- #262 of 282
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Re: Mini Maintenance Manuals [terumi]
by mymemni
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Oct 18, 2009 (10:09 am)
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Replying to: terumi (Oct 11, 2009 8:26 pm)
I went to the dealer's parts dept to buy a case of mini oil for my 03 MC and while I was there I asked the service advisor what I needed to do to fix my passenger window which would not roll down, he said, "I can take care of that" and he went to the car, opened the pass side door and gave the inside door panel a good WHACK with his fist forward of the door pocket and the window worked! he said that sometimes with little use the window relay gets stuck, I've used his method several times since and it always works
sometimes all it takes is a big hammer
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- #263 of 282
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big maintenance bill
by snicker2
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Oct 20, 2009 (6:57 am)
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Took my 02 mini cooper s to dealership for oil change and new tires. Currently have 63k so Inspection II was suggested and I agreed to go ahead. I know how important maintenance is but I was curious if anyone could share some info on their own experience with cost. The specifics for me are as follows; Inspection II $630, which includes oil/filter change, new air filter, new a/c filter, new spark plugs, new drive belt, fuel injection system cleaning, tune up, new wiper blades, inspection of transmission, hoses & belts. The Inspection uncovered that the power steering intake and return hoses are leaking,($264), the bushings on the front are cracked and need to be replaced, (he showed me),($650), the oil pan gasket is leaking, ($550); not an expensive part but alot of time involved in tearing out to get to it, rear brakes, ($600), then of course the new tires $1080, & alignment $139, (discounted $60). Makes me queezy-- can't do the work myself and last time I got tires I went to a local franchise who to my surprise did not know how to install run flats properly which resulted in leakage from right front because they thought shaving the rubber nipples off the inside rim of the Pirelli would make it fit the rim better--didn't work and the hassle made me think it was worth the peace of mind to let the dealership do whatever I need. I have only had 1 large maintenance bill previously which was around $600 for an end stage fan failure last year. Other higher cost items were cover under warranties which was great. I don't anticipate this type of thing recurring frequently but am I being taken? Or is this just a lot of issues coming to light at the same time? AND my big concern is why is the oil pan gasket leaking? I asked the tech and he said "it just happens". My concern is... does it just happen or did it happen because something is getting too hot? I just don't want to pay $4000 and find out next year that there is some major engine problem that's been lurking and I'm just too ignorant of how engines operate to realize this. Would appreciate some genuine honesty here since my car is at the dealership as I write.
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- #264 of 282
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Re: big maintenance bill [snicker2]
by shark715
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Oct 20, 2009 (7:27 am)
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Replying to: snicker2 (Oct 20, 2009 6:57 am)
Take a look at your owner's manual and you will see that they are "exceeding" the work that the manufacturer calls for. Also, I would ask the following questions: 1) Are the leaks bad enough for you to spend all that money fixing them? You may be able to easily live with minor leaks. 2) Regarding the oil pan gasket leak, why not just try tightening the bolts first and see if that works? It may or may not stop the leak, but it will take them 10 minutes to do so. 3) The bushings may be cracked, but that does not always mean they need replacement. 4) $600 for rear brakes is a absolute ripoff, and if you don't know how to inspect them yourself, I would get a second opinion elsewhere...it's unlikely they they "immediately" need to be replaced after 63k miles as the fronts brakes do the majority of the work 5) you can get a far better price on the tires and alignment elsewhere.6) You can easily replace the air filter and wiper blades for far less than what I will bet they are charging you. 6) Modern cars don't require "tune ups". There is nothing to be done on modern cars as the ignition is computer controlled. "Tune up" is a term from 40 years ago. You said nothing in your post that would indicate that there is a major engine problem.
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- #265 of 282
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Re: big maintenance bill [shark715]
by Mr_Shiftright HOST
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Oct 20, 2009 (8:19 am)
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Replying to: shark715 (Oct 20, 2009 7:27 am)
I agree---this situation is a case for "comparative shopping" and for what I like to call "repair triage". What you do is prioritize the repairs with the counsel of a trusted independent shop who is not trying to sell you the moon or trying to make a brand new car out of your old one.
In a triage of this type, some repairs are marked "urgent", some "inspect in 90 days" and some "not needed at this time".
I don't see why you couldn't get 4 high-quality tires balanced and aligned for something like $600 out the door, tax included. If you have the dreaded run-flats, see about switching those out for regular tires and a can of tire sealer.
