Last month I got my 06 checkmate S with 36000 on it.. looks new...

I have been reading my eyeballs dry and now i think I broke my brain. I have installed an M7 strut tower defenders and bar. I just put their intake on as well.

What else do I need to upgrade to pre-fix before the problem happens?

With this car I want to fix it before it becomes an issue.

2nd topic: After install of the M7 intake I get a high pitch "SQUEEE" inbetween vac and boost. is this normal, or can it be altered or fixed?

 

ATI crank pulley - not at all needed now, but IMO will be needed eventually (replaced mine at 80k)

Powerflex lower engine mount bushing inserts - in my experience this extends the life of your OEM upper engine mount. Feels good when broken in too. You could just replace the upper engine mount with one of the aftermarket options, but they're either too expensive or too stiff.

Supercharger tensioner stop - just insurance if your belt breaks.

I also like my Ireland engineering fixed camber plates. Replaces the crummy stock top mounts, prevents mushrooming, and gives you a bit of extra camber for much better handling. It's not too much camber either...just right for a daily driver.

- Andrew

 

I'd also do an Oil catch can to prevent buildup on your intercooler and oxygen sensors. The M7 intake is pretty noisy, but you might just make sure everything is connected right, just to be sure.

And it's probably overkill, but I change my synthetic oil every 7,500 miles, cheap insurance.

 

Crank pulley is a good recommendation. Here is a good DIY with info on it and how to replace it. If you need help with any other repairs on the car that you will be making, feel free to check out our other tech articles here.

-Luccia

 

If it hasn't been done, change all the fluid including the transmission. For power steering a common practice is to change out the fluid in the reservoir only using a turkey baster and don't pull a hose. I keep the coolant level just above the baffels in the reservoir. Seems to prolonge the tank life. When it starts to leak at the seams it will be replace with a metal tank. Check fluid levels weekly at least and daily on road trips and it will remain bullet proof. Think about a larger rear sway bar- 22 or 25 mm. It will put grins on your face you've never experienced. Have only used toptier fuel. It's an easy DIY installation. That's what I have been doing for the last nine years and our R53 is still bullet proof. Congrats on your fine taste in MINIs and good luck.

 

Don't waste your money trying to "fix" too many things that are not yet broken....
Crank damper.... Maybe,...
Fluid changes. Coolant is often forgotten is a good thing, along with brake fluid...maybe have the r134a pressure checked for the ac (do not use a self fill kit, lube is usually incompatible, and will shorten the compressor life, and many over fill....
But save your $$$...fix stuff when needed...
Get inspections done, buy only premium fuel...
If you want more fun..a pulley, rear sway bar, and maybe an intake are good starters.....

 

The intake buzz is a bit of a harmonic...you can hear bit more with some intakes...do make sure nothing is loose, but there have been a few complaint's over the years with some....

 

I change mine every 3000 miles, what would you call that? LOL

 

I will be doing a lof on my mini next week and sending a sample to Blackstone labs so I can see what's doing inside!

Also the p/s fluid and others will be inspected and changed...

Thanks and keep em coming!

 

36K is pretty low mileage for any car. You will burn a hole in your wallet if you try to "bullet proof" things that may not go bad for years. There are some things you can do, adding the tensioner stop is cheap insurance in case of a belt break. Keep the maintenance up, change all the fluids, I don't agree with Mini's "forever oils" in there trannies. At this point I would spend my hard earned cash on mods that will make you Mini more fun to drive. Like a rear sway bar, Koni FSD shocks, Supercharger reduction belt, sprint booster, Cold Intake, etc, etc. There are interior and exterior mods that can make your Mini "YOURS". The Mini has so much potential for mods that it will bring you smiles over the years of ownership.

 

A waste of perfectly good oil.

 

I'm with you there, all the analysis I have done on my past minis have been over 10,000 for n/a is safe and 7500 was OK for the turbos. 3000 is just a waste and a burden on recycling centers and your wallet.

