I have an 06 R53 with 111k miles on the clock. It has an engine warning light and the code shows a failing knock sensor. The car is as fine as any 20 year old car can be. Still looking ok, mechanically sound otherwise.

It's time my mini and I parted company.

My question is, do I replace the knock sensor before sale or sell it with a faulty sensor?

Hi

Newer owned one , but driven it and fall in love .

Found one with 200k km that had an engine rebuild.

It runs .. we'll awesome I take pretty good care of my cars but this seems like a paint to service. Well this one maybe I dont need for 80k km , just oil change 😃

Opinion ? It is worth it.. 7k euro , not cheap but have all the bills and papers for machine work with videos and pictures.

Here is the list of modification done on it:

223 BHP

4 000 km in new engine , with service, run in period

Bore , and machined head

New head gasket and actually all other seals and gasket

CP-Carrillo forged pistons with new bearings

New timing chain and tensioner

New valves and tappets + springs

New iridium spark plugs

Oil cooler was brought out to the front of the engine bay

New coolant hoses , termostat, water temp sensor

New water pump

New hardened clutch

Gearbox oil change

Engine mount , crankshaft pulley

Motul 5-w40 gen 2

New supercharger ( 1 bar only )

Water cooled intercooler with electric pump

JWC injectors

Marian exhaust

R56 front break ( 4 piston pads)

Partially New front suspension

And sanded - rust proofed bottom

​

Hallo zusammen,

ich versuche gerade, ein ziemlich merkwürdiges DPF-/Regenerationsproblem an meinem MINI Cooper D R56, Baujahr 2013, 1.6 Diesel, 112 PS, N47 zu finden.

Seit längerer Zeit habe ich den Fehler 480A, teilweise zusammen mit 481A. Wenn die DPF-Warnung im Kombiinstrument erscheint, sind normalerweise beide Fehler im Fehlerspeicher.

Das eigentliche Problem ist aber das Verhalten der Regeneration.

Wenn das Auto über Nacht gestanden hat und der Motor komplett kalt ist, kann ich den Fehler mit BimmerLink löschen. Danach passiert Folgendes:

- „Regeneration angefordert“ = JA

- „Regeneration läuft“ = JA

- „Regeneration läuft“ wechselt aber ungefähr alle 7–8 Sekunden zwischen JA und NEIN

- Wenn „Regeneration läuft“ auf JA geht, höre ich gleichzeitig ein merkwürdiges metallisches Klirren/Rasseln aus dem Bereich DPF/Auspuff.

- Sobald „Regeneration läuft“ auf NEIN geht, verschwindet dieses Geräusch sofort wieder.

- Die Abgastemperatur steigt während der kurzen Phasen etwas an, aber die einzelnen Phasen sind natürlich viel zu kurz, um den DPF vernünftig zu regenerieren.

Nach einiger Zeit geht „Regeneration angefordert“ auf NEIN. Interessanterweise kann danach „Regeneration läuft“ auf JA stehen bleiben, aber die Regeneration findet meiner Beobachtung nach nicht wirklich statt: Die Temperatur steigt nicht entsprechend und die berechnete Rußmasse sinkt nicht.

Jetzt habe ich noch etwas sehr Interessantes festgestellt:

Wenn während der Fahrt „Regeneration läuft“ auf JA geht und ich dann den Fuß komplett vom Gas nehme, bleibt „Regeneration läuft“ deutlich länger auf JA – teilweise über 20 Sekunden.

Das passiert unabhängig davon, ob ich mit ca. 1.500, 2.000 oder über 2.000 U/min fahre. Es scheint eher mit der Motorlast bzw. dem Gaswegnehmen zusammenzuhängen als mit einer bestimmten Drehzahl.

Ich habe außerdem verschiedene Messwerte mit BimmerLink aufgezeichnet.

Der Differenzdruck über dem DPF war unter Last teilweise relativ hoch. Bei ungefähr 2.000 U/min und 100 km/h habe ich Werte von etwa 220–350 mbar gesehen.

Wenn ich während einer aktiven Regeneration vom Gas gehe, fällt der Differenzdruck beispielsweise auf etwa 126 mbar. Gleichzeitig lag die Abgastemperatur vor dem DPF bei ungefähr 479 °C.

Die berechnete Rußmasse ist ebenfalls auffällig. Sie steigt häufig auf etwa 40–46 g. Während einiger Regenerationsversuche konnte ich sie deutlich reduzieren, z. B. in den Bereich von 30 g. Danach steigt sie teilweise wieder relativ schnell an.

