the coking up the valves can be cured with a additive spray sprayed straight in to air inlet air filter removed this link below,

https://seafoamsales.com/

timing chains are really bad have seen a high number or turbo car with under 50.000 miles with snapped or tension-er failure leading to chain failure,, ( these engines car be repaired after chain failure most of the time) i have done hundreds of them.,

the vanos sprockets must be replaced when changing timing chain as complete kit, the cheap locking tools on ebay i have found to be 3-5 degrees out retarded on the timing. laser tools do a good kit. also the oil operated solenoid valves that control the vvt have filter gauze's on them these get bits of carbon blocking them, not reving correctly first place to check remove and clean..

bmw say these engines are within spec 1 litre to 1.8 litre of engine oil used for 300 miles,, joys of low resistance pistons and bores.

oil pump, seen these fail in two ways, one is random low oil pressure then full oil pressure, carbon gets in to oil pressure release valve on the pump sealed unit,, also if car has snapped its timing chain bits get locked in it,, always remove oil pump and strip it clean it spotless after t chain failure, also the oil pump is driven by a small chain off crankshaft this chain has a habit of snapping after 100k or so.. always replace with sprockets,
i have seen a lot of cars with new coil packs new plugs as owner thought the misfire and misfire on bank 1 or and bank 2 fault codes were coil packs or plug issues when reality was timing chain was stretched and the engine was misfiring due to the over lap on valve timing way way out, right on the verge of snapping the chain when these fault codes appear.
all these issues are not just with mini and prince engines,, i see a lot of bmw petrol engines with all the above faults,, i also see vw audi seat petrol engines with timing chains with same issues,, the key is treat timing chain as you would a timing belt and changed it every 50 60 k and you should be ok.. i use febi bilsteen or FAI branded chain kits as have found then to be a bit as good if not better than the om ones

 

Hi. I bought a BMW F20 118i with N13 1.6 engine. The engine was low water damaged. Cleaned spark plugs and as the mileage was 65000 so I changed the timing chain with a TOOL also. The engine start ok. no misfiring. no hesitation. but after 3-4 minutes these fault codes with a message -Drivetrain problem – comes in the display. three fault codes are
1; 120408 Charging pressure control: switch-off as consequence
2: 12A701 Catalytic converter downstream oxygen sensor, electrical fault: circuit short to battery (+)
3: 130304 VANOS (Variable camshaft timing) exhaust: control fault, camshaft stuck
Changed the solenoid valves. Changed the exhaust VANOS. Changed the oil filter and OIL. Opened oil pan and checked pick up screen. still the same problem.
Please advice. Thanks

the coking up the valves can be cured with a additive spray sprayed straight in to air inlet air filter removed this link below,

Sea Foam | Makers of Sea Foam Motor Treatment & Other Engine Products

timing chains are really bad have seen a high number or turbo car with under 50.000 miles with snapped or tension-er failure leading to chain failure,, ( these engines car be repaired after chain failure most of the time) i have done hundreds of them.,

the vanos sprockets must be replaced when changing timing chain as complete kit, the cheap locking tools on ebay i have found to be 3-5 degrees out retarded on the timing. laser tools do a good kit. also the oil operated solenoid valves that control the vvt have filter gauze's on them these get bits of carbon blocking them, not reving correctly first place to check remove and clean..

bmw say these engines are within spec 1 litre to 1.8 litre of engine oil used for 300 miles,, joys of low resistance pistons and bores.

oil pump, seen these fail in two ways, one is random low oil pressure then full oil pressure, carbon gets in to oil pressure release valve on the pump sealed unit,, also if car has snapped its timing chain bits get locked in it,, always remove oil pump and strip it clean it spotless after t chain failure, also the oil pump is driven by a small chain off crankshaft this chain has a habit of snapping after 100k or so.. always replace with sprockets,
i have seen a lot of cars with new coil packs new plugs as owner thought the misfire and misfire on bank 1 or and bank 2 fault codes were coil packs or plug issues when reality was timing chain was stretched and the engine was misfiring due to the over lap on valve timing way way out, right on the verge of snapping the chain when these fault codes appear.
all these issues are not just with mini and prince engines,, i see a lot of bmw petrol engines with all the above faults,, i also see vw audi seat petrol engines with timing chains with same issues,, the key is treat timing chain as you would a timing belt and changed it every 50 60 k and you should be ok.. i use febi bilsteen or FAI branded chain kits as have found then to be a bit as good if not better than the om ones

 

So if one did buy a mini with a prince engine that had say 40k on the clock, went and replaced the timing chain and oil pump, he should be good for another 50k, then rinse and repeat? How bad of a job is it to replace timing chain and oil pump? Does the engine have to come out?

