So we finally got around to fixing the headlight situation. It ended up being a lot simpler than I thought. I completely removed and discarded the old HID / ballast assemblies. The LED lights that I bought were H7, unfortunately the car takes H11. So I just went to the parts store and bought regular bulbs. The car finally has functional headlights.




The oil light has occasionally been coming on. I still don't know how to properly check the oil level of the vehicle. I've been topping it off here and there. It seems to light up during sharp turns. Otherwise, I bought the supplies for the next oil change. OEM filter/gasket and Mobil1 extended performance. The best of the best, what i run in my GS460.




Other than that, the car has been running great.

 

Car got wedged trying to turn by a building wall. Lost one of the wheel arches.


Clips/ tabs broke off

Salvaged the trim

Ordered new oem ones

Popped back in. Easy fix

need to fix the dent however

 

The ABS light has been on the dash for a long time. After getting the code scanned, I ordered new BOSCH wheel speed sensors.



I got the proper tools together and watched several instructional videos. The job had some difficult moments, but was pretty straightforward. Working for the first time on a German car definitely made me appreciate owning Lexus / Toyotas. I rounded one of the lug bolts on the wheel, and several fender liner clips. The sensor harness was brittle and crumbled away.



Not sure if the sensor has been replaced in the past, it seemed newer than the rest of the car, but the quality wasn't great.



Nevertheless, after changing the sensors, (to my surprise) the warning light on the dash turned off, and the car drove better.

 

Keep up the good work!

 

thanks @swajames ! The car is running better, but she thinks it's still kind of bogs down during acceleration. But at least no more lights on the dash.

In the meanwhile, I got some goodies for cheap. A full size spare, some lug bolts because I rounded them off last time, an OEM armrest, antena, and a plushy.



Went to the BMW dealership with a friend today. He upgraded his lease, and I got some OEM maintenance parts for the mini. OEM air filter, fuel filter, pair of oil filters, valve cover gasket, and fuel system cleaner.

 

Thanks. I was hoping that the wheel speed sensors would resolve the problem with acceleration, but it persisted. Turns out its the clutch, which is to be expected. I was able to get it to the mechanic that did the original work.


They ordered a sport clutch and also recommended shocks. When the parts came in, i was definitely shocked, no pun intended. The German Bilsteins are going to be quite more than I expected, but we intend to keep the car long term, so I told him to go ahead.






Will also be doing the rear main seal, since the tranny is going to be worked on. Besides that, the oil pan gasket was leaking, and will be doing that as well, especially since I brought the supplies for an oil change. Doing everything at once should save time and money on labor. Only other issue is the AC, have been adding refrigerant every few months. Will have to look into that as well.





Finally wrapped everything up. The sports clutch took some adjusting to. And the front suspension feels amazing. Only issue now is some occasional smoke from the pipe.

 

Did the PCV valve. $40 from Rockauto, pretty straightforward job.. Hopefully helps with the smoke issue, or at least adds longevity to the motor.

 

any special tools you added to your arsenal after working on the mini?

 

Any DIY is automatically NEW tools for me.

How else can I justify spoiling myself with cool stuff. Lol

 

Very cool thread, great work! I would recommend you get a headlight restoration kit to make the lens of the headlight clear again.

 

Torx30, instructional videos onyoutube, and plenty cash for the mechanic.

 

sorry for the slow response.....its solid so no sunlight comes thru.

 

Nice. Were still getting the smoke from the exhaust issue.