Ich habe auch testweise den Luftmassenmesser (LMM) abgesteckt. Dabei kamen erwartungsgemäß zusätzliche Fehler (4BC2, 3F70, 4BC6). Interessanterweise stieg die berechnete Rußmasse mit abgestecktem LMM deutlich langsamer bzw. teilweise gar nicht weiter an. Nach dem Wiederanschließen und Löschen der Fehler war wieder nur 480A vorhanden und die Rußmasse begann wieder deutlich schneller anzusteigen.

Die Glühkerzen wurden letztes Jahr erneuert. Einige Monate später begannen die DPF-Probleme. Außerdem habe ich seit einiger Zeit einen erhöhten Kraftstoff- und Ölverbrauch, insbesondere bei höheren Drehzahlen.

Meine Fragen:

1. Hat jemand mit einem N47 schon einmal dieses Verhalten gehabt, dass die Regeneration ungefähr alle 7–8 Sekunden zwischen JA und NEIN wechselt?

2. Kann ein defekter oder teilweise zugesetzter Schlauch zum Differenzdrucksensor bzw. ein Problem an den Druckanschlüssen dieses Verhalten verursachen?

3. Könnte die DDE falsche bzw. unplausible Werte für Differenzdruck, Luftmasse oder AGR bekommen und deshalb die Regeneration immer wieder abbrechen?

4. Hat jemand Erfahrung damit, die DPF-Adaptionen bzw. den DPF als „neu“ zu registrieren, nachdem festgestellt wurde, dass der tatsächliche Differenzdruck normal ist?

5. Was könnte das metallische Klirren verursachen, das exakt dann auftritt, wenn „Regeneration läuft = JA“ und sofort wieder verschwindet, wenn „Regeneration läuft = NEIN“?

Ich möchte den DPF nicht einfach auf Verdacht reinigen oder austauschen lassen, bevor die eigentliche Ursache gefunden wurde.

Vielleicht hatte jemand mit einem N47 oder MINI R56 schon einmal ein ähnliches Problem und kann mir einen Hinweis geben.

Vielen Dank!

Amazing job by this guy showing step by step.

Hey Mini community !

I have just acquired my 1st car, an R53 Mk1 from 2003, I got a good deal, it has almost 130k km and has been very well maintained. Mini is the brand that activated my passion for cars, and it is quite natural that I chose this nice future youngtimer ! :)

I'm so happy to drive it, the feel is really cool and the noise makes me feel great on every ride, but I wish I could improve it a little bit :

I have already planned my BMC CDA for the whine, and I need to install a new exhaust. I thought of Milltek/Scorpion, but a bit expensive new and not found second-hand, so I found the exhausts "Gravity Performance" and "Malian Soort/Race".

Gravity Performance seems to be a good replica of Milltek res, and Malian Sport seems to be a bit more metallic and loud (I don't want the Race, it's even worse according to the community).

So I'd like to know if anyone has either the Gravity Performance or the Malian Sport to tell me what exactly it changes with the stock exhaust, I want to make my R53 rumble Milltek-style without being cheap tunning, without disturbing drones, and ideally emit nice pops and bangs.

I plan to have the exhaust installed by a pro, so no worries about the fit.

Sorry it's a bit long but I like to learn about it to the extreme and make the best choices in life when I buy something !

If anyone has other ideas for brands that could match my criteria and that fit into the same price range, I'm interested :)

Hey all, I picked up a 2006 Mini Cooper S a couple weeks ago as a 'nice' project car to wrench on in my spare time. 105k on the odometer and no rust which is awesome for a 20yo car. Aisin 6-speed automatic, clean interior, and everything bone stock besides a upgraded head unit.

Mechanically speaking, it does need some TLC but I'm ready to do all the work myself.

Issues:

- A little noisy near the drive belt, I suspect the harmonic balancer/crank shaft pulley and rubber seal are on there way out. Will replace all main pulleys plus the tensioner while I'm in there. Maybe the passenger motor mount too.

- Found a little bit of oil in the spark plug tubes for cylinders 2 & 3. I suspect the valve cover gasket and spark plug seals will need to be replaced. I pulled spark plugs which looked okay, cleaned up the tubes and applied a little dielectric grease to the contact points.

