MINI Roadster

[Hagar46]

Look what Baron loaned me while my MINI is in the shop for major suspension and drive train repairs. Fun car but my dog Dudley does not like it because there is no back seat and he is too long to lay down in the front passenger seat. Will have to stick with the Hardtop when I get a new one in a few more years.

MINI Roadster Web.jpg (30.97 KiB) Viewed 3865 times

[Hagar46]

Of course it would be cold and rainy today so I can not take full advantage of the fun!

[Minidave]

Major suspension and drive train repairs?

The same day that we were supposed to be at HPT? That's a little bit scary....

What are you having done?

[Hagar46]

Took it in to have CVT fluid replaced since we were not going to HPT due to weather and they found the following (and they showed it all to me before I approved repairs):

CVT drive shaft seal leak
Inner CV Joint boots shot
Passenger side drive shaft bearing shot
Front lower control arm bushings shot (there was almost 1/2" play in them, don't know how I didn't feel this)
Driver's side strut tower upper mount shot.

Yes, I feel lucky that I didn't go to HPT without repairs. Tough decision whether to fix or trade on new car, but $2,500 is a lot less than $30,000! I want to drive mine another 100k miles a least.

Probably will need new tires and brakes this summer and I think the rear upper shock mounts may be shot also. But let's get the front end sorted first (as Ed China and Mike Brewer would say).

[Minidave]

I'll be interested to see if they can get the bearing for the right side driveshaft, when I tried to buy one for my buddy's 2002 S, they said the only way we could get it was to buy the whole axle shaft.

[Zack]

Driver's side strut tower upper mount shot.

Was your car making a sort of clunk and grind noise? Baron didn't seem to find anything wrong with my car making these noises instantly blaming my poly bushings. I read online that it could be this and I do remember impacting a curb, by accident, that might have damaged the rubber bushing in there or something. Dunno.

[Hagar46]

I'll be interested to see if they can get the bearing for the right side driveshaft, when I tried to buy one for my buddy's 2002 S, they said the only way we could get it was to buy the whole axle shaft.

Replacing entire drive shaft from Carquest for $200. MINI's was $450.

[Hagar46]

Driver's side strut tower upper mount shot.

Was your car making a sort of clunk and grind noise? Baron didn't seem to find anything wrong with my car making these noises instantly blaming my poly bushings. I read online that it could be this and I do remember impacting a curb, by accident, that might have damaged the rubber bushing in there or something. Dunno.

No clunks from my car up front. Just in rear, that's why I think I might need rear shock mounts.

[Hagar46]

Baron cut me a good deal on the labor if I did everything at once as opposed to one item at a time (saved $1,000 on labor). But still expensive to maintain a MINI! Worth every penny, however, IMHO.

[Zack]

Driver's side strut tower upper mount shot.

Was your car making a sort of clunk and grind noise? Baron didn't seem to find anything wrong with my car making these noises instantly blaming my poly bushings. I read online that it could be this and I do remember impacting a curb, by accident, that might have damaged the rubber bushing in there or something. Dunno.

No clunks from my car up front. Just in rear, that's why I think I might need rear shock mounts.

I'm getting a clunk and grind from the front more so on drivers side and a small clunk coming from the drivers side rear. I'm thinking the shock mount bushings cracked, which apparently is common if I read the technical service report correctly. Dunno yet. Maybe after we tighten up the subframe at the garage day, that'll fix the problem.

[Hagar46]

Fun driving the Roadster for 2 days but glad to get my MINI back. Baron says I should be good for another !00k miles or so. They had to do a 4 wheel alignment and in the process adjusted and tightened the rear suspension and I have no more clunk in the rear when I go over bumps. CVT good for another 30k miles til next fluid replacement. They said using manual shift mode once per week helps the longevity of the CVT (along with fluid changes) because it helps the CVT computer to re-learn my driving habits. I have been using manual shift several times per week for fun since I got the car because I'm a nut. So HPT, here we come!