49 replies to this topic

[mini1976]

Head gasket went - changed head gasket at the side of the road
The amount of wheel bearings I've had fall apart is ridiculous
Water in dizzy cap (naturally)
Overheated millions of times
Snapped 4 valve springs (in one go)
Burnt out exhaust valve
Points closing up
Exhaust has fallen off countless times

Probably loads more.. most of them were bad luck.

How did you change the head gasket, did it not take hours to change by the time you have taken all the ancillary components off too?

[benb12]

Took an hour and a half at the roadside. It happened at the Beaulieau mini show, so I bought a head gasket at the show with the intention of fitting it at home, limped the car around the corner and phoned my breakdown company. Turned out my membership expired, so samsfern on here phoned his breakdown company who would tow me home but it would take hours. So we volunteered to change the headgasket using his tools. That was on my '94 SPi Cooper.

[1984mini25]

In he last 6 years of mini ownership and from being in other minis, not just my own I’ve only been stuck at the roadside ONCE! and I don’t have breakdown cover.

That was late one evening when the clutch started to slip, but tried to nurse it the 10 miles or so left home. Unfortunately the old clutch oil seal finally popped, soaking the clutch in oil only 3 miles from home.

The rest I’m not classing as brake down, because I’ve normally been able to find a way of still being mobile. Are the usual damp eclectics, dizzy, ht leads etc. And running hot during those rare very hot summers that last all of one day.

The only other time I’ve come close to being stuck is last summer when the oil pump died. But seeing as the engine would more than likely have been scrap and need to come out anyways, I increased the idle to keep the oil pressure up and carried on home. Not the nicest drive home I’ve ever had, keeping an eye on the oil pressure and keeping the revs above 2k even when stationary, but it worked. Plus I didn’t completely kill the engine in the process, just about got away with just a new pump, a usable spare crank and bearings.

[Burnard]

Touch wood nothing has actually stopped me from driving yet, although i will admit to electrical problems

Occasionally my indicators and rear lights simply stop working, turning the car off and on again normally seems to fix it
and once my front lights refused to work, this was due to crappy connectors under the slam pannel. not had any problems since, although my wireing is solid, just looks a mess Will all be redone when i do my flip front

[MiniJosh92]

Only ever had to be trailered home once due to fuel pump packing up. Couldn't really have been prevented. Obviously had the exhaust fall off a few times but not really a break down.

Edited by MiniJosh92, 03 November 2010 - 04:45 PM.

[AVV IT]

10 years...& four breakdowns!!

1. Front wheel bearing went (no warning... near side front wheel just locked up at about 50mph!!)
2. Over heating (knackered water pump)
3. No head lights/ indicators/ wipers etc... etc.. (could only happen in the dark when raining!!..... corroded fuse box)
4. Non starter - (knackered battery)

[valve bounce]

ive had 3 in 2 years
1. roll pin snapped in gear linkage
2. bolt inside air filter came lose and jammed a valve open
3. complete dissy failure

1 and 3 could have been avoided if id bought decent parts and not ebay specials, and the other could of been sorted with locktight

[danrock101]

Wow, alot of these have actually happened to me, but managed to fix at side of the road. I will edit the original post when I get chance with the big list haha, some of the preventions may seem extreme but it's up to you whether you want to have the peace of mind or not, the main 1 seems to be points

[Timtom]

Ahh peoples. Yesterday i saw this thread and chuckled to myself that in a year of mini ownership i have never had a _proper_ breakdown - Once the exhaust fell off (it still drove me home but it was very very loud) and once it wouldn't start at home because the battery was dead (when i got the car). Lo and behold.. Last night everything changed. Driving back from a friends house. Changing down to 2nd became quite difficult (i thought it was just worn!), the speedo started jumping from 30 - 70 (at 60ish) then stopped working completely. THEN. I lost all drive, engine going fine but the wheels weren't a turning. At 60ish on the dual carriageway!

2 hours later and the aa man took me the few hundred yards home !(i was so close!)

[aston19uk]

i ve got a AA. dont worry about it. or i be carrying too much wait and its slows be down to be carry spares. lol

[book]

x3

x2 Some twit leaving the lights on (still haven't got round to the warning kit yet)
x1 Exhaust falling off (on way to pick up new exhaust)

AA have defo earned their membership fee this year

Actually there's also a half breakdown which the car could still drive with but sounded REALLY nasty. Two of the HT leads were so corroded they'd fallen off. Occured in the outside lane of a bypass while overtaking. Fairly quickly lost power. Eek!

Edited by book, 05 November 2010 - 07:48 PM.

[danrock101]

hmm ironicly I went to asda today, spent a hour in traffic all to drop my sister off and get some food, like a 8 mile trip. Got my food, went to start the car, oooo dearrr. Was turning over but not even trying to fire, so I pumped the peddle and still nothing. Seeing as it was peeing it down I got a cloth, didn't have any WD40 on me as I havn't made my emergancy kit yet, hence this thread all the electrics seemed fine, then I had a look at the carb and there was a pipe coming off one of the engine pressure vents going onto what I receon to be the fuel overflow of the carb!!! I took this off and blew in the hole as I was running out of ideas, the turned the key after a few seconds she fired up!!! it seems slightly quicker and more responsive now! strange... I will have to change the oil as fuel could of overflowed into the engine! if it is the fuel overflow, will get the haynes out to check but I'm 98% sure, it was the pipe on the left side, pointing up at a 45 degree angle and it's a hs2 carb. Will give it a full service.

[ste88]

i think thats a breather pipe (it is on my hs4).....not too sure what it does but i hear its good to keep it on. Mechanics aren't really my strong point....thank god for the free recovery i got with my insurance

i've been towed home twice, both times were because the rubber hose that goes from the fuel tank to the copper pipe was so old and rotten that when i was on the motorway it would collapse on itself. took a while to figure that out, hence the 2nd towing. Also called them out when the it wouldnt start, i think because the coil had gone, but he didnt believe me and sprayed easy start which worked, until i got petrol later and it wouldn't start again, got it going with my wd-40 in the carb but then it stopped about half a mile down the A1 because the black wire had come off my dizzy somehow, i was a little embarrassed that i hadnt seen such a simple thing, luckily the guy loved the car and was telling me about his old ford capri. I think he appreciated that i was another young guy driving an old car!

[miniman retford]

Only ever had one breakdown & that was four years ago in my previous mini, front wheel bearing went on the m42 on the way back from Gaydon, Got recovered home so saved on fuel

I wish i had'nt posted in this thread


http://www.theminifo...x...=172920&hl=

[Mayfair_Bateson]

Broken down only twice

1st time was my fuel hose had split so bodged that until home and new piping ...

2nd time I left my headlights on and the battery went completely flat... Cue jump leads!