JUNK Mini Cooper S (BMW/Peugeot) N14 Turbo Engine Teardown. Why Do People Buy These?

[@ouch1011]

I used to be a German car mechanic (I know, I know, Mini is a “British” brand but since the British don’t make anything anymore, it’s now owned by BMW). I am telling you with 100% certainty, if you own one of these vehicles, it *will* blow up tomorrow, maybe even today. Premature engine failure is a certainty on these. I’ve replaced at least 6 of these engines that had good service history, but had low compression in one cylinder. In every single case, the low compression was caused by the connecting rod being bent. They hadn’t been hydrolocked, the bearings hadn’t spun, they just bent rods. Presumably because the rods are too weak? They also score the cylinder walls horribly. They build up carbon on the pistons and when it breaks off, the chunks of carbon wedge between the piston and cylinder wall and destroy the cylinder walls. It got to the point that I wouldn’t do timing chains on them unless the customer was ok with paying for me to scope each of the cylinders and measure the piston height at TDC. Too many instances of doing timing chains (at like 50-60k miles) and then having the engine fail in some unrelated way 10-15k later. The water pump is not directly belt driven and the part you called the belt tensioner isn’t actually a belt tensioner. The “belt tensioner” is actually an idler pulley that is spring-loaded to wedge itself between the belt on the crankshaft pulley and the water pump pulley. The water pump pulley has the rubber on it because it is kind of like a tire: it’s meant to grip the idler pulley. So, the belt spins on the crankshaft pulley, which turns the idler pulley since it’s wedged up against it, which turns the water pump “tire” pulley. It’s a stupid, overcomplicated design that could only ever be used in a German car, because the Germans like to build cars the wrong way for fun, apparently.

[@reecedrury4145]

Hey build plenty still, JLR, Mclaren, Ariel, Noble, Caterham..

[@tedbell4416]

Interesting info on this engine 👍🏻 sounds like a poorly made engine from the start

[@l33tnobody1337]

​@@reecedrury4145 those are all pretty small scale manufacturers and none of them besides McLaren and JLR use Engines designed by themselves. And before you try to argue about JLR being small scale: In 2022 they sold 321.000 vehicles. BMW Group sold nearly 2.4 Million in the same time Period.

[@markfrabotta19]

The gas Direct engines seem to give a lot of problems on any brand of car I have a Kia Rio 😢they also come in GD I engine but I asked the salesman it has to be multi port fuel injection if not. I won't buy the car but terrible. The way they make engines, nowadays.😢

[@l33tnobody1337]

well, they were co-developed with PSA/Stellantis which is just the worst of both worlds. But at least BMW abandoned it.. Peugeot and Citroen STILL put them in their cars

[@d00dEEE]

I'll bet the designer who routed the dipstick through the chain guide thought it was the coolest thing ever.

[@I_Do_Cars]

“They’re going to LOVE this…”

[@micahreid5553]

I mean they at least routed it through the fixed half of the guide not the tensioning half of it. That counts for something right?

[@RyanKimpel]

"Did you hear they picked my timing guide design at work, they said it was the most financially viable option because of how much plastic I was able to incorporate."

[@boba1024]

Heck of a fight to get that tube out.

[@davidrobinette3834]

The BMW engineering team has a collective wet dream when they see this video.

[@seesitcoming]

The chain tensioners were absorbing the metal flakes in order to protect the oil filter.

[@martinmiller7623]

How patriotic of them😂

[@akf2000]

Thank you for your service, chain tensioners

[@pucmahone3893]

Doing the job where filters fail…..LOL

[@WarriorsPhoto]

Lol 😂 I sense some mechanic humour? 😊

[@Dieselfueledwork]

My gues is that magnets cost too much, and set off terrorist alarms.

