up enough money for a 2007 (new model)? Is reliability in the earlier models really that bad?
Keeping in mind that I have a 2003 R50 MINI Cooper with 200+ miles, I would say (and Gabe agrees) to stay away from the earlier MINIs (’02 - ‘03) if you can. There are quite a few build issues with these older cars and if you find one that wasn’t properly tended to you might end up with more headaches that you could handle.
However, moving into the newer model years, it becomes more a matter of what you want and how you want it to look. You didn’t say if you were looking for a Cooper or an MCS, but this should cover you either way.
continued →
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Dec 19th, 2008
This is a new one on me, so hopefully a little bit of crowd-sourcing from the faithful MF readers will be able to help out. This from reader Mark M.
I currently own a 2007 Mini Cooper S, and I have been having a problem with it that no one seems to be able, or willing, to help me with. I have owned it now through two winters including the current one and my car will not start when the temperature falls below freezing.
This is different in that his car won’t start when it’s cold. I’ve heard of the stumble when cold, the dieseling (for lack of a better term) when cold, but not this.
Has this happened to you? What was the fix?
Dec 16th, 2008
A question we spent some time on during Woofcst 279 is this one by MF reader Richard.
I am interested in purchasing a Mini Clubman. My question is, What type of mechanical problems will you encounter by using 87 octaine fuel in The Cooper Clubman?
According to all of the official documentation, running 87 octane should not cause any problems in a Cooper Clubman.
That being said, I know from previous experience in my R50 that running regular unleaded gas resulted in lower fuel economy, lower power available and some knocking/pinging while driving uphill or under any kind of load like driving up a freeway onramp.
I have not tried this in an R55 or R56 but hopefully one of the fine MF readers out there have and can report back in the comments below. Especially helpful if you can tell us your experience running 87 octane fuel in your R56 MINI Cooper or Clubman Cooper, Not R56/R55 MCS.
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Dec 2nd, 2008
This Ask MF comes from reader Ryan:
I have an ‘03 MCS with 60,000. Tonight while driving down the road the driver’s window started rapidly oscillating between the full up position and the 1/2 down position and the dome light came on. No other parts of the car’s operation were seemingly effected.
He did turn off the car and turn it back on and disconnected the battery and the problem still exists. Let’s here it. I know at least one of you have seen this. What was the fix?
Nov 24th, 2008
We’ve had a few MF readers ask us this question over the years and we finally thought it was time to open it up to other MF readers to help us answer it. Especially not that early cars are getting up in miles, there seems to be a need for good advise when it comes to replacing suspensions. First up, here’s the question:
After spending hours on the many of the MINI sites, I have come to the conclusion that there are to many options for after market shocks, struts and springs to make the choice easy. That is where “Ask MF” can help, I hope.
I drive my 2003 R53 MCS (with the stock SS+ suspension) on both city and highway roads daily. Track days come about two or three times a year and I would say my daily driving is spirited when possible.
My goal is to stay low maintenance (I’m not interested in camber plates etc…) but retain my sport suspension advantage that came when the car was new. I don’t want coil overs, unless someone has a good reason, and I don’t know if I should keep my springs or replace them.
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Aug 20th, 2008
This time around, Motoringfile reader Brad asks about a Roof Rack. I know many of you out there have the factory unit and some of you use or have used other solutions. Hopefully you can help!
I own a 2007 Cooper S and had a couple of questions. Does the roof rack make any noise when driving? Is it really hard to install?
This is a discussion we’ve had here before I’m pretty sure. Always good to revisit these things. But since we don’t have a lot of experience ourselves, we’d like to open this up to MF readers. You know what to do, let’s hear opinions in the comment section below…
Aug 4th, 2008
Here’s a questions we’ve been getting for years here at MF. While the answer hasn’t changed, we thought it might be appropriate the revisit the subject for some of the newer MINI owners. The question comes from Steve M:
Do you know if we will ever get the Recaro seats here in the States?
Unfortunately the problem lies in the US requirement (which started in 2005) for passenger side airbag sensors. The sensors take the place of the on/off switch some markets have that allow small children (or small people) to ride safely in the front seats. Essentially what the sensors do is make the entire question of whether the airbag should be on or off idiot proof. continued →
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Mar 13th, 2008
Well, it’s that time of year again. Winter’s winding down and Spring is right around the corner. Or, at least that’s what I’m telling myself as once again I’m watching flurries fall in Southern New Hampshire. Anyway, with the impending arrival of Spring, it’s time to start thinking about removing my winter boots and strapping on some fresh new summer sneakers. I’ve been doing a fair bit of research on The Tire Rack and have come up with a few options, but there are so many variables in the tire-buying process that it makes it difficult to come up with an informed decision. continued →
Feb 21st, 2008
Based on the reader comments from our recent Clubman review, it looks as if quite a few of you have questions. Lots of questions. And since we’ve driven the Clubman extensively range and learned just about everything there is to know about the car from the recent MINI press event, we’re here to answer them. We’ll start by answering a few of the questions posed in the comment section of our recent review. If you have any further questions not answered here, be sure to ask them in the comment section below. We’ll plan on posting answers next week.
