29 replies to this topic

[rs87]

Hi everyone and particularly Katsuro

 

I am having the exact same problem as the original post describes.

 

I would like to change the vacuum tubes and would like to know which ones to order. Are Mini Spares the best and/cheapest place to go?

 

Keep in mind I will be ordering the products that someone recommends because I am confident I share the same issue as the original post.

 

My mechanic (who referred me to this community) couldn't work out the fault but there was an obvious red cable/tube (one of 2 from the underside of the air cleaner box) that wasn't connected to anything and he just dismissed it as nothing.

 

Your help will be much appreciated including any installation instructions. I will keep everyone posted on this with each step that I make. Again, im confident I share the exact same problems as the original post and Katsuro resolved his problem. I hope I can replicate and consolidate this issue with the community as we all know that resolving issues with Mini's is always hit and miss.

 

Kind regards

 

Ryan

[brivinci]

First off, fire your "mechanic" if he is saying that a red tube is "nothing". These cars are VERY picky about vacuum and when in doubt, change out all of them. If you dont have any idea on how old they are, change all of them. If you have nothing better to do, change all of them. Haha. See the pattern. There is seriously no point doing anything else before you are 100% certain that all your vacuum lines are sorted. There is a sticky on here that goes through all of them. All are easy enough to replace and non will break the bank. Best to stick with original, OEM parts. Mini Spares is a great place to start your search.

[Blatherskite]

Start with the vacuum pipes, it could be the same issue...
image.jpg

FS

And don't push them on so far that the nozzle blocks the elbow... experience talking...

[FlyingScot]

Totally agree with Brivinci, there is nothing complex about this, I will repeat what I have written probably 100's of times before.... These are SERVICE items.
Replace them all and the fuel trap. Every time I have bought an SPi the first job I do is to bin whatever is on there (and I have found some bizarre bits of hose I can tell you) and replace them all, small splits can be difficult to see and for the cost and hassle it's not worth it and I have the diagnostic gear.
Use a bit of personal lubricant on the elbows push evenly after making sure you have all of the old ones off and as Blatherskite has posted about not so far that you push it against the internal wall of the elbow.

If you look at all the issues that people have with the SPi system most are simple and many many are related to the fact the vacuum pipes are in poor condition.

FS

[rs87]

http://www.minispare...c/NPC10001.aspx

 

http://www.minispare...c/MLH10022.aspx

 

http://www.minispare...c/MLH10026.aspx

 

http://www.minispare...c/PHP10027.aspx

 

http://www.minispare...c/PHP10043.aspx

 

Thanks everyone for your input. I've done some further reading on this forum and these 5 parts are what need doing first and foremost, I believe.

 

If anyone can confirm this and if I need anything else then please say and I will make the purchase. Can anyone also confirm that these prices are the best prices for the product or can anyone recommend anywhere else if necessary?

[spiguy]

Don't think you will get them any cheaper than minispares. They are selling proper OEM pipes, get them from there for total piece of mind. That's all the pipes.

 

check the valve the yellow and red ones go to as well. With the yellow attached to the hot/cold air flap, attach the red one to the other port on the valve, and suck the other end of the red one. It should operate the valve (you can hear it) and not lose any vacuum. The valve can leak you see. If it leaks, jus disconnect the red one from the valve (connect it at the other end at the inlet manifold though) and block the end off by fitting a tight fitting screw in the end. Wont affect running much, just a few minutes when the car is warming up, it is supposed to operate that flap to take warmer air off the manifold. I don't think it achieves much.

[rs87]

Thanks for your response. I have gone ahead and ordered the parts as you can see below

 

The red pipe is limited in stock but fingers crossed. I will update you guys early next week with my progress. Any further tips on assembling these would be great, although I think I know where they all go now and not to fully insert onto nipples.

Im glad that dopey mechanic that I went to had some clever knowledge.... #TMF

 

£35.48

Net goods subtotal:

£3.65

Delivery preference: postal - standard
(small and light items only)

The above delivery cost is an estimate and subject to change. Read Delivery Policy

 

 

See Delivery Prices

 

£39.13

Net order subtotal:

 

£7.83

Total vat @ 20%:

 

 

 

£46.96

Order total:

Edited by rs87, 25 June 2015 - 11:23 PM.

[rs87]

Hi all and anyone in the future who references this.