[@curtgomes]

My wife wanted a Mini Cooper. Nine years ago I found a slightly used 2014 Countryman ALL4. After reading and talking to people about these cars I became quite aware of many issues surrounding them. Honestly, lack of maintenance seems to be the main problem. We still own this car. I change the oil and filter every 3500 miles.... religiously. With 55k miles we have had virtually no problems with the car. None! Knock on wood. It's a great driving and handling car. And its surprisingly comfortable. I really believe maintenance is key. Having said that, I'm still leery and not sure that it can make 100K miles without a major issue. We'll see....

[@sassyrav]

That was awesome! I have a 2012 JCW with the N14. I bought it with 20K kms and instantly did the following for preventative maintenance keeping in mind I enjoy learning how to really look after a car not just wait for something to fail before fixing: - Magnetic sump plug - 2 x oil catch cans (to help with the carbon build up on the valves) one on either side of the valve cover which covers the high RPM and the low RPM vents. - Fit a turbo blanket (avoid putting over turbo oil lines). Repairs that needing doing under 50K kms: - Had the thermostat replaced as the temp sensor died at 20K kms (now the sensor can be replaced separately with the upgraded thermostat housing. - Had to replace the HPFP - car started to have trouble starting when it was cold. - Replaced the rear brake pads, last owner liked to ride them and they would squeal. These engines need attention the second they start acting up. Ive kept a service list of everything Ive ever done to the car including basic servicing and the liquids used so the next owner doesnt have to guess. I also have a schedule for it. 80K kms: - Change transmission fluid (Lifetime fluid my ass) - Replace Oxygen Sensors (both) 100K kms - Have intake valves cleaned (walnut shell blast) - Replace turbo oil return line with stainless steel version - Replace oil filter housing gasket - Replace heat exchanger gasket - Replace vacuum pump and Diverter Valve At 160K kms: - Replace turbo sensor - Replace Ignition Coils - Replace Timing Chain and Guides (Detroit Tuned has a reinforced kit which they claim will be the last you'll need) - not cheap - Replace Auxiliary Water Pump - Replace Friction Wheel (at the serpentine belt) 200K kms: - Clean Throttle Body 240K kms: - Replace Oil Pressure Switch Engine oil and filter changed every 7.5K kms or 6 monthly (I read engines with emission control run very dirty inside). Injector Fuel cleaner (Redline) every 5K kms. I hope this helps others who want to know how to keep their N14 happy. No it's not nice having to do all the above and we shouldn't have to!

[@originalGFLEX]

Sorry but when you take into account the amount of time and effort required just to keep this economically category car running its too much time commitment, money and interference in quality of owners personal life plus way over requirements compared to other cars.

[@shueibdahir]

@@originalGFLEXthis list is insane

[@nielgregory108]

If you haven't replaced the turbo oil line with a braided one, DO IT NOW!!! Oh, the turbo banket is really a waste of money. lol Now, go get a Manic Tune and really have fun!!

[@nielgregory108]

@@shueibdahirIt's quite small actually. There a few more things that can be done. Mini's are a handful but the funnest EVER!

[@nielgregory108]

@@originalGFLEXl;ol IF you are just a COMMUTER who don't like to drive. lol IF you a DRIVER who loves to have fun, you actually enjoy this stuff.

[@Bigbacon]

My wife had an 08 mini, she loved that car, fun tondrive, but a maintenance nightmare. The extended warranty paid for itself 5 times over. So many problems. Car lasted 85k miles before failing, right after tbe warranty ran out. 2 water pumps, 3 thermostat housings, oil cooler housing seal, wiring issues, rear hatch latch replaced twice, leaky sun roof. We bought it used with 10k miles and always did the mainenance on schedule. Edit: forgot 2 valve covers.

[@Asdasty]

I really hate aftermarket warranties as I could just save up and pay for repairs myself. But when it comes to cars like these or even any performance orientated vehicle, I think it's definitely worth it.

[@thorsrensen3162]

My wife had one too, and it was so bad, and she had to go to the mechnics shop all the time. I could not understand until I discovered from my small dashcam that the young mechanic and her had been taking long test drives and he had been riding her hard every time she went with the car.

[@Bigbacon]

@@thorsrensen3162 sounds like a personal problem

[@Asdasty]

@@thorsrensen3162 He was riding your wife hard or the car?

