Hi guys.

I am new to this forum cause just bought a used 2005 mini cooper s JCW recently. Being a Mini owner is such a wonderful experience. Even if I have just owned it for two weeks, I can feel the difference in driving it. Really glad to have it :)

Firstly, I am not sure whether my model is a good choice. I just bought it cause the seller is a nice guy who love his car and the car is lovely. Is it a nice choice btw?

I was informed that it had just been serviced in May but not sure what kind of service it was(oil change or interim or full). I am just curious what should I do with the car cause I havent had any inspection prior to buying it. So I dont really know which parts should I replace in case they are worn out.

Today, a friend of mine wanna sell his madness JCW intake high flow air filter for 30 pound. Is it necessary and is the price offered cheap? I really dont have any clue what should I start with to make sure the car will run smoothly for the future.

Is it a recommended thing to start with (changing the air filter)?? If it does, is the madness air filter good??? I heard ITG is more famous. I am just confused right now.

And I realize that the brakes are worn out. I am not sure whether I should upgrade to a new brake kit system or just replace the pad or any damaged disc. I am interested with big brake kit but that would consume another thousand bucks. i have spent quite a lot on the car and insurance so my budget is a bit restricted now. Plus, i am not a racer type of guy who need tuning or turbo hahaha. maybe next time. ATM, just need some recommendations on important stuffs that need to be replaced/added for a newly purchased used car.

hope you guys can help a bit by giving some advice. would really appreciate some tips from the experienced owners here. cheers :)

You purchase depends largely on how much it cost and how many miles it has/the condition it is in. That said, an '05 JCW is considered one of the best. If the oil was changed in May and assuming its been driven somewhat regularly I would recommend the first thing you do is get another oil change. Mini recommends every 15k, this is crazy talk, do it every 5k.

Cheers and enjoy...

Hye Bmont82,

Thanks for your reply. I bought it for GBP 6000 and it had 54k miles on it. The last service was done when it was 51k++. Is it a good bargain?

Do you suggest of getting another oil change?I am worried about the coolant as well cause it's now getting colder in here (winter). I am not sure how long have the coolant been there.

Back to my question, I am urgently need an answer about the air filter. My friend is offering me a very good price on it otherwise he will sell it off to other buyer. Should I get it?I heard the stock JCW air filter is restrictive and is expensive to replace. How about the madness air filter? or do you think I dont need one cause it'll be a waste?

cheers mate for your reply.

i have a yellow handbrake warning light on the rev counter dial and a picture of a car with 2lines under it when i switch ignition on? its currently gone off but whats this problem?

Hye Bmont82,

Thanks for your reply. I bought it for GBP 6000 and it had 54k miles on it. The last service was done when it was 51k++. Is it a good bargain?

Do you suggest of getting another oil change?I am worried about the coolant as well cause it's now getting colder in here (winter). I am not sure how long have the coolant been there.

Back to my question, I am urgently need an answer about the air filter. My friend is offering me a very good price on it otherwise he will sell it off to other buyer. Should I get it?I heard the stock JCW air filter is restrictive and is expensive to replace. How about the madness air filter? or do you think I dont need one cause it'll be a waste?

cheers mate for your reply.

I would recommend getting another oil change at 56k then.

All air filters are restrictive but I've heard (not from experience) that the stock filter is not that bad. I'd be more concerned with it being relatively new and not clogged over an aftermarket...

So you're saying that better keep the stock filter rather than spending in on an aftermarket one.

I start feeling that it'd be a waste to buy then. Better keep money for servicing it later right? Cheers bro :)

It depends. Is your current air filter in need of a change? If so is the air filter that you are being offered a lot more expensive then a stock version? When it comes down to it you will never get a noticeable amount of added power by simply using a different filter.