 

oil pump i would leave until next timing chain job ie if were doing chain now would do again around 80 to 100k.
good question that how easy are they to change well very easy if you have done one before i've done hundreds of the bloody things and get them right the first time now every time,,
febi bilsteen is genuine OM fitment on these engines,, FAI do a kit that is ok for around £180 on ebay comes with the INLET vvt sprocket,, you must change the bottom and top exhaust sprocket as they wear,,
you will need a special locking tool and when i say it must be a good one have try'd some of ebay's £50 tools and they tend to retard the timing when set up... the best value kit i have found £200 made by DRAPER 32810 Timing Kit for Mini and Peugeot Citroen Vehicles machine mart sell them.,, also after replacing the chain kit adaptations will need to be reset,, chain kit comes as a cassette so can change without engine out takes me 4 hours now to do one, drivers wheel off rocker box off there are torx bolt pins that hold the guides in and remove crankshaft pulley bolt,,, WARNING YOU MUST LOCK THE ENGINE OFF BEFORE REMOVING ANY OF THE BOLTS THAT HOLD THE CHAIN SPROCKETS IN PLACE,, IF YOU DO NOT YOU WILL BEND VALVES IF ANYTHING IS ALLOWED TO TURN WHILE WORKING ON IT,

 

NAM Thread "Any way to make the Prince engine reliable"

Here is a thread on North American Motoring that provides further insight into the issues with these engines, titled "Any way to make the Prince engine reliable?".

https://www.northamericanmotoring.c...rums/r56-hatch-talk-2007/292339-any-way-to-make-the-prince-engine-reliable.html

 

Help, 2003 JCW Running on 3 Cylinders

dear all,

my mini has had a turn for the worst this morning and seems to be only running on 3 cylinders. is still running but sounds like a 2cv. any advise?

 

Engine Compression

Hi No compression in cylinder one, added spoonful of oil in to cylinder 1 still no compression, no blue smoke from exhaust pipe when fired up, hardly runs though! cylinders two, three and four are reading approx 145, engine is the N12 1.4cc with approx 90k on the clock, removed valve cover found top chain guide broken no sign of plastic guide, valves appear ok just looking from top not sure about seats etc. Do you think its just the timing out causing the no compression or deeper trouble with valves , seats , guides etc.

Regards
Kevin

 

Engine Compression Hi No compression in cylinder one, added spoonful of oil in to cylinder 1 still no compression, no blue smoke from exhaust pipe when fired up, hardly runs though! cylinders two, three and four are reading approx 145, engine is the N12 1.4cc with approx 90k on the clock, removed valve cover found top chain guide broken no sign of plastic guide, valves appear ok just looking from top not sure about seats etc. Do you think its just the timing out causing the no compression or deeper trouble with valves , seats , guides etc. Regards Kevin

 

it will take adaptations few cold to hot starts as such to relearn it all, vanos learning will catch up prob find for the first 5 starts from cold the car will get better and better every time you drive it after,, on first start up common for misfires and and random eml as ecu has not caught up with correct timing and fuelling after rebuild,

 

Seems a bit more than that though. When I rev it, sounds like it's running on 3. It is firing on all 4 now though, as all the manifold branches are hot. It was run around for a while with the exhaust valve failing until it got that bad it wouldn't fire on cylinder 3 (25psi). Will this of had an effect on anything?

Thanks Ian

 

25psi will deffo effect it badly enough pressure to heat up exhaust manifold not enough for power ie should be 150psi to 200psi , might be piston damaged common issue more so on cars driven around with low compression will wash bore and damage it

 

Morning Mike,
When I said 25psi, thats what it was with the damaged valve. They are all 150 psi now. It had been driven around with an ever decreasing compression as the valve leak worsened until it wouldn't run on cylinder 3 at 25psi.
Its now rebuilt with new valves, but is missing/ running rough.