Q: Was the split in the window that noticeable/distracting? I’m sure that is another area of conern for many readers.
A: Honestly I completely forgot about it after ten minutes of driving. continued →
Jan 30th, 2008
Motoringfile reader Kim asks this week.
Is there a quick & easy way to find out all recalls and service bulletins for my 2003 Mini Automatic? (not an “S”)
You could do a quick Google search or even search here at MF. But those won’t give you a complete list like you might be looking for. continued →
Jan 24th, 2008
After last week’s Ask MotoringFile marathon, we realized we still have a couple more that needed to be answered. However for today’s edition, we’ve got some professional help. The question comes courtesy of Dustin:
Is the R53 JCW kit a good idea to refresh your higher milage stock MCS? Providing that the R53 JCW engine kit still available at dealers (which I don’t know if it is or not, or how long MINI plans on producing them if they are) It would seem that the new head and SC fitted to a MINI at say the 100K mark would make the mechanicals sound for the next 100k (since the expected life of the SC is only 150k), plus the new HP would breathe new life into a car for a loyal owner.
Great question Dustin. While we like the JCW upgrade for the R53 quite a bit (and the R56 for that matter) we’re not sure if it’s the best solution if the car isn’t under the factory warranty at this point. Especially considering the cost. So in order to give you a good picture of your aftermarket options, we’d like to turn over this question to Eric Savage, owner of the renowned MINI tuner Helix and longtime friend and supporter of MF. He also knows a thing or two about brewing beer, but that’s a story from another time. Anyway, to the Eric’s answer…
The John Cooper Works package has always been a popular option for new MINI buyers for a couple of reasons: it has the prestige of a factory tuned car, and it carries the factory warranty. As far as I know, retrofitting the JCW kit on an high-mileage car does not extend the warranty on the car (or the new parts, for that matter) which makes it less attractive for the high-mileage MINI owner. The big knock on the JCW package has been its nearly $6000 price tag once installed. It is for that reason that companies such as Helix Minisports has made a living tuning our favorite cars. We can do what the JCW package does–and much more–for substantially less money. continued →
Jan 18th, 2008
This edition final of the week’s “Ask MotoringFile” comes from Dave M:
I have a 2008 MCS on order and am relatively new to the MINI world. I couldn’t help but notice everyone using these code names for different models of MINIs. What does it all mean?
MINI models follow a similar system to the (seemingly ancient) BMW model internal naming convention. Since we often talk about different models (sometimes in the same story, paragraph or even sentence), using the internal model code-names is often the easiest way to quickly identify what model of MINI we’re referring to.
The first generation of BMW MINI’s started with the R50 which was meant to be the coupe version of the car. However once that model number was established BMW decided to produced a higher power version called the Cooper S. Because the development work was started later it was given a different code-name - the R53. The R52 was actually conceived before the Cooper S and thus has the code-name R52. And for those wondering, the R51 was a concept that never made it past the conception stages.
continued →
Jan 17th, 2008
This next edition of Ask MotoringFile comes from Chris:
I’m considering r56 s with the JCW engine upgrade. Would like to know about ride/comfort? I don’t plan to track the car and it will be  an everyday driver (combination of local roads/interstate). How does it compare to WRX/VW GTI ?? Not looking for “cush” ride but also don’t want a ride that is track hard and requires dodging every pothole or pavement irregularity I see.
By June of this year there will be two ways to get the JCW treatment under your bonnet. The current option is the dealer installed JCW Engine Tuning Kit. We won’t go into all the details here (you can read a review and see details here) but suffice to say the kit adds power and torque along with improved power delivery. It’s priced just over $2000. However the upgrades are to the engine only and thus you can get any of the three available suspensions depending on your ride preference. The standard being more comfort based, the sport being… well sporty and the JCW suspension being meant for spirited and track driving. continued →
Jan 16th, 2008
“Ask MotoringFile” week continues with this question from Brian:
R57, not hearing much. Will the JCW Kits for the R56 be avaiable in 09 when the R57 is released?
MINI will not miss a chance to sell JCW accessories and engine kits to those who want a soft-top over a hardtop. Thus the R57 (aka the redesigned 2009 MINI convertible) will indeed be available with the dealer installed JCW Tuning Kit. We don’t have any information yet as to the factory JCW package availability on the convertible but we would be shocked to see it kept off the car considering it will be available on both the Coupe and the Clubman on the first days of its launch this June. continued →
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