[@2148aa]

@@Bigbacon She wanted a long throw stick shift.

[@IndridCool54]

I was once a proud owner of a Mini… mine was RHD, it was an Austin Cooper of 1967 vintage with the short stroke 998cc and dual SUs. Most fun car ever!

[@lutomson3496]

the later ones are rubbish I had one...got rid of it before warranty was up, also had an I8 with the 3 cyl engine more rubbish

[@d00dEEE]

My first car was a 1965 Cooper S 1275, overbored 0.020" to 1293. It had dual SUs, but big bore 1 3/4 ones off a Volvo. Also had a '67, but it was mostly a parts car to keep the '65 on the road. Oh, the best part was the Hydrolastic suspension that you could pump up and down to change the ride height in a couple minutes.

[@barryphillips7327]

Nowadays a geniune Cooper S 1275 are worth BIG money one was selling here $75 000!!

[@alro2434]

@@d00dEEE 1 3/4, WOW, tried 1 1/2's on my 997 once and had fun really stepping on it, and could also watch the gas gauge move down at the same time.

[@adotintheshark4848]

Back when the British built them..ironically, British cars were considered inferior to German ones, and they were!

[@Shiny_Dragonite]

It's okay if you dropped out of college, Eric. You seemed to have found something you love (otherwise why bother with videos?) I did too and, despite 13 years of dealing with a poor job, ended up with one I love. That's really what's important here. I will never get tired of these videos. It's an opportunity to laugh, relax and learn; a combination of things that can be in short supply at the best of times. Thank you for entertaining us every Saturday night and sometimes on Wednesdays!

[@Currawong]

Many of the most successful people I know never finished college.

[@Me-zo8yc]

Here here! College just teaches you to regurgitate approved facts.

[@bullbutter9699]

I didnt even Graduate High School , Last I checked I was Worth 2.2 million.

[@bullbutter9699]

54 years young havent worked in 14 years.

[@l00k4tstuff]

College is like the modern apprenticeships, but you pay to learn while producing nothing instead of getting paid to learn as you produce product. The current "college debt crisis" and current shortage of workers in the trades is all because college was sold as the next important thing. It's not, it's certainly not for everyone. I expect in the next 20 years a lot of colleges will be failing because this set of new parents realize that and will get their children set up for their futures appropriately.

[@Trlthericklang]

The 08’ Clubman S was the simultaneously the best and worst car I’ve owned. Great performance, handling, and good MPG. Yet quirky, unique, and good looking. Despite many positives, it was a total money pit that left me stranded several times and put me on a first name basis with all 3 service writers at the dealership… all under 80,000 miles.

[@wutang80oc39]

Its also easy to make them fast, my buddy had a S model, he spent around 2K on modding and tuning it. He kept it looking stock, but he would stomp on Vettes and Mustangs at thr 1/4 track. His best time was in the low 11s. Also the tuning parts he added solved alot of the issues and weakness of the car.

[@imaniman6797]

good looking is a stretch

[@hotdog9262]

since 2013 3rd gen they have had the bmw b48 engine

[@LynxStarAuto]

@@hotdog9262an even junkier engine 😂

[@hotdog9262]

@@LynxStarAuto b48 is a very good engine

[@BaseSRKI]

This is my Engine, but without fully forged internals. I am SUPER afraid of breaking my engine... so I Carbon clean it with H2 gas every maintenance. I went to shortened maintenance intervals (from 30k to 15k KM for oil changes) + premium OIL and only PREMIUM fuel. With all this I am making 289 wheel-HP and it has done 165.000km like this now. Running well, so they CAN survive.. but many problems exist. Thanks for seeing my engine on the inside:) (mine is Peugeot, from my ICON, it is also found in BMW and Mini's) Thanks for these video's, VERY cool!

