11 replies on “Woofcast #418”

  1. I’m feeling it. Valve cover currently being replaced 🙁 I seems it was the ultimate cause of a strange intermittent CEL p115c due to internal vacuum leak that the dealer couldn’t figure out. Independent shop is hooking me up.

    1. So am I every time I listen. We only call ’em like we see ’em, and to us that engine doesn’t appear to be as reliable with the turbo attached.

  3. Back in the 80″s I was a mechanic at a Maserati dealer they also sold Porsche and Audis. After seeing all the problems with heat that turbos generate I have never wanted one on anything I own. That is one reason I will keep my 02 R53. I know the 80’s are a long time ago, but everything talked about on the show I saw first hand long ago.
    Just my 2 cents worth.
    Good show

  4. Well, anyone who calls you guys unapologetic fan boys should take a listen to this. I can’t imagine anyone at MINI being really thrilled with this podcast. Kudos to you for having the guts to put this out there. They really need to change their tune about the service intervals on the S. Pretty happy I got my R56 Cooper instead of a Cooper S, although if I owned an S I would be changing the oil religiously at 5K and checking the level frequently. I have a long commute. I really worried about the heat with the turbo. So, I gave up some performance, and I haven’t looked back. I’ve been pleased as punch with my car, and enjoy having to wring it out a bit to get to the power. Anyone who listens to WRR or reads MF regularly knows how to treat those turbocharged engines, but I am guessing that the majority of S owners are destroying their oil and their engines. Bad on MINI for not recognizing the issue and doing more to prevent the problems. Everyone would benefit if they did the right thing here.

  5. Ouch…I’m supposed to pick up a brand new R56 S next week and I’m really hesitating now.
    My plan is to driving this car to the ground and even if I take good care of it (e.g. changing the oil every 5k, etc.) I feel like its going to be only trouble along the way.

    1. Follow Mini brake-in procedures. Never run it hard before it is up to normal running temperature, and never never run the turbo hard and shut down quickly.
      Always give the turbo time to cool and stabilize before shutting down. Use good synthetic oil and change it often. If you check the oil and it looks or smalls burned change it.
      If you take a little extra time to take care of your S it should be fine.
      Have fun and enjoy your new Mini

      1. Thanks for the advice Lee. It is helpful. I’ve submitted a couple of questions to Chad about break-in. Hopefully they get answered during the show this week.

Comments are closed.