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Driving from the Mini Mania UK meet on Sunday, I felt really strong vibrations, initially coming through the steering wheel, which turned into a rumble that I could feel through the chassis the closer I got home. I didn't have time to investigate the problem until this morning. I had visions of a buckled wheel or a damaged tyre. I lifted the front of the Cooper, supported it on axle stands, fired up the engine and let the wheels spin in second gear. Both front wheels looked straight but as the wheels turned, I could hear a knocking from the nearside wheel. Closer inspection revealed that all four wheel bolts were completely loose. And I mean loose, to the point that the wheel was no longer attached to the hub. I tightened up the bolts and all is well, hopefully. I have no idea why the nearside wheel bolts came loose. I tightened them with my impact wrench the same way as the offside wheel bolts, all of which were nice and tight. Lesson learned, always check the tightness of wheel bolts with a wrench. In other news, there are no signs of any oil or coolant drips on the garage floor. Win.
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Feb 21, 2023 15:35:06 GMT
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Having had similar with one of my Dad's cars I always fit using hand tools and check wheel nuts with a torque wrench. I never rattle gun them on,ever.
Reasons wheel bolts/nuts loosen: Someone was looking to nick them (never happens these days, just take the whole car) If wheels have been painted the bolt/nut seat needs to be clear of paint/powder coat Wrong type of wheel nut/bolt i.e. tapered or radius on wrong type of wheel seat When the wheel was last put on somone forgot to tighten to torque properly............
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Last Edit: Feb 21, 2023 15:35:45 GMT by duggers
Needs a bigger hammer mate.......
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Feb 21, 2023 17:11:22 GMT
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When the wheel was last put on somone forgot to tighten to torque properly............
That’s me!
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Feb 21, 2023 18:35:19 GMT
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I did the very same thing with an old Chevette. The first I knew about it was when I heard the wheel nuts rattling around behind the metal hubcap, shortly followed by a back wheel falling off!
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Stu
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,913
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Mar 10, 2023 10:33:30 GMT
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Great thread, lots of familiar jobs! This is ours… I’ve just sent you a PM, Peter :-)
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Last Edit: Mar 10, 2023 10:36:32 GMT by Stu
'89 BMW E30 325i Sport, '04 MINI Cooper S, '09 Volvo V70 D5
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Mar 11, 2023 18:38:22 GMT
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Great thread, lots of familiar jobs! This is ours… I’ve just sent you a PM, Peter :-) Message received, response sent.
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May 29, 2023 14:13:53 GMT
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Apologies for not updating this thread for a while. I have been busy with life, work, pets and family and haven't had much time to tinker with my cars. You could say I lost my mojo. But now I'm back and have a story to tell about each of my rides. The piece of cardboard that I left on the garage floor under the Cooper's engine stayed dry until a couple of weeks ago, then I noticed a couple of new stains. Yep, we have another oil leak. I've had a look under the engine and I reckon that the leak is down to the odd dribble released from the previously overfilled coolant reservoir, which has mixed with residue oil that still languishes in the inaccessible (without removal) parts of the front subframe. Or there is something else wrong and I need to investigate further. Last year's MoT test revealed that the CO emissions were higher than they should be, although eventually the Cooper scored a pass. I have since re-fixed the broken vacuum pipe to the MAP sensor, which should help the engine set the right air / fuel mixture. However, to improve matters further, I have been planning on replacing the CO sensor. I was advised to buy an NTK (brand) sensor and I did that just that. As always, I started by jacking up the front of the car. The CO sensor is on the side of the downpipe. It is visible and accessible by hand but a standard 22mm spanner is too short to provide much needed leverage, required to loosen the sensor. I made a couple of extensions to a 22mm spanner but neither worked. I thought about cutting off the cables and undoing the sensor with a deep socket and power bar but the shape of both tools was wrong and there wasn't enough space to make them work. So far I've only tried to get to the sensor using the open end of the 22mm spanner. I decided to cut the cables and put the ring end of the spanner over the sensor, however it turned out that due to the angle of the ring end, with the spanner in place, there was no way of moving it anticlockwise to remove the sensor. I need to buy one of these. Fun and games. I lost interest today but will make more progress once I have the right tool for the job. And before anyone says anything, I know that I might need copious amounts of heat to get the sensor to budge. Can't wait.
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May 29, 2023 16:27:32 GMT
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Last Edit: May 29, 2023 16:27:59 GMT by duggers
Needs a bigger hammer mate.......