[@milantrcka121]

15000 km ~9300 mi for oil change??? My '07 F150 gets oil change (synth) every 3500 - 4000 mi with 100,000 mi on the clock. Change oil twice as often, full synthetic and maybe it will last a bit longer

[@giulianomacarrone7938]

dude, you should change your oil between 8k km and 10k km! And yes i have one of this engines. No wonder why they blow up

[@CrispyCars]

​@@giulianomacarrone7938agreed. I change mine every 4k-5k miles.

[@MiMicheIIe]

15k KM is not NEARLY frequently enough. Every 8000 kilometers or 9000 kilometers, no less!

[@randallsterrett5986]

I've had lot's of fun rebuilding R56's with N14 engines. Buy 'em cheap, rebuild 'em, drive 'em till they drop! I've had four so far. Most fun for the the buck if you dig getting greasy! 172 hp is plenty for the car and they fly around corners. Not for the feint of heart or those who don't like getting dirty.

[@Me-eb3wv]

The most dirt cheap fun a car guy can have

[@Homerlovesbeer2]

What’s an R56?

[@lukaeddie3377]

@@Homerlovesbeer2 Second generation cooper hatchback. All the different body shapes and generations have their own designations. N14 is a turbo engine used in those second gen coopers.

[@kirklarson116]

I got an 07 in otherwise almost pristine condition (no rust, Interior almost perfect) for free. Has sat for 10 years and the person who gave it to me (first owner) said he thinks it was a timing chain issue. I sent a bore scope down each cylinder and didn't notice any damage at all to the piston tops. Engine cranks over and the 10 year old oil looks as clean as you would expect. I'm going to work on the non-engine related things first. Can't get the drivers door open, rear hatch needs to open with the "secret ring" and the sun-roof tries to open but can't. It's too nice of a car to send to the crusher but I'm proceeding slowly as I learn more about the Coopers so I don't invest more than it's worth.

[@gryfandjane]

I owned a 2010 MINI Cooper myself, and loved it... but traded it in on a Fiesta ST after five years due to the multitude of trouble reports on the MINI forums, chain guides chief among them. Figured I'd get out while the car was still good. By the way, the recommended oil change interval in the MINI manual was 15,000 miles. I changed my oil every 5,000.

[@ferrumignis]

BMWs ridiculous oil change intervals are a significant part of their reliability problem IMO.

[@jamesgeorge4874]

Fiesta ST is even worse.

[@gryfandjane]

@@jamesgeorge4874 Ha… yeah, I’ve heard the stories. So far it’s been flawless, fingers crossed. But my mileage is pretty low.

[@jamesgeorge4874]

@@gryfandjane At least it's Ford pricing, not BMW pricing, like MINI. Manual models are OK, DCT equipped models, yuck.

[@dougowens2686]

I will never under stand why some one would think 15,000 miles was a good idea I am not even sure full synthetic can survive 5000 miles

[@SA-dl9ox]

Thanks for this. Explains why these Mini’s simply vanished from the road.

[@tedbell4416]

They sure did , hardly ever see them

[@TassieLorenzo]

R56 MINIs, vanished? Interesting. So much for the stories of BMWs holding up if you "do the maintenance". IIRC, the N12 in the basic MINIs is meant to be not as bad and the N18 in the later Cooper S models is meant to be " fixed ".

[@weedmanwestvancouverbc9266]

Semi disposable car, like the PT Cruiser, the new Volkswagen Beetle Etc. Sharp and flashy but destined for the scrap Heap.

[@TheSleepingonit]

Roommate has a 2014

[@_IMNNO]

I still see tons of the third gen MINIs, and some facelifted second gens on the road here in SoCal.

[@ohbollox2it]

I had a 2010 Peugeot 308 GTI 200bhp - I serviced it yearly as per the manufacturers recommendations as well as having an oil service in between the manufacturers servicing - that worked out at 5000 miles per oil change - but it still had a new cylinder head, coolant housing, 2 water pumps, cam chain and tensioners and that is just a few issues over the 4 years of ownership - luckily I had a 2 year aftermarket warranty with the vehicle and got an additional 2 year warranty when the first ran out - it saved me a fortune - there are so many versions of this engine that have been produced either turbocharged or NA that I am amazed that the engine wasn’t dumped years ago and it puzzles me that they are still using it today

[@coreythompson9269]

You are so right about these engines... my daughter has a mini cooper S. Not only do they fail, often, in multiple ways, but they are so overcomplicated when performing even the most basic maintenance (such as changing the drive belt)... while standing next to that stupid car in my garage (after three frustrating hours of work) I often see myself slowly putting my hands around the throat of the engineer who designed this thing and somehow I feel better...