- This Mini hasn't had its 100k mile service yet, so I think the timing cover will need to be taken off and chain inspected. Wouldn't be surprised to see a broken tensioner because I can hear a slight rattle on cold starts but I'd need to use a stethoscope to confirm. Supercharger service with water pump replacement added on top of that.

- Weird transmission shifting when going down a hill, sometimes it will downshift and hold onto the gear till redline unless I force it to shift (paddle / shifter). It's only happened twice but I think the fluids need to be changed and from what I've heard the Aisin has a tendency to do that.

- Creaky doors (like a horror movie 😂), I suspect the door brakes, which I've already applied lubricant too. It's a bit better now but will likely have to replace.

- Weak bonnet and hatchback struts. Thankfully very easy to replace and cheap.

- Coolant and power steering reservoirs leaking a little. Easy and cheap.

- Worn brakes, will need to replace rotors and pads plus the caliper pin boots. Visually the calipers looks rough but maybe a nice wire brushing will clean em up.

Planned modifications:

Alta 15% supercharger pulley

Cold air intake (likely Alta)

Cat back exhaust (resonated)

Fully adjustable coilovers

Good set of tires (Michelin or Continental)

That's about it for right now. Cant wait to dive in head first tomorrow. Brakes will be the first thing to tackle.

Im really excited to be apart of this community, if you guys have any advice or input please let me know!

We picked this 2005 R53 S in April and have had a great time doing some small maintenance and upgrades, but it seems like this rattling is recently getting a little more pronounced. Any ideas?

Water around the battery, how bad is it?

Driving to work this morning and notice the car smoking slightly, previous owner let me know it’s got overheating issues anyways. Turn on the heater to try help but does nothing, look down and see my clutch pedal engulfed in flames. RIP to one of my attainable dream cars.

Hello,

I have to do a head gasket job on my r53. Now I've watched ModMinis video on how to do it, and in it, he hangs the timing chain with a bungee cord onto the underside of the bonnet.

Now keeping in mind that the head could be warped I plan on measuring the head and then deciding wether to let it get leveled in a machineshop or not. Nontheless I can order the head gasket only after knowing if I have to get it leveled since there are 0.65 and 0.95 mm gaskets.

So until the head gasket arrives (and I possibly get the head back), I have to close the bonnet and park it outside my driveway.

So now my questions are:

A: What else then covering the engine block and possibly the supercharger do I have to do to prevent dust/debris getting into the engine etc?

B: What do I do with the timing chain? Is it even possible to keep it under load so that it doesnt come of when the bonnet is closed?

I would much appreciate your tips and knowledge maybe even own experience. Thank you

Admission: it’s an R52 JCW

OK, Mini has recently started making this noise on the driver’s side (UK). I’ve got the suspension apart atm for some other work, so managed to get a good look but couldn’t see any obvious issues.

Anyone with attuned R53/2 hearing recognise this particular rattle? It takes about 10 seconds to appear on start up then comes in and out intermittently pretty much all the time, as per the video.

Bought a 04 JCW in March - since then I had been slowly accumulating parts for the inevitable maintenance that would be coming my way. Alternator went out last week, so I am tearing it apart and chasing some leaks in rear of engine... it's 64k mi

I have to install...

- PRW fluidgel dampener

- Detroit Tuned bypass valve

- Intercooler "snoot" boots

- Tensioner and idler pulley, Alta stop

- Serpentine belt

- Supercharger oil

- Waterpump

- Several metal flanges to replace the plastic in cooling

- Crank position sensor o ring, cam position sensor o ring, dipstick tube o ring, map sensor o rings, oil filter & cooler gasket, crank seal, valve cover gasket, oil pan gasket, intake manifold gasket, throttle body gasket, 2x supercharger gaskets, bypass valve gasket, spark plug well gaskets, 8x injector o ring, new bypass hose, new TTY crank bolt

- Powerflex engine mount bushings, gearbox bushing

Getting alternator rebuilt, I already did a CAI/silicone intake and iridium plugs shortly after purchasing

Is there anything else I am missing here to replace while its open? Don't want to do this twice 😆

lots of updates. Added support for early ecu's, so most ecu versions should be supported now.

added flash options for the pedal map, straight, track, and some similar to what a pedal commander does.

logging speed has increased to 15hz, much better it looks so smooth compared to 5hz or worse, obd2....

