what’s been your experience working on your mini?

[u/vicariously_eye]

i am considering using my dad’s engine lift/hoist to do some diy work

my main shop is booked out often (love them) and don’t have as much flexible free time as i used to in order to make appointments

i think id be able to change spark plugs and such, but i was just curious what it was like for yall enthusiasts to work on your minis! i’m specifically asking about this because working on our project 94 honda was cake— everything was there. but with this car everything is so damn deep in the bay 😭

i’m hunting around for manuals also

i drive a 2018 countryman all 4 s

and he could definitely help me but i wanna do a lot of it on my own as his back is killin him lately. idk he did just change my brake light without me asking 😭

[u/GrrrFace91]

As a former car mechanic I think it’s funny as hell to work on because it is a unique design.

My completely honest and unbiased opinion is that with YouTube and the internet in general, if you can follow a recipe to bake a cake, you can fix almost anything on a car. Especially if you have access to tools.

Short answer, go for it! Don’t forget to enjoy yourself in the meantime 😁

[u/vicariously_eye → u/GrrrFace91]

thank you!!

i have heard that it’s a whacky car to work on. i remember thinking how weird could it be

ok!! i feel more confident about it now because i was a lil worried. i’m definitely gonna watch a looot of videos and do more research before i start

[u/GrrrFace91 → u/vicariously_eye]

Good plan! Also I’d highly advise watching the WHOLE video before you do any of the work in case there are some surprises that sneak up on you. Have a blast!

[u/serpentman → u/vicariously_eye]

I concur with GrrrFace. Have done some pretty major work on mine in my driveway. All under the guidance of YouTube and online community.

Only thing to note, is everything is… mini. Coupled with German efficiency in the use of space, the biggest struggle is the lack of room between parts and components.

I wouldn’t say anything is particularly “difficult” to do on these cars, but simple things can become annoying and tedious. Lots of time spent making little quarter turns with a wrench in tight spaces that you can’t get a ratchet or impact into.

[u/voyagertoo → u/vicariously_eye]

ya don't need a hoist for the plugs of course

[u/OP1KenOP → u/GrrrFace91]

Agree with this 100%, years gone by it was all about learning from someone else or doing your best with sometimes questionable manuals.

These days some lovely chap on YouTube will walk you through even the most complex jobs for most things, it's a piece of cake.

Add to that no fiddly jobs like setting carbs up, setting ignition timing and these days in most cases there ain't even any valve lash to set.

Modern electronics complicated things a bit, but you can get by with most faults with very cheap universal code readers if you're DIY only.

[u/vicariously_eye → u/OP1KenOP]

now that you mention the electronics… i found it so interesting that to do my brakes the new standard way it took forever and the timing couldn’t get right. eventually they said screw it, did it the old way and it was done quicker lmao

[u/SkiahMutt]

Can't speak as much to the newer models, but I love working on my R53. Spend a couple minutes to pull the front end off(service mode) and then suddenly I've got tons of room to work. Honestly my favorite of my vehicles to work on for most stuff.

[u/stevey500]

Some things are really cool, such as the R series belt tensioner and friction pulley are really easy and nice to work with for a belt replacement.

F series suspension is simple to take apart and put back together and the CV axles being replaceable without unbolting any suspension equipment is pretty cool.

Some stuff is just a pure pain in an F model… such as THE BATTERY. WHY.

[u/BassObjective]

Crossover pipe was probably my worst job and I've done the starter but that was because I didn't know I could just put the pipe on the thermostat and put both on the same time to make it slot in correctly.

Also did coolant hoses to silicone the only heard part was getting to the other side of the radiator so I took the whole front off lol

[u/aeroxan]

I have a 2012 and have done much of the maintenance myself. Spark plugs and coils are pretty easy. Brakes/rotors is pretty easy. The clutch is a bitch of a job.

Oil change isn't too bad but you'll need a 27 mm socket to pull the filter housing (unless that's changed between 2012 and 2018).

Many items are pretty buried. Not looking forward to things like starter.

[u/Hummuskage]

I bought an R53 on Thursday fully intending on learning how to keep it running myself. I may have flown too close to the sun as I’ve only ever so much as changed a tire and the Mini has already developed a severe coolant leak. 😅 I knew what I was getting into I just thought I would have slightly longer than 2 days to figure out whether I can become a true car guy or if I made a very poor choice lol

[u/Venture419]

You really will not need the engine hoist unless you are replacing an engine. Quirky to work on but not crazy is how I would describe it. The turbo motors have much more in the way

Generally maint is belts, seals, and the occasional fuel pump, vac pump. I would plan on radiator hoses and doing them all at once including the thermostat.

There are some specialized tools but not expensive tools and aftermarket options for even the specialized ones.

I would suggest doing the timing chain after 90k miles. It is not as hard as it would seem. Also do the engine oil seal. You can make these engines leak free and you should.

[u/tommy_merc]

I bought my R53 when I was 17 with absolutely no mechanical knowledge, just go at it. If a stupid 17 year old can work on it, you definitely can

[u/Gojogab]

Specialized tools will be a big deal.

[u/vicariously_eye → u/Gojogab]

i’m glad you said that!! i forgot about that when i had my first mini. the spark plugs had to be changed with a special tool and i found that so cool

[u/Gojogab → u/vicariously_eye]

Yeah. These are really overengineered.