Spark plugs worn out at 53k miles (R56)
#1
Spark plugs worn out at 53k miles (R56)
A few weeks ago I bought my first ever Mini; a 2010 Cooper Hardtop with 52k miles. Boy do I love this car, even with its base motor! I've been doing every piece of maintenance I'm capable of doing. So far this means gearbox oil, engine oil and filter, cabin air filter, and spark plugs. Supposedly, from what I've read, the spark plugs in the base model are good for 100k miles. I figured I'd replace them because it's fun and cheap, and gives me a chance to get to know the car. I'm glad I did because they were well beyond their useful life! The tips of the ground electrodes had eroded so much (from use) that the gaps on all four measured .055 inches, which is a substantial increase over the recommended .040. The new plugs have even cured some unwanted behavior I was seeing with the old plugs. Below 2000 RPM if I gave it more than about 1/3 throttle, the engine would miss hard, like a hard rev limiter. Also, when pulling away from a stop, the engine would run rough and occasionally stall. With the new plugs all of these symptoms were immediately cured. Never in my life have I seen new spark plugs make a noticeable change.
#5
We have seen multiple cars that need plugs at 45-50K miles, they don't go the 100xxx miles the dealer recommend.
We only stock NGK plugs, as they are quality plug that has been tried and true.
MINI Cooper Spark Plugs
We only stock NGK plugs, as they are quality plug that has been tried and true.
MINI Cooper Spark Plugs
#6
Never in my life have I seen new spark plugs make a noticeable change.
Really?
As owner of a "classic" I religiously adhere to the philosophy
NEVER futz with the fuel system until you are
150% the electrics are spot on . . .
****************
I'm curious as to the mods on the car
are these OE plugs?
Any other mods?
on my MINIs the plugs looked fine at 50,000 miles . . .
Really?
As owner of a "classic" I religiously adhere to the philosophy
NEVER futz with the fuel system until you are
150% the electrics are spot on . . .
****************
I'm curious as to the mods on the car
are these OE plugs?
Any other mods?
on my MINIs the plugs looked fine at 50,000 miles . . .
#7
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#8
I did purhase a set of the OEM NGK plugs at RockAuto a couple of days ago and they were substantially less expensive than any other place I have checked. They are the OEM plugs. Someone stated they have never seen new plugs make a noticeable change in the cars performance. UHH, not to be rude but that person hasn't changed very many plugs or done much car work because new plugs, and depending on the issue(s) with the car can make a huge difference in drivability and performance.
AND it doesn't matter if the spark plug manufacturer has the best gapping machine available to mankind, that is not proof the plugs will be the same gap when they arrive in your hands. ALWAYS check the gap prior to installation. If you've been working on cars for any reasonable amount of time you already know this. Newbies need to understand that one mis-gapped plug can lead to huge problems, and if you aren't much of a troubleshooter it can take forever to figure it out because you'll think because you just installed brand new plugs that it can't be them. That would be the incorrect thinking, but then again, sometimes it takes wrong decisions to learn the correct way.
Boy I got turned around here-I just needed a gap for my R56 non turbo, but I'll get it. My bad.
Cheers to everyone.
AND it doesn't matter if the spark plug manufacturer has the best gapping machine available to mankind, that is not proof the plugs will be the same gap when they arrive in your hands. ALWAYS check the gap prior to installation. If you've been working on cars for any reasonable amount of time you already know this. Newbies need to understand that one mis-gapped plug can lead to huge problems, and if you aren't much of a troubleshooter it can take forever to figure it out because you'll think because you just installed brand new plugs that it can't be them. That would be the incorrect thinking, but then again, sometimes it takes wrong decisions to learn the correct way.
Boy I got turned around here-I just needed a gap for my R56 non turbo, but I'll get it. My bad.
Cheers to everyone.
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Jeffrey Daitz (02-15-2022)
#9
#10
Hi,
Any one continually get a leak in the back drivers corner of the valve cover? I've pulled mine 2 times now, I've tried a little RTV, and I've got it at 90 inch lbs / 7.5 ft lbs on the bolts and the leak keeps coming back. I've even replaced the valve cover from 1A Auto. This last time I tried a Felpro gasket.
oil ends up down the back of the motor, and down on the bell housing of the transmission. Its not a lot, just annoying.
Any ideas appreciated. I've watched YouTube videos etc and not finding joy.
Any one continually get a leak in the back drivers corner of the valve cover? I've pulled mine 2 times now, I've tried a little RTV, and I've got it at 90 inch lbs / 7.5 ft lbs on the bolts and the leak keeps coming back. I've even replaced the valve cover from 1A Auto. This last time I tried a Felpro gasket.
oil ends up down the back of the motor, and down on the bell housing of the transmission. Its not a lot, just annoying.
Any ideas appreciated. I've watched YouTube videos etc and not finding joy.
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dominicminicoopers
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11-07-2003 09:04 PM