Thanks Ian

 

next thing would be to swap the plugs between 3 to 4 etc see if miss fire moves with it if does then plug issue, can do same with coil packs , i would as a guess suspect the injector at fault and this could very well have been why the valve cracked in first place ie nozzle dripping not spraying so fuel had hot spots as such, you would also on live data detect a rich running when on closed loop ie both lamda sensors switched on after a 20 minute run they should on perfect running run below is info
Sensor output ranges from 0.2 volts (lean) to 0.8 volts (rich). A perfectly balanced or "stoichiometric" fuel mixture of 14.7 parts of air to 1 part of fuel gives an average reading of around 0.45 volts. The lambda sensor's output voltage doesn't remain constant,
you could move the injectors around on the rail to prove it ie if miss moves

 

also could check the injector with multi meter ie check the good ones ie 1 2 3 compare 4 to them
High impedance injectors are the most common found on cars these days. They will range from 12 to 17 ohms. Low impedance injectors are found on high performance and larger injectors. They have much lower resistance, typically around 2-5 ohms

 

Thanks mike, new plugs have sorted it out. I was an Agricultural Engineer for 20 years, tractors, combines ect, then service manager , but before the days of dianostic tools. With regards to the eml, do I need to erase the fault codes to extinguish it? Also there seems quite a vacuum in the engine, you can feel and hear it as I release the filler cap or is this normal?
I haven't done the ecu reset, do I need to do this, seems to run ok but haven't taken it on the road yet as it's still in front service mode.

Thanks Ian

 

have known pcv valves to fail on them, ie rocker cover on r56 just a valve on r53, yes will need to reset the light and worth resetting the adaptions as well

 

Thanks again for the info, you can buy a repair kit on eBay for tge r56 for £9.69
PCV Valve Cover Repair Kit 11127646554 11127572724 For MINI COOPER 2002~2019

Cheers Ian

 

dont think it covers the n14 or n18 the rocker covers are sealed for life ie break it to remove it as such, and n the turbo engines due to pressurised intakes it must be right or they will grenade the pistons with oil and cant compress it if to much

 

Have a look and see what you think, this is what it says...

Stable characteristics, high reliability.
Made of plastic, it is durable and practical.
Easy to use.Long service life.Replace your old or damaged parts.
New diaphragm valve for crankcase ventilation designed to replace broken/ruptured PCV diaphragms on the N12 engine without having to replace the entire valve cover.

Specifications:
Material: ABS Plastic
Color: As Pictures
Replace Part Number: 11127646554 11127572724

Package Included:
1 x Valve Cover Repair Kit

 

fits non turbo engines

 

below link is turbo cover n14

Engine Cylinder Valve Cover W/ Gasket for Mini R55 R56 R57 R58 R59 Cooper S Jcw for sale | eBay

Find great deals on eBay for Engine Cylinder Valve Cover W/ Gasket for Mini R55 R56 R57 R58 R59 Cooper S Jcw. Shop with confidence.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

Hi. I bought a BMW F20 118i with N13 1.6 engine. The engine was low water damaged. Cleaned spark plugs and as the mileage was 65000 so I changed the timing chain with a TOOL also. The engine start ok. no misfiring. no hesitation. but after 3-4 minutes these fault codes with a message -Drivetrain problem – comes in the display. three fault codes are
1; 120408 Charging pressure control: switch-off as consequence
2: 12A701 Catalytic converter downstream oxygen sensor, electrical fault: circuit short to battery (+)
3: 130304 VANOS (Variable camshaft timing) exhaust: control fault, camshaft stuck
Changed the solenoid valves. Changed the exhaust VANOS. Changed the oil filter and OIL. Opened oil pan and checked pick up screen. still the same problem.
Please advice. Thanks

 

1; 120408 Charging pressure control: switch-off as consequence
2: 12A701 Catalytic converter downstream oxygen sensor, electrical fault: circuit short to battery (+)
3: 130304 VANOS (Variable camshaft timing) exhaust: control fault, camshaft stuck
number 1 turbo issue maybe from the damage of over heated engine would point me to checking oil pressure when also when hot if will run ,
2 downstream 02 sensor might be cooked melted within and short circuit to positive, could also be a ecu fault,
3 also oil pressure first check on list then the oil control rings within the first cam journal or maybe engine got so hot it hurt the vanos sprockets,, i just done a citreon with same prince engine was cooked so hard it dropped the valve seats out the heat, that needed new cat both 02 sensors map sensor thermostat housing and both vanos sprocket all got hurt be the heat and thats was a lucky one

 

I already changed the Vanos Sprocket and Two Oil Control Rings within the First Cam Journal and oil pressure is also ok.