[@toddpedersen1866]

your daughter checks the oil every fiil up? services the engine at recommended intervals? i bet the answer is no to those questions. i drive mine like i stole it but i also make sure everything is full an taken care of. worst problems i have had is my stereo keeps blowing alternators and i blew a belt at 160k miles.

[@fosterix555]

@@toddpedersen1866 I got 2007 S, 126k km, it was driven by a woman as a daily drive (i don't think she ever took it beyond 3k rpm). I got my alternator fixed few days ago, as it broke once i put it to the stress. It was such a weird sound from alternator, everyone thought it was a timing chain, it made such a rattling noise (tho it had been changed on around 70-80k km). It was also loosing oil, the engine cover was really poor and probably not properly placed, so got that changed also. Spark plugs too. All seems good now. Any advice on what i should look after besides the regular oil check? I really love the car, i never feel bored when i drive, so I'm hesitating with the decision to sell it as i got pissed when i had the issue, as it was a month after i got it.

[@sheldonkepley4585]

maybe its just beyond your skill set. bet she is smiling while driving it though!

[@soliniv1411]

In the voice of homer: WHY YOU LITTLE...

[@CrispyCars]

There is nothing difficult about removing the drive belt. Just did it 5 minutes ago. Remove wheel and fender liner. Turn the tensioner with a wrench, pop the spring pin in to hold it. Pull friction pulley tab, remove belt. Install belt, push tab back in, wrench on tensioner, remove pin, done.

[@joeblow8593]

13:35 "...That never goes bad ever, unless you drive your car" Epic

[@StreuB1]

Ungrateful!?!? How could you think that we think that you are ungrateful!? You show your gratitude every week, and it shows. Thank you, Eric!!!

[@litz13]

I know many people who own (or have owned) Mini Coopers. Almost every single one of them has blown or replaced an engine on their Mini at some point. None of these were neglected, they just kaboom.

[@jblyon2]

Pretty sure that's how the engineers sold this engine to the execs. It's a pretty hard requirement for the engine to just randomly kaboom for BMW to put one into production.

[@thomasfletcher760]

Wonder how many were " earth shattering " ?

[@MrBerryK]

Well, I had a MINI Cooper S -supercharged, not turbo - for 12 years and it ran fine for 150,000 miles, so there’s that data point. It was, however, a very early MINI - 2001, the first year. That may or may not make a difference.

[@Ne1vaan]

Mine exploded. Fucker was paid off too. Now I'm getting fucked by a car payment again, but at least it's a fucking Toyota.

[@_IMNNO]

They probably all owned the N14 like the one in this vid. The N18 and B48/6 are usually way more stout.

[@ronsweeney5898]

Fascinating, thank you. It never ceases to amaze me hoe bad an engine condition may be but they will still run. By the way we British make lots of things, to answer a previous comment. We just don’t brag about. The original A series engine was and still is a little jewel. When you revved them they sang. I had 13 bmc minis including the first Austin Severn original purchased in August 1959. Pictures available if only I knew how. Keep em’ coming.

[@bombakdik]

Wonderful teardown. The right amount of humour, the right amount of doing it a nice way. Cheers from Belgium.

[@stephengriffin-ci3fy]

I truly enjoy watching people who work with their hands, think with their mind and can provide a service. These things are lacking in today's educational system. Kepp up the good work Eric!

[@alexs.818]

Plenty of high schools around where I live offer technical and trade internship programs. However I can't say that to every high school out there. I pursued higher education instead, but I believe trade programs should be offered as variety and alternatives for those not interested in more schooling.

