Hey guys, fairly new here. I bought a black MCS roughly two weeks ago and have been loving it. I bought it with 38k miles on it, (now at 39K), and mechanically it appears to be in pretty good condition ... other than the cheap and extremely annoying aftermarket exhaust; the whole thing rattles inside and against the exhaust tunnel and vibrates BUT, that problem has been solved as I just received in my Invidia exhaust for it which should be on shortly.

Other than the exhaust I installed a Craven Racing stubby antenna and Mintex Xtreme brake pads.

Anyways, it's always a habit for me to do a full tune-up when I purchase a vehicle despite the condition and readings of anything. My oil change meter says I still have 9k+ to go but anyone could have just reset it so I plan on doing one. I have compiled a list of things I plan to do to it within the next week or so, any comments/additions/suggestions are much appreciated!

Oil change

Check water pump

Check bushings

Air filter/Intake (I noticed one of my factory intake box screws has been replaced with a ziptie ... hmm)

Brake fluid (I have some ATE super blue around here somewhere...)

Thermostat/coolant flush (Read that these can start leaking. Any better aftermarket gaskets out there?)

Spark plugs/wires

Serpentine belt/Aftermarket tensioner (It's been cold and wet here recently and I've noticed that when I start my car it sounds like the belt is squeaking a little, not super loud. I always let my car sit for about 3-5min before I start driving it and it usually doesn't go away until I drive it for a few minutes. (I can't hear it when I'm driving, only when I come to a stop.))

Clean/check PS pump fan

I'm thinking that the belt and tensioner will be first to get done cost wise. I wish I had funds right now to do the ATI crank pulley as well but I'll take what I can get. For now I'm thinking of just getting a factory replacement belt, DT tensioner and factory belt tensioner tool.

Again, all suggestions welcome!

 

water pump - not sure what you can check
air filter - not uncommon for those screws to strip if overtorqued
brake fluid - do NOT let the reservoir run dry, the ABS system can get hosed if air gets in; also the clutch is hydraulic, but look up the procedure to flush - the slave can also get hosed if air is introduced
thermostat - oem is the best option, the newer versions are better than originals
plugs and wires - rated to 100K, can probably easily go another 10K
belt/tensioner - if money is short, you can use a large pry bar with a socket on a nearby bolt as a fulcrum; fwiw MINI recommends no 'warmup' period, just driving it easy for the first few minutes until warm

Welcome to the MINI and NAM!

 

I just ordered the Mini tensioner tool and Detroit tuned tensioner. Just need the belt now, any suggestions on that or just an OEM one for now?

 

^^ what Eric said, plus:

Oil change: Do this more often than the indicator says. General consensus is every 5k, but opinions vary widely, and everyone has one. The one things most folks agree on is 15kmiles is "too long", likely designated by the factory to ensure folks buy replacement Minis.

Check water pump: Simply check for leaks and listen if the S-charger is rattling or whining. The water pump is driven off the driver's side of the S-charger and a BEAST to remove. Somewhere around 70-80kmiles you'll want to remove it and change the s-charger oil, replace the water pump either then, or at the 160kmile s-charger oil change. The s-charger oil is supposed to be "lifetime", but there are a few reported issues with that (or else "lifetime" means the car's life is over when that oil wears out/runs out!)

Check bushings: Good diea, especially front control arm bushings. Replace with powerflex: more direct steering feel with no compromises. Also check lower dogbone engine mount. Replace that one with OEM as the Powerflex break on the small end. Check also your PS engine mount for leaks. The TSW mount is a good replacement, but stiff when cold.

Air filter/Intake (I noticed one of my factory intake box screws has been replaced with a ziptie ... hmm): Not unusual, the one screw is a beast to get to (below the "+" battery terminal). A CAI is a nice addition - chances are the PO had one and put the OE one back in to sell it, explaining the ziptie. CAI's are all over, they all do the same thing, I like the Alta but folks have reported excellent results with others.

Brake fluid (I have some ATE super blue around here somewhere...): Above. Change every 2-3 years.

Thermostat/coolant flush (Read that these can start leaking. Any better aftermarket gaskets out there?): Updated OE thermostat is THE way to go. Also not a fun repair so if'n it's not leaking, leave it alone. If'n it's leakling a little, it's pretty much OK. If you want to repair yourself, get the "extended bolts" so you can take the car to "servicel level 1" (remove front bumper and angle rad support out of the way) without disconnecting the a/c.

Spark plugs/wires: Plugs are a Good idea, wires too if you want or if they're showing age.

Serpentine belt/Aftermarket tensioner : Replace the belt with the PROPER size belt, and once replaced, check tosee if you can see at least a full hole in the tensioner strap. Many aftermarket belts, including the alternate size recommended by Autozone, are slightly too long, resulting in the squeak you mention. Also, if the PO installed a supercharger pulley and used the stock belt, you'll get that result. WHILE IN THERE: Get a "tensioner limit strap" from Detroit Tuned and install that. It's $25 but if you snap a belt later, it saves you from replacing the tensioner pulley AND crank pulley ($$$ job). Consider also getting a 15% pulley, best mod you can make on the R53. Adds hp, but more importantly adds torque throughout the rev range.

Clean/check PS pump fan: Definitely, and do this regularly (every oil change and after every run on an autocross course or dirty road). Consider a skidplate; they're cheap insurance and an easy install.

Hope this helps!

 

I found that changing the thermostat is not that difficult, it's just time consuming. I did it on a windy, ~50 degree F day a few weeks ago, on my wife's 06 MCSa because it threw a coolant temp warning, and I didn't think it was worth spending hundreds of dollars on. I got the part for $40 from my dealer (though they initially asked for $65), and followed instructions on this site. As long as you have a basic toolset and a basic Torx head set, and a tray to dump the coolant into, you can do it in the driveway.

I was very glad I did so - the gasket on the original thermostat kind of crumbled out. In addition to that surprise, green coolant came out - the coolant should have been red or orange. This was my cue to look up how to do a coolant flush, which I did using the Shop Vac method.

I also took the opportunity to clean the throttle body while I had the access. It wasn't so bad, but the cleaner the better.

Changing out 100,000-mile-old plugs and wires was a pain. The wires more than the plugs, truth be told. I had my knee down on the engine bay while I was using all my might to wiggle and pull those things off - I thought one of them was going to come apart rather than pull out. I swapped in new NGK plugs & wires.

Before I had done my 'new-to-me' tune-up, we were getting pretty terrible gas mileage. With new plugs, wires, coolant, air filter, and thermostat, we went from getting ~22mpg highway to ~37mpg highway.

The next thing on my list is (hopefully) fixing the mushroomed strut towers and installing Cravenspeed Strut Tower Defenders.

 

Congrats !

While you are in there (service mode) I would seal any oil leaks.

Crank Sensor gasket o-ring is one of them, cheap $4 part.

Check PS hoses for leaks, usually it's the clamps up top.

Also check to see if the cooling fan lo/hi speed relay is functioning.