1; 120408 Charging pressure control: switch-off as consequence
2: 12A701 Catalytic converter downstream oxygen sensor, electrical fault: circuit short to battery (+)
3: 130304 VANOS (Variable camshaft timing) exhaust: control fault, camshaft stuck
number 1 turbo issue maybe from the damage of over heated engine would point me to checking oil pressure when also when hot if will run ,
2 downstream 02 sensor might be cooked melted within and short circuit to positive, could also be a ecu fault,
3 also oil pressure first check on list then the oil control rings within the first cam journal or maybe engine got so hot it hurt the vanos sprockets,, i just done a citreon with same prince engine was cooked so hard it dropped the valve seats out the heat, that needed new cat both 02 sensors map sensor thermostat housing and both vanos sprocket all got hurt be the heat and thats was a lucky one

 

then number 2 looks to be the fault and the rest could very well be the outcomes of that fault
2: 12A701 Catalytic converter downstream oxygen sensor, electrical fault: circuit short to battery (+)
the 3-4 minutes bit is the clue so when a car starts from cold its on a preset cold start map,,, after 3-4 minutes enough heat is within the cat for the sensors and cat to be switch via ecu to closed circuit running ie the 02 sensors take over the fuelling of the car,, if the cat is damaged this will have a bad effect same as if 02 sensors have bean damaged by engine failures like over heated ie cat and 02 sensors have a very brittle running parameter heat range,, when car gets over heated or oil is added to it or even antifreeze water damage can destroy them,, on a perfectly running car 02 and cat makers give a life span of 60,000-120.000 miles ie motorway miles and should be replaced as a complete system,, ie running shagged sensors on new cat is wrong and same the other way around,, those engines eat oil by design this adds to it then if get over heated they have no chance,, trouble is if dont replace all of it in one go chances are it will never run right,,
this all said and dont want to spend out try a sensor

 

Thanks Mike. Let me start from the Cat with sensors and see how it goes further with the rest of DTCs.
Got another BMW F31 with N20 engine. 2.0 petrol. Changed Cylinder block and timing Chain kit. Kept all the sensors from the old Block. Reset all adatations. There is n DTCs but still the car doesn't start. It does crank and fuel supply from the injectors and spark on the Spark plugs ok. can you plz advice. thanks

then number 2 looks to be the fault and the rest could very well be the outcomes of that fault
2: 12A701 Catalytic converter downstream oxygen sensor, electrical fault: circuit short to battery (+)
the 3-4 minutes bit is the clue so when a car starts from cold its on a preset cold start map,,, after 3-4 minutes enough heat is within the cat for the sensors and cat to be switch via ecu to closed circuit running ie the 02 sensors take over the fuelling of the car,, if the cat is damaged this will have a bad effect same as if 02 sensors have bean damaged by engine failures like over heated ie cat and 02 sensors have a very brittle running parameter heat range,, when car gets over heated or oil is added to it or even antifreeze water damage can destroy them,, on a perfectly running car 02 and cat makers give a life span of 60,000-120.000 miles ie motorway miles and should be replaced as a complete system,, ie running shagged sensors on new cat is wrong and same the other way around,, those engines eat oil by design this adds to it then if get over heated they have no chance,, trouble is if dont replace all of it in one go chances are it will never run right,,
this all said and dont want to spend out try a sensor

then number 2 looks to be the fault and the rest could very well be the outcomes of that fault
2: 12A701 Catalytic converter downstream oxygen sensor, electrical fault: circuit short to battery (+)
the 3-4 minutes bit is the clue so when a car starts from cold its on a preset cold start map,,, after 3-4 minutes enough heat is within the cat for the sensors and cat to be switch via ecu to closed circuit running ie the 02 sensors take over the fuelling of the car,, if the cat is damaged this will have a bad effect same as if 02 sensors have bean damaged by engine failures like over heated ie cat and 02 sensors have a very brittle running parameter heat range,, when car gets over heated or oil is added to it or even antifreeze water damage can destroy them,, on a perfectly running car 02 and cat makers give a life span of 60,000-120.000 miles ie motorway miles and should be replaced as a complete system,, ie running shagged sensors on new cat is wrong and same the other way around,, those engines eat oil by design this adds to it then if get over heated they have no chance,, trouble is if dont replace all of it in one go chances are it will never run right,,
this all said and dont want to spend out try a sensor

 

you say fuel is there ok and spark is there ok then its got to have a mechanical issue you would think,, have you try'd cranking engine with injector rail with injectors pulled away from head and as crank it see what fuel patterns you get if any, very very common bmw issue with no starts is cas unit,, also what are scanning it with need to know it will pick up dealer only codes as many do not,

 

Hi Mike,
If the fuel spray pattern from Injectors are not the same or all are different then should I change All or the bad injectors 2ndly if the Cas unit is defective then still there would be fuel and spark supply? Or it would cut them off?

