Newbie with R53

[Caldean]

Hi everybody newbie here got a r53 last week and loving it apart from a bush gone on the passenger side cars like a wee tank compared to driving my missus scirocco which feel very light compared to mini solid built wee car feels like it cud go through walls lol

[stoney]

Wellcome I have moved your post in to its own thread for you :thumbs up:

[Caldean]

Thanks m8t

[mini mad andy]

:welcome: keep away from walls in the car though :hand:.

[jonnie]

:welcome:Fellow r53 driver.

[Caldean]

Thanks for the welcome lads where do yu take your cars for work on them

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5016

[stoney]

Where you from ?

[MINI William]

Welcome to NMS

[Caldean]

Hillington glasgow looking for mechanics that know what to look for on them

[stoney]

Any garage will be able to look after you I gave a local guy I use that I trust but he is in Larkhall there just about going with some one you trust

I had a mini identical to that one you have lol

[Craig]

:welcome: fellow supercharger follower :)


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[EcosseGP]

Welcome along to another blue R53 owner ;);)

[Caldean]

Performancetek in dalmarnock seem to be pritty goid they build mini racecars

[jdl_1967]

Welcome to R53 ownership, they're one of the most fun cars I've ever owned


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[DigitalLemming]

:welcome:

[RobSco]

Hi

Welcome to New Mini Scotland... :thumbs up:

:welcome:

[Eddie_JCW]

:welcome: I know Hillington very well, my mum stays in Penilee. My sister uses this garage (she has an Astra) – www.nelsgaragehillington.co.uk , guy seems like a good guy who knows his stuff, but as Stoney said it's about going with someone you can trust.

[Sideways Steve]

Hello and welcome, also an r53 owner here not far from you as I'm in paisley :)

You say the car feels heavy compared to your vw ? Double check your power steering is working correctly as the r53 should feel pretty nimble compared to most cars !

It could also feel heavy due to bad bushes so getting that sorted may also help.

The car should feel planted and stable but certainly not like a tank :)

Regarding garages I do all my own work on my cars and always have but I know Gerry who owns performance tek from years back and he's a good guy.

[bry_mini]

:welcome:

[Caldean]

Cheers for that steve whats the best way to check the power steering for any issues

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And cheers everybody

[Sideways Steve]

First thing to do is get under the car and see if you can spin the power steering pump cooling fan by hand or if it's jammed or stiff. You can't miss it it's directly behind the oil drain plug on your sump and you should be able to feel it/ see it without even jacking the car up if is on std suspension.

If it's stiff then it's likely the pump will be getting pretty hot when in use. The pump should be really quiet, when your sitting still with the car running and you turn your steering you should hear the pump speed up and make a high pitch whirring sound. When you stop moving your steering wheel it should go almost silent again.

If the pump is really loud or really whiney then it's not working properly and will either need replaced or you can strip it down and fix if yourself.

I recently just done mine, the pump is speed and load sensing so changes speed to keep the steering feel the way it should, if it gets too hot the carbon brushes on the motor wear more and the dust generated gets stuck all over the control boards inside it. As carbon dust is conductive it shorts out and causes all sorts of steering pump related issues, in extreme cases it can cause the pump to stay stuck on even when you turn the car off which leads to it overheating and catching fire !

First thing to do though is check it as I described above before you start to panic :-)

[Crombers]

Welcome to NMSland :saltireflag:

[Colin]

:welcome:

[Caldean]

So guys a need bushes at the front done so the garage is gonna do the work two new control arms to make the job a bit easier all in comes to a not so cool price 340 160 for parts and rest in labour as its supposidly a pig of a job dropping subframe the guy was all for using geniune bmw parts as he said the aftermarket parts a cheap and dont last too long a thought lemforder was as good as oem. Anybody think am getting ripped off