Case Studies

Long technical explanation follows…grab a cup of coffee.
Let me first share that we do not post these things to embarrass anyone, nor do we take delight in the mistakes of others, we’re not perfect, we’ve just learned when to ask for help. We rather share these tech tips so that others may learn, and hopefully avoid the same problem.

Now, back to the Mini.
Car presented with a no-start condition. Engine would crank over, but no start and run. Acted much like a theft deterrent system was shutting down the car, what Mini calls the “CAS” or Car Access System. Nearly every module on the car was chock full of multiple faults, including some anti theft faults, all of which cleared out and verified.

So what happened to this good little car? A combination of things, here’s our theory. The car came from two other shops, along the way we discovered that someone had apparently reversed the battery leads, or perhaps attempted to jump start the car backwards, hence damaging the engine computer or DME. The battery was very weak, likely from extended engine cranking, and we had to replace, so we know that somewhere along the line someone had to use a battery charger or booster.

What made this doubly difficult is that either they did not know that happened, or they did not want to share it. Rather than just admitting they were lost, they apparently attempted to “fix” the problem, removing and checking every fuse and relay on the car, pulling modules, then putting some back in the incorrect order, one relay was even missing. When that failed, the car was towed to us.

The repair was made even more challenging in that we had to fix the damage caused by well meaning, but misinformed folks, before we could get to the root of the problem. We’d fix one problem, only to be confronted with another.

The root of the problem, the camshaft timing was off, enough not to damage the engine, compression was good, but enough to prevent the car from starting and running. We put the camshaft timing back in sync, and the engine started like a charm. 2007 and later Mini timing chains are the weak point on the car, and this may have happened when the car was towed, or bumped when in gear. There are some additional items we need to iron out, but that’s the basics.

These type of problems come up from time to time, having accurate information about what really happened is 50% of the battle, product knowledge and training is the other 50%. The one good thing that comes out of challenges like this is the tremendous satisfaction of solving a problem, and a great appreciation for fellow shop owners and professionals we collaborate with.

BMW Tech Note – Oil Level Warning light on, oil level ok. Just saw this again today on a customer’s BMW E60 (530Xi). If you have an Oil Level Warning light on, and the the engine oil level is correct, it’s likely a fault with the level monitoring system. If the level is correct, do NOT add additional oil, this can damage the engine, an over-full engine oil level is just bad as an under-full one.

We have a simple protocol to diagnose this with BMW ISTA computer, and then once confirmed, and have the parts in stock to take care of the problem right away. Note that this problem particularly common in colder climates like New England, and for vehicles which experience short trips, and stop and stop operation.

At times, an update of the BMW Closed Crankcase Ventilation (CCV) System is also be needed to assure that this problem does not repeat. Our nearly 3 decades of experience with BMW allows us to insure that your BMW is fixed correctly, the first time, every time, and backed with a 2 Year Nationwide Warranty.

Not what you want to see inside your car’s engine. This sludge is usually the sign of infrequent oil changes, or oil changes with the incorrect type of oil – all Saabs 1999 and newer should be on fully synthetic engine oil. We recommend oil change intervals to be no more than 5,000 miles on these cars, the original Saab interval of 10,000 clearly was not working.

What’s the prognosis for a car like this? With proper oil services, and use of a good quality oil, there should be plenty of life left in the engine. Attempts to remove the sludge will likely result in doing more damage than good. Worse case scenario is that some material may break loose and get into the engine oil pickup, results in clogging. Should this occur, we can clean this out.

Here’s a sad Mini Cooper, well loved but with a big problem. A previous servicing shop had recently replaced the power steering pump, and apparently used the incorrect, read wrong, fluid in the steering system. The car came to us with very swollen and distended power steering rack boots, the rubber protective boots used to seal the end of the steering rack.

Seems the fluid used was incompatible with the Mini steering system, and softened up the rubber seals, allowing fluid to leak out in the rubber boots, which were also damaged by the fluid. Note the fluid leaking from the end of the rack, there should be absolutely no fluid in that area.

Safety issue, yes. Easy to correct, unfortunately no, the lower engine subframe of the Mini Cooper needs to be removed to properly access the rack, and the only correction is replacement with a new power steering rack assembly, and a very comprehensive complete fluid flush of the system to remove the bad fluid…before the correct fluid is installed.

We’re sure that the installing shop intended well, but they did not check, or perhaps discarded Mini’s fluid requirements. Being a specialist, we know right away, and have in stock, the correct fluid for your Mini Cooper.

