Stock Problems/Issues Discussions related to warranty related issues and repairs, or other problems with the OEM parts and software for MINI Cooper (R50), Cabrio (R52), and Cooper S (R53) MINIs.

Suspension rec and window regulator ?

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Old 05-13-2020, 08:39 AM
Johnny Tangney's Avatar
Johnny Tangney
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Suspension rec and window regulator ?

First time posting so forgive my formatting if incorrect.
Can I tell the recent tale of my Mini adventures?
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Decided to fix the list of issues that have been accruing since I've had my 06 R53 ~160k miles!

It all started with some noise while turning and then an intermittent power steering loss problem. Turning the car off for a while would solve but still pretty worrisome.

The power steering problem has since subsided, but was followed by a nasty over heating problem. I thought it was a resivoir leak problem causing the coolant level to drop, but eventually reality smacked me in the face after a long drive thru wait turned into a coolant spewing nightmare. Definitely a nice big crack in the resivoir that was being made worse by super hot coolant.

I read about the radiator fan failing and it did seem true as I used to hear the fan on all the time, especially strange was that it stayed on after the car was shut off.

After exhausting the possibility of a fuse being the culprit I went ahead and ordered a new fan and Rez and replaced them this week. Everything seems to be in working order again.... For now.

While I was under the hood however I noticed the driver side strut tower....let's just say it's not good.
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So I'm due for some new "strut tower bearings"?? I've seen videos on how to replace them but it seems as food a time as any to do something about the suspension too.

So question 1: any recommendations on a decent set of front and rear aftermarket coilovers? She is a daily driver but I would also like to engage in some spirited mountain adventures from time to time. The roads here are...crap. I'll leave it at that.
A side question: are there strut mounts in the back that should be replaced too?

My second concern is about the windows. Which I know has been covered in some detail here but I'll ask a specific question.
Mine is stuck "up" which I see is a blessing, but I still hear the motor when I click the switch.
I opened up the door panel and could see or feel any broken cables anywhere. And although I think the door bang trick works for motors that are stuck I've tried that too.
Here is my question: when I look for window regulators I find them for my model and year but they all are without motors included. I am under the impression that my motor still works, it's the regulator that's bad but I think it would be a good idea to replace the motor while I'm in there.
The problem is the motors are hella expensive, obviously. What is interesting is that when I look for 06 motors I have found 2 different pictures of what they look like but the 05 motors that are available and less expensive look identical to some 06 motors...
Are they interchangeable?
Meaning: could I get an 06 regulator and and 05 motor?
Forgive me if this seems insane but my sleuthing is leading me to believe it could work. The connectors seem to be the same as well as the mounting holes on the motor.
This all comes from the problem that when you look for regulators and motors is 02-05 in some places and others they include my model year causing thie great frustration.

Anyways, thanks for coming to my TED talk. My goal was to document some common problems and maybe leave some bread crumbs for the next poor Mini owner who loves their car but doesn't want to get bent over by the dealership.

Cheers.
 
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