 

So the parts actually arrived on Saturday which was a massive bonus seeing as I selected standard delivery and I fitted them yesterday.

 

I just want to say "WOW" and a big thank you to this thread and all contributors! I replaced the fuel trap and 3 of the 4 vacuum pipes (I couldn't unplug the small one from the behind the throttle body which leads to the fuel trap a few inches away) and I blew through it and it was fine so happy days. 

 

I cannot believe how such an unsuspecting set of plastic, thin, tiny pipes can turn my dream machine into a nightmare if broken!! I took some pictures for others to reference if they ever get the same problem! Seriously overjoyed and shocked! The car felt completely broken and now drives like a dream!!

 

It's rare to find a forum and a thread where the answer to a problem/fault is so conclusive when the fault appears to be so dramatic and I'm happy and thankful to verify this through my own personal experience, I hope this helps others in the future.

 

 

 IMG_20150627_160654.jpg   69.07K   24 downloads

Underside of the air filter box with old pipes in the shot (Red pipe missing elbow which was problem #1). The yellow pipe loops round from that bottom nipple to the air temperature control valve (see pic 5). The red pipe goes onto that second nipple above the yellow one and goes round the back of the throttle body behind the throttle stop. (See pic 5 for a rough idea, as stated before on this thread, its inaccessible to take a picture of.)

 

 

 IMG_20150627_160934_edit.jpg   47.16K   10 downloads

This is the longest vacuum pipe coming from the underside of the ECU which leads to the fuel trap.

 

 

 IMG_20150627_160901.jpg   60.7K   13 downloads

This is where the pipe above leads to and as you should be able to see here, mine has actually snapped (problem #2). The other pipe attached to the fuel trap is the short pipe that also leads to the rear of the throttle body and is the only one I didn't replace but I pulled it from the rear elbow and blew through it, slid it back into the rear elbow and luckily it was fine so I just attached it to the new fuel trap.

 

 

 IMG_20150627_165232.jpg   40.71K   13 downloads

If you couldn't see the elbow breakage of the longest pipe in the previous picture then that one should clear things up.

 

 

 IMG_20150627_165245.jpg   56.79K   15 downloads

Finally, the air filter box is screwed back into place with the red and yellow pipes proudly on show. ("Proudly" because I'm an amateur DIY'er!)  

 

 

In retrospect, I only 'needed' to fit a new elbow to the fuel trap long pipe (ECU pipe) and a new elbow on the red pipe which was missing because I blew through every pipe and the fuel trap and all were very clear. However, given how insistent FlyingScot and Brivinci was on all of them being service items    the best and reassuring thing to do is just replace them all if not just for peace of mind.

 

Once again, thanks all and I hope this helps in the future! Problem RESOLVED!!!   

Edited by rs87, 29 June 2015 - 01:35 PM.

[spiguy]

Great to see you got it sorted. They really are a total pain those vac lines. I carry a spare set in the boot so I don't need to worry about them

[FlyingScot]

I carry a spare SPi unit and MEMS in the garage just in case

FS

[spiguy]

Ah FS, I should have known! (good to know that ahem..! )

[monkeymayor]

This is great.. thanks! BUT is anyone able to clarify.. I understand the red cable goes round the back of the throttle body behind the throttle stop...  however, there seem to be two places there it could attach to... would any one know if its the right or left one when looking at the engine.

 

thanks

[rs87]

I just nipped out and unscrewed the filter box for ya and its the lower left hand 'nipple' that the black one goes onto and so to answer your question its the slightly higher one on the right hand side that the red pipe goes on to. To confirm, this makes sense because the black pipe is so short and is just near the fuel trap. Good luck with the black one, that's the one i couldn't get off and so left the old one on. Hope this helps.

[spiguy]

As you look at the car from the front, the red pipe goes on to the right hand pipe stub at the back of the throttle body. It then runs to the underside of the air filter box and attaches to the nipple on the right hand side of the valve (its a temperature sensitve valve which passes the vacuum to the other pipe on the valve, which runs to the hot / cold air flap on the top of the air filter box intake tube).

 

The short black hose which runs from manifold to fuel trap, attaches to the left hand pipe stub at the rear of the throttle body (again, as you look at the engine from the front)

[monkeymayor]

great, thanks! all done. fiddly isnt the half of it! 

thanks again, all posts were most helpful