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- #266 of 282
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Re: big maintenance bill [shark715]
by snicker2
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Oct 20, 2009 (8:25 am)
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Replying to: shark715 (Oct 20, 2009 7:27 am)
Thank you so much for your reply. I called the dealership to ask them to try tightening the bolts first to fix the oil pan gasket leak and she checked with the technician who said he had already replaced it. Do the gaskets just go bad over time or could something be overheating and causing it to expand & contract too much? This may sound stupid but whenever I run it thru the touchless car wash, lots of steam comes off the hood and when it rains this happens too, not necessarily when the outside temp is cold either. I asked them a couple of years ago if this was normal because it didn't seem normal to me. They said it was perfectly normal. What do you think? The first time I drove the car after I got it in 04 it ran hot and we had to have the dealership tow it in. Said it was a bad switch on the power steering fan I think, which made no sense to me in relation to the engine overheating but I never had a problem with it again--unless that steam is an indicator that it's hotter than it should be. Do you have an opinion on that?
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- #267 of 282
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Re: big maintenance bill [snicker2]
by shark715
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Oct 20, 2009 (10:36 am)
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Replying to: snicker2 (Oct 20, 2009 8:25 am)
Of course they told you the work was already done as they made a huge profit on work that you likely could have gone without...too bad. Typically the gaskets themselves don't go bad over time, more often what happens is that things work themselves lose due to heating and cooling of the engine, vibrations, and other things, and that can often be repaired by just re-tightening the bolts (but not overtightening them and bending the pan or damaging the gasket). In my experience oil pan gasket problems are often a symptom of the oil pan getting hit or scrapped by something laying in the road. It's not a terribly unusual situation on any car, and not unique to the Mini. Your engine running hot was more likely one of the switches or relays for a radiator fan, not the steering. If your engine seriously overheated, you would have had much more serious problems than a leaky oil pan gasket. It's not at all likely related. We have an '03 S and I've seen the steam many times. I think it is normal and I've long assumed that it is caused by water coming in contact with the hot supercharger.
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- #268 of 282
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Re: big maintenance bill [snicker2]
by rlmiller9
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Oct 20, 2009 (5:49 pm)
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Replying to: snicker2 (Oct 20, 2009 6:57 am)
Hi there snicker2,
Here is what is happening, one of two choices;
1. The dealership needs money as many are scimping on repairs and want to get as much as they can from you, they will also likey suggest that you only maybe do half of it now. That way you will pay only 2k and be happy about it!!!!
2. They are trying to steer you to a new car, by making you feel your existing one is going to cost you so much you can and should think new. This will also help them get you to take a low ball offer for trade.
Find an honest independant shop that can inspect your car and never ever go to that dealer again, punish them for treating you this way.
Ray
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- #269 of 282
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Re: big maintenance bill [snicker2]
by rlmiller9
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Oct 20, 2009 (5:54 pm)
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Replying to: snicker2 (Oct 20, 2009 8:25 am)
Hey sniceker2,
Just so you know if the dealersip did work on your car without you oking the work in writing ahead of time I am not sure you have to pay for it.
Ray
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- #270 of 282
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Re: mini radiator fan [cinboden]
by snicker2
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Oct 21, 2009 (3:25 am)
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Replying to: cinboden (Oct 06, 2008 12:39 pm)
I'm new to this and just read your msg yesterday so you have probably resolved your problem by now. I had the same problem last year. My fan got stuck and ran on wide open even when the car was off and killed the battery so I had it towed in to dealership who repaired it for $600 and said it was an end stage fan failure. I asked how it was a failure when it wouldn't stop running on wide open and they said that is how it acted. It made no sense that it had failed and would keep on running. Now that I've read the posts, I'm pretty sure I had a relay switch problem and not a bad fan. Just wanted to pass this along to anyone who may have the same problem.
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- #271 of 282
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Re: It would be nice! [coasterguy]
by snicker2
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Oct 21, 2009 (3:40 am)
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Replying to: coasterguy (Jun 16, 2008 6:52 pm)
Except for my astonomical maintenance bills, which are basically my fault for not searching out a good independent mechanic, (which I will now begin to do!), I have nothing but great things to say about my 02 MCS. It is a great car and definitely makes driving fun. I'll keep it until I go to heaven where there will be no maintenance bills to deal with anyway! It is well made, hugs the road even when my Pirelli fun flat was flat on the right front, (really). I love the run flats. Never knew about them until I got the Mini and would never have any other kind of tire! LOVE the car!
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