Akin to changing tires every 5000 miles for better traction

 

At your mileage, its possible that your LCA bushings are already shot & need to be replaced. If this is the case, go with the PowerFlex units. If they're not shot yet, they will be soon.

Check your front top hats, there's a good chance at least one of them is cracked. If & when this is the case, go with the Ireland Engineering fixed top hats. You get slightly more front negative camber and much better construction.

Lastly, of all the fluids mentioned by previous posts (all good advice), don't forget your supercharger oil!! It's one of Mini's nonsense "lifetime" fluids. Change it every 40k & your SC will thank you!

 

LCS? please enlighten me.

Wow, supercharger oil every 40K? I have been looking at maintenance needs, plugs are every 30K? I mean that's easy, but just curious...

also my rear washer just stopped working... slowly got worse, then nothing, and both front reservoirs are full!

I love this car!

 

By 50k: (some of these are regular maintenance continuous items)
- Premium fuel, name brand only
- Change oil every 5k (or so, YMMV), use the good stuff and an OE or WIX filter
- Consider changing the stock oil plug for a VW plug and copper crush washer, the bolt heads don't strip on the VW ones - don't over-tighten either one!
- Change trans oil to Redline MTF (AKA "magic butter", do this every 20k)
- Lube and inspect all hinges, esp. hatch hinges for rust
- Check for rust above rear license plate lights, under taillights, and lower seams of doors. If it's not there, clean and apply liberal rustproofing treatment. If it's there, fix.
- Brake flush, check pads, lube brake pins/sliders, replace/upgrade as needed
- PS engine mount - replace about every 40k or when it fails, and it will. All aftermarket "better" ones are stiffer, and add NVH. All work, however, and it's not that bad a replacement.
- Lower dogbone mount: Replace about 50k
- replace lower control arm bushings up front with polly, ignore for the life of the car, no harshness downside

By 75K:
- Replace OE crank pulley as they can fail, use ATI or PRW (ATI is better known, I have the PRW and love it, the PRW is less expensive and is also a "lifetime" pulley
- The Big Service: Supercharger oil change, preferably about 60-70k. It's HIGHLY likely that all's well in there, but it doesn't hurt to change every 75k, inspect the gears, replace the waterpump and thermostat in the process, and re-brush the alternator or replace it outright while you're in there. If your low-s[peed resistor fails (and many do), it's a good time to replace the fan assembly (cheap on Amazon), and all the hoses (sounds expensive, it's not, and it all mostly comes off when you "do" the supercharger)
- Also while you're there, there's a vacuum hose just under the pasenger side supercharger horn that can rub on the wiring loom and leak, fix and/or reinforce with a small piece of tubing slit and tied over it (you'll see it)
- Tie rods and axles have about a 70-100k life, depending on usage, replace and align as needed.
- Replace trans mount, mine had sagged 1/2" by 100k. Add poly inserts when you replace it, same with the lower mount.
- If your clutch pedal feels like you're pushing a screwdriver through a bucket of rocks, a bushing can fail. It's a cheap bushing, but it requires basically a "clutch job" to get at it, so budget for a clutch every 100k or so. It gives a LOT of notice before failure.
- you'll likely have a wheel speed sensor or two go by this time, replace when needed
- Oxygen sensors between 75 and 100k
- Ebrake cables tend to bind in corrosive (salty/snowy) environments, 50-75k they'll go.

Now, while that sounds like a lot, it's not, really, and not much in there can strand you except the alternator piece (don't ask me how I know...)

You have a really low-mileage example, so the above may just be a list of things to expect and maybe budget for!

Oh, and welcome to the Checkmate club!

 

Thank you so much! so much more to consider than my clubman (justa).

-why trans oil so often? have you had it tested by a lab? For a daily driver, no auto-x or racing, seems excessive.

the rest is all do-able!