Atlantic Motorcar loves Minis, and we service more Minis than any other service facility in Maine. So do yourself, your wallet, and your Mini a favor, and call us for your next Mini service. Saving The World, One Mini At A Time….

Tech Talk – Mini Cooper Timing Chains 101

Disclaimer
This is one of our AMC “Tech Talks”, which are designed to share technical information about common service problems with our customers. They are by nature long, and somewhat technical in nature (that’s why we call them tech talks) and unless you’re one of those folks who reads the owners manual from start to finish before pressing the START button, chances are you may find this boring. If so, skip ahead to the next post, we try to be entertaining here. If you want to find how your auto really works, then pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee, and let’s talk autos!

Start Here
You likely saw the post down the page on the latest Mini Cooper we’ve diagnosed with a timing chain failure. So let’s talk about why this happens, and perhaps as important at the repair, what can be done to prevent this from reoccurring.

We Really Do Love Minis
First, let me start off by sharing that we really LOVE Minis, ask any of our customers, we are very passionate about these cars, they are fun to drive, quite safe, and generally very reliable. Every car has it’s “Achilles Heel” and the later Coopers have a big one in the form of timing chain failures.

Good News
The good news is that, with proper care and service, even if your Mini has suffered a timing chain failure, it can live again…but you need to get it into the hands of someone who knows this problem inside and out, a specialist..like us. Then, once the repair is done, you need to follow a slightly different maintenance schedule to prevent it from occurring again.

The Problem
First, Mini doesn’t really acknowledge this is a problem, they’ll hem and haw about the matter, but not acknowledge it as a pattern failure, not cool. Suffice to say if you are driving at R56 Cooper, with the N12 or N14 engine, its a matter of time, rather than if, you’ll have a timing chain problem…if you follow the standard Mini oil change interval. See most of these cars are on the Mini service plan, and only having the oil changed every 15,000 miles.

Why This Happens
We don’t think that 15,000 mile intervals are a good idea for any car, much less a smaller and higher stressed engine like a Mini Cooper. The N12 and N14 engine consume oil, any engine does this, and since they hold just over 4 quarts of oil, it is highly unlikely that the car will make it to the 15,000 change interval with all the oil intact.

Go Check Your Mini
Chances are you’re going to be low on oil in the 7,000-7,500 mile range…we know, almost every Mini that comes in for service is checked and found to be low on oil, go check yours now, and see how much oil is left. Low oil, and dirty oil…yes, oil gets dirty after 5,000-7,500 miles, accelerates timing chain wear, which leads to a very expensive repair, or at times, even engine replacement.

Death Rattle
We’ve seen a surprising number of Coopers, come in with a knocking noise in the engine, this has been dubbed the “Death Rattle”. Should you hear this noise on your car, DO NOT IGNORE it, we have a car in the workshop today in which the timing chain has failed, damaging the engine. Mini has released a service kit addressing this problem, the key thing to correct it BEFORE failure.

Sounds – Cold and Warm
This noise is especially pronounced when the engine is cold, sounding almost like a diesel engine with a rapping or knocking noise between 1500 and 2000 PRM. When the car warms up, the noise will abate to a degree, but in advanced cases still be present even with a warm engine. We’ve had this occur on cars with as little as 12K on the odometer, so this is not a high mileage problem.

Prevention Is Easy
The best thing you can do to PREVENT this problem in the first place is to change your engine oil and filter every 7,500 miles, not the Mini norm of 15,000 miles, always use a high quality synthetic engine oil and factory filter.

Correction
For cars which are in warranty, we can work with Mini to confirm coverage for this fault, for cars outside of new car warranty, we have the ability to correct this for once and all. Mini has released a service kit addressing this problem, the key thing to correct it BEFORE failure. If you have this problem, call us right away, before failure. Rest assured that we have the tools and experience to put the fun back in your Mini!

We’re Here To Help
This is not a problem to left to a general repair shop, there is a very special…and expensive…set of tools required, and one needs the knowledge, experience, and training to do it right, the first time. That’s what we do here, we’ve done countless Mini timing chain tensioner, and timing chain updates, and we know exactly how to do it right, the first time, every time. Questions, just call us (207) 882-9969, peace of mind, that’s what we do!

A phrase I learned some 20 years from one of my mentors, Bruce Ryder, was “oil is cheaper than metal”. Sounds simple, even trite perhaps, but the point is right on, its less expensive to replace fluids, than replace engine parts.