[@engineeringoyster6243]

We owned 2 different Minis and the experience has very strongly turned me against all Minis, all BMWs and all European cars in general. Spending $3000 to $5000 annually for repairs gets pretty old. Besides, I hated the handling of the Minis and hated the cockpit layout. I am so happy that I don’t own Minis anymore.

[@ClockworksOfGL]

I like that he shows the struggling and fumbling of doing a mechanical job. I also work with my hands and constantly forget to remove “that one part” when pulling apart an assembly, even though I’ve done it dozens of times before. Lots of swearing happens when ya rush.

[@runningawayvagabond5876]

I used to sell cars years ago and it was actually hard to take a Mini in on trade. Even back then they had a horrible reputation. My dealership refused to keep them for sale on our lot so we flipped them off to wholesalers and every time, and I mean EVERY SINGLE TIME we called them on one to get a price, they all had horror stories about the last Mini they got. I remember taking a John Cooper Works edition in that wasn't even a year old yet and we flipped it for about 60% of what it was new and the owner couldn't be happier to get out of it for that. Can't imagine how big a lemon it was for him to be happy with that kind of loss.

[@robo6548]

First and second gen mini jcw rode like a trolley jack with bad suspension, so many first time owners got rid after a short time.

[@jimrobcoyle]

#UkraineBrainRot

[@runningawayvagabond5876]

@@jimrobcoyle What's the matter neckbeard, triggered by some blue and yellow and so desparate for attention you have to highjack an engine teardown channel to get it?

[@springguntunes]

Hmmm. After watching this channel for a long time, something more is in this story. I enjoy this. I've been a mechanic since 1972.

[@lordpetrolhead477]

The R56 N14 engine is known as the chocolate engine by MINI enthusiasts here in England. The supercharged R53 Cooper S has the far better Tritec W11 engine which can be tuned up to about 250bhp. Mine’s been tuned to 210bhp and drives like a go kart. Great fun ❤

[@ilkkak3065]

Too bad tritec big service cost a LOT If you can't do it yourself

[@robevans5222]

Nice job on this video - it is obvious that considerable editing effort has gone into it, so that viewers don't have to endure the actual lengthy effort required, but still get to see everything that's key in excellent detail. Kudos!

[@bostonbikebits6539]

I have one of these in my 08 John Cooper Works, it had to be totally rebuilt at about 110k miles. It had all sorts of flashy bits put in it at that time to engineer out the commonly known problems. It got tweaked up to just over 220 bhp and 318nm torque, recently the intake got walnut blasted to make sure no lumps of carbon could get ingested. It's only done 14k on the new engine so hopefully it will last a few years. The car is an absolute blast to drive, very noisy but tremendous fun. They are not the most reliable cars but they sure are fun.

[@l33tnobody1337]

Had essentially the same Engine in my Peugeot 208 from 2013. BMW knows why they abandoned it entirely.. It's fun when it runs right due to making good power and the car being light, but it almost never does work right. Sold the car with roughly 120.000km and the Engine was pretty much done for. And by that point it had already gotten a new Timing Chain, new Chain Tensioners, new Turbo, new Cooler and a bunch of other stuff. Barely anybody besides Peugeot Dealerships wanted to work on it because it's absolutely horrible to work on. Everything is cramped and PSA (now Stellantis) made a point of putting every Bolt in absolutely stupidly hard to get to places. They really really hate Mechanics.

[@nightpavell]

it's not a PSA designed engine, BMW did it

[@HomelabExtreme]

This is interesting, what Peugeot was that? (VIN, engine code, etc?) I find it very interesting if this engine has been used by PSA, especially because it is very similar in design to a DV6, please see my comment regarding that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j5fSnaufntOSjdE&lc=Ugxuqhu6YGWTiIAlIR54AaABAg

[@Iceeeen]

@@nightpavell The head may be bmw design but im sure it's based on the Peugeot TU engine. Most of it here also reminded me of older PSA engines when he took it appart. It also apperently was built by Peugeot in france. Anyway like most from PSA group it's shit

[@cytrynowy_melon6604]

​@@Iceeeen Yeah, it's a TU engine, they done everything they could to push as much power from it as they could without redesigning whole block, and this explains reliability problems and why it's bad to work on. PSA tried to fix it one more time, still selling 1.6 THP today (but calling it a "PureTech" engine, despite it not being an engine from PureTech family like 1.2 - which is also bad, but at least better than 1.6).

