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N12,N14,N18 common issues.

154K views 47 replies 17 participants last post by  JTownPBX  
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