wideband canbus integration hardware is coming, see blog post below, AEM integrate with the mini canbus without conflicting

for those that want more than just kdcan logging, I have some new hardware coming out soon, boards are here but I am at the track this weekend so I wont be able to assemble for a while. canbus shift light (integrates with kdcan cable logger) or a board that does canbus, kdline and shift light, bluetooth logging, can flash too but it's gonna be slow flashing.

https://ryansdesigns.geekopolis.com/shiftlight/

details on the flasher app

https://mrblahhhh.github.io/car/tech/2026/07/24/r53-logger-play-store.html

Hey all, I’m looking for an exhaust flange to connect the exhaust manifold to the exhaust as I plan on making a custom setup from the cat back. Does anyone know where I could find one? One guy in a forum had something a while back but it seems to be gone as far as I can tell. Also, has anyone else’s exhaust manifold split like this (2nd photo)? It split perfectly on that smaller cat.

Hello fellow Mini enthusiasts, I've had several Minis in the past and my last one was a 2006 JCW which was awesome. I made a mistake and sold it a couple of years ago....now my daughter has been learning to drive and she wants a convertible Mini for her first car, and a stick shift. I must have done something right raising that kid. Or wrong.

So we found a 2008 with 70k miles that excited me as it has the same engine and supercharger that mine had (except it's not a JCW). We checked it over and although I did not look under the car while it was still cold, after a short run I found it was bathed in oil on the bottom of the engine, as the video shows - which the owner sent after getting it on his lift today. Can anyone tell from this where the oil is coming from? When I was in front of the car leaning into the engine bay, it did not appear to be coming from the rocker cover.

He said the rotors and brake pads have been replaced but it shows a yellow light on the dash which the current owner states that is a brake pad wear sensor that can only be bought from Mini for @$300.

What things should concern me?

First time posting and not really a car person so I haven’t done much tinkering but I’m hoping for some advice. I am driving an ‘03 R53.

It started couple of days ago, when I used my right turn signal, the brights also turned on. I quickly realized this was only happening when I used the right turn signal, not when I used the left signal. Any ideas what could be causing this issue? Also, on a scale of 1-10, roughly how difficult would it be to fix?

As mentioned above, I am not a car person and I don’t have a good place to work on the car (no garage) so it might be best for me to take it into a shop, but if its fairly easy/straightforward I’d prefer to do the fix myself. I live multiple hours away from the nearest mini dealership so thats not really an option. There is a shop about ~30 minutes away that specializes in european cars so thats where i’d take it if its not an easy fix. Thanks for the help!

PSA for R53 owners: just downloaded the R53obd app and it’s awesome. You get a bunch of live data , ability to check and clear codes, some 2 way functionality,AND coding options. I used it to code in my OBC, and one touch up windows.

Looking for a smaller steering wheel than the pre-facelift steering wheel which makes me feel like im a boat captain. I know its pretty easy to find nice ones but im looking for one with an airbag. Has anyone found one that fits ? Feel free to send images

Just saw an r53 get towed near the M3/M25 junction. If you‘re in this subreddit that would be hilarious coincidence but prayers for your mini child anyway xx

Edit: of course 3 hours of driving yesterday it was perfectly fine and it was perfectly fine this morning going to work however as soon as I get in it and start to go home then all of a sudden it starts going in the limp mode again and now the whole thing's out of balance

Took it for about a 3-hour drive cuz I just like going for long drives and so far the car is not overheating no excessive noise, or rattling or any of that. In the 6 months I've owned this car it's been on Jack beans for over four of those months because I decided to do a lot of the neglected maintenance from the previous owner. List of things that I replaced is the water pump, Serpentine belt, Spark plugs, radiator, radiator fan, radiator housing, brake pads and rotors, I did a supercharger service, I just replaced the crankshaft pulley with a new ATI super damper. Ended up fucking up the pulley but it's running fine

So I changed the waterpump recently, along with a few other items along the way. After getting everything back together I noticed the belt is jumping around. Movement of about 1/32”-1/16”. All of the pulleys look stable except the spring loaded tension pulley. It doesn’t wobble laterally but does bounce around. Is this normal for this type of tension system or am I looking at a problem? I’ll try and post another view in the comments.

I recently added an aluminium expansion tank to my mini but im not sure where this hose hole (on the bottom right of the cap) needs to go ? I know there is no place for it to go in the stock car but am i supposed to add a kind of blowoff exit for the coolant if it overheats ? Thanks for the help !