MINI Cooper Accessories & Modifications

25houses

I am considering a Mini C. with convenience fob. I just had an incident with a Lexus. out of town at an art show, late evening 25 miles from hotel, 8 1/2 hrs from home, nearest dealership 40 miles away and closed for the day. I was the lucky one it was found and turned to Lost and Found. I honestly don't know what I would have done had it not been found. Mini C dealerships are few and far between I questioned dealer how to resolve this situation? they will tow you up to 500 mi. or to nearest cert mech. That is not good enough when you are stranded in the middle of nowhere late at night and your spare is

Mr_Shiftright

I would definitely recommend that you NOT install this type of "mod" chip in your MINI and that you return it for a refund.

For a more detailed criticism of this type of chip, please read below:

How Not to get Ripper Off By Tuning Goodies

You would probably be better off buying an ECU re-flash through Autologic.

Mr_Shiftright

I'm in the process of installing the supercharger pulley reduction modification and running into difficulties with corrosion. My car now lives in California but spent a few years in Michigan, and this has made the installation rather tedious.

Biggest problem is that the supercharger pulley would NOT come off the shaft--seized on there. I had to remove the compressor and press the pulley off on a hydraulic press.

By all means, if your car lives in a harsh winter climate, you might anticipate a struggle with stubborn bolts on your MINI's front end.

I'll let you all know how the modification affects performance.

VISITING HOST

blueginger

Considering getting a mini with the premium package with panoramic sunroof. Has there been any recent problems with sunroofs? Please post. I want to anticipate problems or not get the sunroof at all.

Mr_Shiftright

Only things I ever heard were a) they can rattle a bit when open and b) they are pretty noisy when you're going down the freeway. I bought a clamp on wind deflector which helps quite a bit and I'd recommend you do that, too.

carpedrewum

I've seen other guys complaining about the sunroof refusing to work often times. This was in 2010 so it could have been in older models. Basically some of the parts had to be replaced, which could reach an amount of 1600 pounds. I have been driving a mini cooper s with the panoramic sunroof and it refused to open once, but the next day it was working again.
You can rest assured though that BMW will replace the parts free of charge, just so that they can avoid bad publicity...

halser

I just purchased a 2009 Mini Cooper Clubman. How can I tell if the car has cruise control?
Can it be added if it is not there?
Thanks, Hal

Mr_Shiftright

Buttons on the steering wheel I believe.

halser

On my 2009 Clubman. How hard and expensive would be to add cruise control to my car?

Mr_Shiftright

to my knowledge, which may be limited (it's been known to happen!), you can't retrofit it on a MINI (as yet).

stever

A reporter is looking for any drivers out there who can discuss the creative ways they've tried to keep their car clutter-free. There are so many gadgets, toys for kids, stuff for pets and other goods carried along in vehicles today, and he'd like to know how you manage or organize all these things inside your car. If you think you have helpful tips or ideas, please let us know at pr@edmunds.com by Monday December 24th.