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PostPosted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 9:42 am 
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848cc
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Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2011 7:18 am
Posts: 110
Location: Gold Coast
I have a Clubman Cooper S R55 that is now over the warranty period. I was wondering what issues some of you guys are finding? Maintenance aside what are the problems?

During warranty I regularly put my car up on the hoist and got many things done under warranty including -
Exhaust - leaking hole in welded joint
Thermostat housing - leaking from sealing surface
Turbo oil feed line - banjo fitting failed at joint
Bonnet scoop twice - warping with heat (second time they replaced with carbon fibre
Timing Chain Rattle - they have to replace chain, guides, tensioner and sprockets to eliminate 'death rattle'
'Repairs' also had to be made to the wiring loom for the auto trans

Since then I have had to replace the sparks plugs early because one failed and am unsure why it broke while still the engine.
What else are you guys finding?

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1975 1310cc Street Mini Custom
1974 Leyland Mini daily driver
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 18, 2012 11:16 am 
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1360cc
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Joined: Mon Aug 23, 2004 10:07 pm
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Location: SE Melbourne
Time to sell your car I think.
Not to me though, I was thinking of getting a clubman but you've talked me out of it. :lol:

Not a great deal of R56 owners here, perhaps check out the dedicated MINI forums?
Bit of knowledge here for the earlier R50 R53 minis, but the problems with those aren't common to the R56 R55.


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PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 9:37 am 
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848cc
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Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2004 5:16 pm
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Location: Geelong, Victoria
A couple other things I have found are
Rear sway bar bushes, makes clunks when going over bumps
Water pump leaking from service port
They can get rough idle or poor driving, this may be high pressure fuel pump or carbon issue on the inlet valves


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PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 11:56 am 
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998cc
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Location: NOR, Perth, W.A.
Yikes - I had no idea there were so many issues with the R56. Looks like the price BMW charge doesn't translate to a better build quality.

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I blame my dad for my love of minis. I think I was conceived in the back seat of one :D
I also blame my Dad for me being 6' 1" - not really the optimum height for driving a Mini.


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PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 12:12 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jun 03, 2004 2:56 pm
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Location: Brisbane
Mearcat wrote:
Looks like the price BMW charge doesn't translate to a better build quality.


BMtroubleU.

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PostPosted: Mon Mar 19, 2012 2:15 pm 
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848cc
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Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2011 7:18 am
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Location: Gold Coast
My Clubman has seen some hard use though which can help explain a couple of the issues. The main problem I am finding is the 'death rattle' which is actually related to the turbo engines timing chain being slightly wrong in length. The new part is different which remedies the problem.
I have done some computer mods and exhaust mods which have worked the turbo harder and the engine revs out alot quicker. Maybe that hasn't helped with some of the problems.
If I wanted something normal, boring and reliable I would have got a toyota corolla. But I wanted an up market daily driver and it also fits seats needing repairs, boot lids, windscreens, crusty subframes and a full set of mags to go get some tyres fitted.
Might be a BMW but it is like any other Mini, its fun to drive and needs to be at the workshop on a fairly regular basis.

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1974 Leyland Mini daily driver
2008 Cooper S R55 Clubman


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 11:25 am 
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848cc
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Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2007 11:02 am
Posts: 25
Location: Melbourne
[quote="Eenii Meani"]
Bonnet scoop twice - warping with heat (second time they replaced with carbon fibre
Timing Chain Rattle - they have to replace chain, guides, tensioner and sprockets to eliminate 'death rattle'
[/quote]

These are both well known problems with the engine.

Well done on getting the CF one.

As far as I am aware the R56 engine does not take to modding well which might explain some of your problems as you mentioned.

With regards the timing chain, my understanding is that unlike most turbo cars the timing chain is only one link wide, most others are two and hence has a tendency to stretch, this is why all those parts need replacing to try and compensate for it. Could be wrong though.....

The new BMW engine should be better, but saying that this will be the first FWD engine they have built....so who knows....after the R56 engine!

For problems with it look at the Peugeot GTI forums.

As far as general build quality it is well known that anything built in England is quirky. Come on.


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