The photos are of a classic Mercedes SL being serviced in our workshop. The engine, M104 24-valve 3.0 inline-6 with relativity low miles, has suffered a catastrophic cylinder head gasket failure. You can see from the photos how the clear gasket failure, allowing compression to leak into the cooling system, and preventing the engine from running.

Head gaskets rarely fail without a reason on these cars, and if you look carefully at the cylinder head sealing surface, you’ll note extensive pitting and metal erosion. The sad fact is is that such damage is easily preventable, by a simple service that usually costs less than $160, a proper and complete engine coolant flush. That’s right, just changing your antifreeze.

Sounds simple,  yet one of the most neglected task on many newer cars is the maintenance of the cooling system. Today’s high tech cars often come with so-called “lifetime” coolant, promising extremely extended coolant intervals.

The problem is, these intervals come at a cost, expensive engine damage down the road. In general, it’s recommended that you flush and clean out your cooling system once every 36 months, or every three years. The best way to protect your engine, and ultimately, your wallet or pocketbook, is to make certain your car’s coolant has been changed in the last 3 years, shorter if it is a vehicle that sits for an extended time.

Fall time is ideal to ask your service facility about your vehicle’s coolant. An ounce of prevention is always worth a pound of care, or to quote my friend Bruce R. “Oil is cheaper than metal.” Our mission at AMC is simple, prevent, rather than just repair problems.

– Bruce

Tire Pressure Warning Light On – Blame The Cold Weather
It’s the first cold fall morning, and suddenly you’re faced with that annoying tire pressure light coming on; why? The weather plays a big part on the pressure in your tires. Tire pressure drops about 1 psi for every 10 degrees F drop in ambient temperature. Additionally, tires lose as much as 1.5 psi per month as air escapes the tire and rim naturally.

Light On – Just Come In – We’re Here
You don’t need to read any further, unless you’d really like to know the nitty gritty of how your car’s tire pressure monitoring system works. Just call or stop in, we’ll test your TPMS, correct any problems, and reset the light for you.

How does the new Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) work?
Tire pressure monitoring systems continuously monitor the pressure in the tires through sensors located in the tires (direct system) or the use of wheel speed and other vehicle sensors (indirect system). The information collected by the sensors is transmitted to an on-board processor that interprets the sensor signals and warns the driver when tire pressure is below the minimum acceptable level by illuminating a warning lamp.

What does it mean if the TPMS warning lamp illuminates?
When the TPMS warning lamp on the instrument panel illuminates while driving, it means that the system has detected at least one tire with a pressure below the accepted minimum psi for the vehicle. The tires should be inspected and the tire pressure checked as soon as possible. The lamp will extinguish after the tires are properly inflated.

What does it mean if the warning lamp goes on and off?
On cold mornings, the warning lamp may illuminate for a short period of time and then extinguish. This type of warning lamp response is likely caused by marginally low tire pressure that dips below the warning threshold over night but rises to an acceptable level as the tires heat up through vehicle operation or an increase in ambient temperature. The tires should be inspected and the tire pressure should be checked. The lamp should not illuminate when the tires are properly inflated.

Why is proper tire inflation important?
Proper tire inflation is essential for safe and efficient vehicle operation. Safety experts estimate that 25 percent of passenger vehicles are operated with tires that are under inflated. Vehicles with properly inflated tires experience optimum ride and handling characteristics, shorter braking distances, longer tire life, and improved fuel economy.

Is low tire pressure easily detected by eye?
Under inflated tires are visually difficult to detect. It is recommended that tires are inspected and checked monthly with an accurate gauge. The TPMS is not intended to be a substitute for regular tire maintenance. Drivers should consult the owner’s manual for information on replacement tires and use of the spare tire.

What are the safety benefits of TPMS?
It is estimated that TPMS will reduce the number of annual motor vehicle crash fatalities by about 120 and the annual number of injuries due to motor vehicle crashes by about 8,500, when all passenger vehicles are equipped with TPMS.

The Saab Direct Ignition Cassette serves to replace the distributor cap, distributor rotor and spark plug wires found in conventional ignition systems. The system has had a history of problems with the Direct Ignition pack itself. Typically this is evidenced by misfires but can advance to a no-start or stalling. Such misfires generate tremendous engine heat, and can often damage or even melt the catalytic convertor.
You’ll note the melted coil packs on this Saab Direct Ignition (DI) cassette/pack. While DI failures are somewhat common with these cars, such melting is not, compare the coil ends of the cassette in the foreground with the one in the back, and you’ll note at least two coils are melted and damaged on the ends. Moral of the story, if your Saab is running poorly, or the Check Engine light is on, get it checked ASAP, the car you save may be your own.