 

cas units when fail tend to shut t all off, have you done a diagnostic scan if so what did you use, all injectors should spray same, also would check the fuel line pressure from tank should have somewhere around 5bar or some diagnostics use mpa that would be 5000mpa, also would back through all the parts you have changed over some will be coded and will need bmw software to recode them to that car,, its bmw's way of trying to prevent anyone working on their cars outside one of their outlets

 

To the people who are joining hoping to purchase a second gen mini with a petrol engine you will benefit from this information.

The n12-n18 engines were a joint venture between BMW & PSA it replaced the Tritec engine in 2008.

It was first used in the 2nd gen minis 2006-2013 and the convertible from 2008-2013.

Info about the engine courtesy of wikipedia


Prince is the codename for a family of automobile straight-4 engines developed by PSA Peugeot Citroën and used by BMW. It is a compact engine family of 1.4–1.6 L in displacement and includes most modern features including gasoline direct injection, turbocharging, BMW VANOS and variable valve timing.

The BMW variants of the Prince engine are known as the N13 / N16 and N18. It replaced the Tritec engine family in the Mini and was first introduced in 2006 for MINI. Later in 2011 also for BMW models F20 116i and 118i. This was the first longitudinal engine mount option for Prince engine.

PSA has started to use the Prince family in 2006 to replace their TU family — the Peugeot 207 being the first car to receive it.

The engine's components are produced by PSA at their Douvrin, France, facility, with MINI and BMW engine assembly at Hams Hall in Warwickshire, UK.[citation needed] The co-operation was announced on 23 July 2002 with the first engines produced in 2006. The Prince engine project is not related to the Prince Motor Company.

In late 2006, an extension of the cooperation between the two groups was announced,[1] promising new four-cylinder engines, without further details.

On 29 September 2010, it was announced by BMW that the 1.6Turbo version of the Prince engine would be supplied from 2012 to Saab for use in forthcoming models, primarily the 9-3. However with the closure of SAAB supply never started.

At the Geneva Auto Show 2011, Saab unveiled their latest concept vehicle Saab PhoeniX with BMW Prince Engine 1.6T 200 hp

On 25 June 2014 1.6-litre turbo Prince engine won its eighth consecutive International Engine of the Year Award in the 1.4 to 1.8-litre category. In 2014 the Prince engine beat, among others, the new BMW B38 engine which is replacing the Prince engine in the Mini and BMW lineups.



Design[edit]
The Prince family shares its basic block dimensions with the previous PSA TU engine family. Engineering design was directed by PSA with some support provided by BMW, including their Valvetronic variable valve lift system on the intake side. Other features include on-demand oil and water pumps. Gasoline direct injection with a twin-scroll turbocharger will be used on the higher power versions.[7][8]

All Prince engines will share 84 mm (3.3 in) cylinder spacing and a 77 mm (3 in) bore. The engine features a two-piece "bedplate" aluminum crankcase for extra stiffness.

1.4 litre EP3/EP3C (PSA)[edit]
The 1.4 L PSA EP3 and EP3C[9] is the smallest member of the Prince family with a stroke measuring 75 mm (2.953 in) and total capacity of 1397 cc. Depending on application, power output varies from 90 to 95 PS (66 to 70 kW; 89 to 94 bhp) while torque varies from 136 to 140 N·m (100 to 103 lbf·ft).

Applications:

2005-2006 Peugeot 307
2005–present Peugeot 207
2007–2010 Mini One
2007–present Peugeot 308
2009–present Citroën C3
2009–present Citroën C3 Picasso
2012–present Peugeot 208
1.6 litre EP6/EP6C naturally aspirated (PSA)[edit]
The 1.6 L engine is used in the second-generation MINI and various Peugeot 207 models. It has an 85.8 mm (3.4 in) stroke for a total of 1598 cc of displacement.