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With the correct tool purchased (£8 from Amazon)... The CO sensor came off in a matter of seconds. Despite horror stories shared by others, there was no need to use a blow torch or heat up the downpipe by running the engine to enable removal of the sensor. If anything, I'd say it wasn't fixed anywhere near as tightly as it should have been. Fitting the new sensor was a doddle. When disconnecting the plug, the plastic clips that secured the plug to a metal bracket disintegrated, so I secured the new plug with cable ties. Whilst fiddling with the plug, I checked whether my repair of the attachment of the inlet vacuum pipe to the MAP sensor has lasted and I am pleased to report that all is well. With the sensor installation completed, I moved the Cooper to the driveway outside my workshop and removed the offside front and rear wheels. I cleaned the front and rear inner arches and the underside of the sill panels. I did the same on the other side. I cleaned the inside of the wheels, however they need more than just a scrub. The tyres are getting on a bit and within the next 12 months I will either have the wheels refurbished and new tyres fitted or I will source a good set of used wheels and tyres. Does anyone have a nice set going spare? I've got the Cooper ready for the MoT, which is due in a couple of weeks. Fingers crossed it will pass. Watch this space.
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I’ve done a good few miles in the Cooper since I replaced the CO sensor last weekend. On my first drive I immediately noticed that the exhaust note has changed. Before it was bassy and boomy and would pop on the overrun. Now, it’s a lot softer and quieter. At 70MPH it’s almost silent. I’ve also noticed that the inner parts of the exhaust tips are staying clean. Before they got sooty very quickly. All this suggests that the engine was running rich before. This is all good news for next week’s MoT test. I’ve already bought this stuff and will add it into the tank next week when the fuel level drops. Great news that the engine is running better but I miss my loud exhaust.
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norm75
Part of things
Posts: 658
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Jun 12, 2023 19:00:01 GMT
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I did the very same thing with an old Chevette. The first I knew about it was when I heard the wheel nuts rattling around behind the metal hubcap, shortly followed by a back wheel falling off! someone I used to do some gardening for told me her father worked for British Leyland, delivering new vehicles. One time he had a delivery near her house down south so was going to pop in after delivering the car, I forget what it was, a marina or something. He didn’t turn up and the following day he rang to say he didn’t get far before putting the car in a ditch. A wheel fell off and it became apparent that it was only held on with two loosely fitted wheel nuts at the factory.
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Jun 14, 2023 17:00:03 GMT
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I added the cat cleaning product to approx 15 litres of fuel that was left in the tank. I had an appointment in Ashford (Staines), approx 20 miles from home. I took it steady for most of the way but on route home I dropped a cog and gave it some beans and noted a puff of grey smoke in my rear view mirror. Seems that the cleaner has dislodged something.
I will put a full tank of Shell V-Power in tomorrow, ahead of Friday’s MoT test and hope for the best.
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Jun 15, 2023 15:36:44 GMT
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I’ve added 40 litres of Shell’s 99 RON unleaded this afternoon and I can do no more. Fingers crossed for tomorrow.
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Here we go!
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Emissions are all ok!
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Jun 16, 2023 10:39:19 GMT
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Almost! Whilst the idle speed emissions were perfect, the fast speed (2,500 - 3,000 revs) readings weren't great. The CO came down eventually but something is still not right. I have re-connected the MAP sensor, I have fitted a new CO sensor, I have added a bottle of cat cleaner, I put a full tank of V-Power in the tank and I gave the Cooper a good Italian tune-up on route to the test station. What else can I do to get the CO down? Time for a new cat?
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Jun 16, 2023 10:40:43 GMT
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Good news is, the Cooper will live for another year. Informal advisories include replacement of both track rod ends and treatment of slightly corroded rear springs.
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Jun 18, 2023 16:21:26 GMT
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I popped over to Ace Cafe last night for my first R53 meet. Good to see some mature enthusiasts amongst the youngsters and some amazing cars.
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Last Edit: Jun 18, 2023 16:22:42 GMT by Peter C
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Jun 19, 2023 19:00:20 GMT
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The older we get, the wiser we get, or something like that. Every so often I break this rule. At the Ace Cafe on Saturday evening I met a young fella who had the same 12" JBL subwoofer as I have in my Cooper. Whilst at max power my sub hummed along nicely, the bass line from his filled the entire car park and half the street. I had to investigate. Apparently, my old Sony XPlod amplifier was not man enough for my sub. He recommended that I buy an In-Phase amp, £120 from Amazon. I wasted no time. It arrived today. This was my old Sony amp. And this is the new bad boy, fitted to the back of the box. The top of the box, where the old amp was located, needs a bit of TLC. I fitted the amp gain control knob under the dashboard. I've had a bit of a play with the amp settings and it sounds insane. I've downloaded a couple of drum 'n bass tunes to test the amp and sub combo and I have to say that the quantity of bass is astounding. I lost my loud exhaust but now I can make up for the lack of noise by cranking up my sound system.
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