Interesting Facts About Mini You Probably Don’t Know – Common Problems – and PDF Manuals for Download…
Manufactured and produced by BMC, the British Motor Corporate, Mini was introduced to the market as a comfortable and small economy car.
This was originally from the year 1959 to 2000. It was one of the most influential cars in the British market and was a part of the British pop culture in the decade of 1960s.
One of the reasons that it was considered to be the best small economy car was that it allowed eighty percent of the whole car space to be used for leg space, passengers as well as luggage.
During its launch phase in 1959, the Mini was promoted as the Morris Mini Minor and Austin Seven.
Later on after three years, Austin Seven began to be called as Austin Mini while in 1969 it was shortened to Mini.
Again in 1980, it began to be called as Austin Mini while after 8 years, the name was changed to be Rover Mini.
This 2-door car was given the title of the second most influential vehicle of the 20th century after the Ford Model T.
Sir Alec Issigonis designed the original Mini for BMC and the later it was manufactured in Australia, Spain, Chile, Belgium, Portugal, Malta, Italy, Uruguay, Yugoslavia, South Africa and Venezuela.
Originally, around these years, Mini Mark I, II and III came in different variations like pick-up truck, estate car, van, Mini Moke.
On the other hand, Mini Cooper and the Cooper S came under the performance models.
They were used and were successful as rally cars and had won the Monte Carlo Rally for two consecutive years in 1964 and 1965 and then later in 1967.
It could have won the 1966 rally too if it was not for its disqualification because of the manufacturing of its headlights, which was declared against the policy.
In 1994, BMW successfully got the acquisition of the Rover Group. It also sold majority of its part in 2000 however, kept the rights to build, design and manufacture vehicles using the signature name MINI.
Today, you may see the first 1959 version of a Morris Mini Minor being displayed in Warwickshire at the Heritage Motor Center. It is also in display in Hampshire at the National Motor Museum.
Nevertheless, it also had luxurious models like the Wolseley Hornet and the Riley Elf. Both of them had kind of a three box design owing to the finned rear wings as well as relatively larger boots.
These were bigger in diameters than the Morris and Austin Minis. Other differential features included bumper overriders, wood veneer dashboard and chrome accents.
On the other hand, the Mini Van was treated as a classic alternative to the cars during 1960s in Britain.
It was treated as a commercial vehicle and it also had no taxes attached to it.
While in 1978, it was renamed as Mini 95 and the same goes with Mini Pick-up, which was also renamed the same in the same year.
Common Mini Problems
If you own a Mini, you would be well aware of the comfort and performance it delivers.
As with Mini Cooper there are a few identified problems that might occur after it has been driven for thousands of miles.
These are stated below:
Early Clutch Failure in Mini Cooper
In certain cases, it has been observed that the first and second generation Mini Cooper experiences early clutch failure that could be under as low as 20000 miles.
This is usually because of the hard driving style and is seen to occur in 5 and 6 speed models.
Timing Chain Noise in Mini Cooper
This noise usually occurs on a cold star at idle position. This could lead to something major so it is advised to not ignore as soon as it happens and bring your Mini Cooper to the car specialist.
As the car specialists suggest that this problem is usually caused by situations where car oil is not replaced or changed at regular intervals.
The problem could get costlier and so it is advised that the oil change should perhaps be done in six months and especially when the car is in frequent use.
Transmission Failure in Mini Cooper
This was a major problem with Mini and BMW that they had automatic transmission failures.
Since it is pretty costly thus, initially there was a lawsuit that had asked the company to cover the transmission failure for as long as either eight years or about 150,000 miles.
However, there is no coverage now.
But the good news is that this problem usually used to occur in the CVT R50 version and the transmission is really good in the Mini Cooper S and second generation models.
However, as the Mini Cooper owner you should be vigilant is any such issues occur because if this problem is caught early, it will only lead to the replacement of the valve body and not the whole transmission.
Thermostat and Water Pump Leaks in Mini Cooper
In the first and second generation Mini Cooper models, this issue can happen and thus it is suggested that if you have already driven your car for about 50,000 miles, you should have the thermostat and water pumps changed to prevent leakage.
Since in the second generation, the thermostat housing is made up of plastic so you can be sure that it will fail anytime soon.
Thus, the advisable thing is to replace it before any leak could occur.
Radiator Support in Mini Cooper
Since the front radiator support is made up of plastic and it has cooling fan, a condenser assembly and the radiator to support, thus it can be easily damaged.
Another reason for it to get damaged quickly is because it is positioned lower and the same is the case with lower radiator hose’s position, which gets damaged quickly because of parking curbs so it is advisable to take precaution while you park your Mini Cooper.
For whatever car you own you will face one or more problem sooner or later. This is why you should have a car repair manual available.
For minor issues it comes very handy for quick fixes.
Purpose of this is to catalog and include one of most comprehensive, useful and accessible “automotive repair manual” database on the web for all MINI models.
It’s your go-to source for learning all about MINI – when you can’t find it elsewhere.
To get started, select the intended car model below…
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Clubman
74 manuals -
Cooper
120 manuals -
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Cooper Countryman
1 manual -
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Countryman
48 manuals -
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MK III
9 manuals -
MK VI
2 manuals -
One
171 manuals