The naturally aspirated variant (EP6, EP6C[9]) has conventional fuel injection and lost-foam cast cylinder heads. Its 11:1 compression ratio creates an output of 120 PS (118 hp/88 kW) at 6000 rpm with a redline of 6500 rpm. Torque is 118 lb-ft (160 N·m) at 4250 rpm.[10]

Applications:

2007–present Peugeot 207 Sport
2007–2010 MINI Cooper
2011–present Mini One
2012–present Peugeot 208
2013–2015 Peugeot 2008
2007–present Peugeot 308
2010–present Peugeot 3008
2011–present Peugeot 508
2008–present Citroën C4
2009–present Citroën DS3
2009–present Citroën DS4
2009–present Citroën C3
2009–present Citroën C3 Picasso
1.6 litre turbocharged (PSA)[edit]
The turbocharged 1.6 L unit adds gasoline direct injection and has special low-pressure die-cast heads. It has an 85.8 mm (3.4 in) stroke for a total of 1598 cc of displacement.



Unfortunately it has its fair share of issues :serious:

1) timing chain guide rails are a very common failure point on these engines, a heavy knocking noise is the only warning your going to get.

2) Carbon coking is another common issue it can be rectified by walnut blasting the valves https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiE3v2zrKrTAhWMLMAKHVhRCv0QFghcMAE&url=http://www.dukesparkautomotive.co.uk/walnut-shell-blasting/&usg=AFQjCNHuSUdIBYlZKI4ZJEPm4qg42uWMyA

3) Vanos solenoid issues can play up & leak.

4) These engines require a good quality synthetic oil 5w30 recommended. Its a good idea to change it regularly to prevent excess wear on the vanos & valvetrain.

5) They also like to drink oil!! make sure its checked regularly to prevent catastrophe!!

6) With cars over 100k its not uncommon for oil pumps to fail, i would recommend its changed as precautionary maintenance to prevent any nasty surprises!


7) Coil packs can play up, this causes rough running & misfires + fault codes :big_grin:


Hope this helps someone lol

P:s to avoid these issues get an r50 or r53 :😉:

Hi there, I’ve got a 2008 mini one in need of a replacement engine, it’s the 1.4 n12 that is currently in it however I want to put a bigger engine in it, do you have any info if the Cooper 1.6 engine will transfer into the One? Or any other engines that’d fit it?
Many thanks
Henry

 

i worked for psa garage years a go and deffo wont own one these days, same as wont own a VAG DSG car either as they also have some pretty big weaknesses that are big bucks

 

Hey all,

Just came across this thread, so thought I would contribute.

I purchased a 2009 MINI First, 1.4 N12 PSA engine I believe, it was a rough running thing when I got it.

Got it for £800, which I think is pretty cheap, it had 143,000 miles on it, which may terrify some people, but I thought it had some potential and knew it's history somewhat (was in the family).

I knew all about the potential issues with these engines, and this thread is a hive of great knowledge.

I knew this car had NEVER had a new timing chain, as its been in the family since new, so that was my first port of call..as I knew these can be a headache to sensors and all other things if the chain is even slightly stretched.

I replaced the Timing Chain and Tensioner with a FEBI kit, didn't bother with the sprockets or anything else, stuck on a new O2 manifold Lambda sensor and gave it a good oil service, even stuck in some Lucas oil stabilizer for good measure, this had helped with some of the leaks (oil filter gasket mainly) but I did replace that gasket with a fresh one.

So, I have done 3,000 miles since and all has been great, the car is running superbly, not even burnt or lost any oil and is returning a measured 48mpg which is quite astonishing I think!

I didn't want to put too much ££ into this car, the timing chain kit (£70) and 02 sensor (£80) and a few gaskets (£25) etc cost me around £400 including labour (I have a good mechanic mate - which is cheap I think! Labour is quite extensive, as few things need removing and refitting due to space)

Hoping to run it for at least 1 year, see what the MOT says in September, but I am mindful of the fact that if any other BIG ticket items rear their head, I may call it a day on this MINI.

Noone is going to want it with all these miles on it, and part ex will be pitiful, but so far it's working out ok and is very cheap motoring for me at the moment, especially compared to the very needy V60 diesel I cashed it in for it.

 

Yhay sounds like a real bargain you have there