[@-First-Last]

Freaking climate change ...

[@r3gflm916]

MORE BMW & MERCEDES ENGINES! Your teardowns show help me deicde which engine I'd be comfortable owning in a car, and which ones to stay away from. Keep those Euro - BMW & Mercedes engines coming!

[@rossdev]

I had a 1.6 thp engine in my 2007 Peugeot 208. I always remember the horrible bag of bolts sound the engine made on startup at times. I think it was the timing chain tensioner failing and the rattle was from the loose timing chain. This was on an engine with less than 40k kilometres. The twin scroll turbocharger was impressive and the car pulled strongly with low rpm, but I was never so happy to get rid of it.

[@jamsstar2010]

Needed a cam chain adjuster under warranty, did the car ever have that done?

[@rossdev]

@@jamsstar2010 No never had a recall for that. I ended up trading the car in with the original dealer and let him sort it out, my first and last Peugeot!

[@19jacobob93]

​@rossdev BMW sabotaged Peugeot with this engine haha their previous TU engines were bulletproof, as were all of the diesel powered models. BMW actually used the PSA 1.6 HDi in the Mini D and these were a solid unit and surprisingly fun. I learned to drive in one.

[@paull8678]

I used to have a 2006 Mini Cooper S with the supercharged engine. I consider myself very lucky that I had zero issues with the car overall, as I knew others with the same car who had tons of problems. But I was very meticulous with maintenance and oil changes, and it paid off. I sold it in 2017 when I got some diesel buy-back money from a VW I also owned because I needed something with a little more space. It was such a fun little car.

[@danielrussell446]

And also Peugeot 207, Citroen c3 and ds3 of the same era who also used the prince engine if you notice they are also scarce now

[@redyote]

At 9 minutes in, I want to call it. Somebody poured water into the oil cap.

[@AdamGoodman4U]

thats exactly what I was thinking too LOL

[@gregorteply9034]

Somebody who does cars.

[@remasher]

Yeah, those were my thoughts as well, I think he did it himself in order to create more drama.

[@DuaneBrosky]

Flood engine. Had a bad valve so they flooded it for insurance money

[@metalted6128]

You are correct, my cousin ran a salvage yard for many years, He knew what was the problem motors/transmissions. He saw it every day, like you do. It’s your job to know what’s good and bad. Great video as always!!

[@andylaauk]

A BMW engine not leaking would be a surprise.

[@proehm]

Diesel Syndrome? (If there's no oil under it, it's because there's no oil in it.)

[@stevenrice47]

Nah. No surprise. Just empty.

[@atrielienz]

Peugeot made these engines. Not that the BMW ones that came after are really great or anything.

[@CableWrestler]

All of my BMW engines have had leaks from the valve covers. M54, M57, M62

[@arekb5951]

​@@atrielienzpress materials about this engine say that it was BMW that took design leadership and pretty much every novelty (that makes this engine go boom) is BMW designed.

[@blakevoorhees7515]

Also, when oil filter was removed, you should notice that it is concave in shape. This means that the filter is clogged and the oil pump was sucking very hard to try and get oil through it.

[@nzrpgnerd4454]

Thanks for doing these videos. My Dad was a motor mechanic and owned his own shop where I helped out during school holidays. Even though I went down a separate path in my career, my heart remains in a mechanics work-shop and I love watching your work. I imagine that I can even smell the engine that your working on. mmmm... yuck... home.

[@robwalker8530]

Perfect timing on this video, as I am changing the front crank seal on my daughter’s mini this week. What is more laughable than the reliability of this car are the quotes you get from the Mini dealer for service. $750 to replace the crank seal, and then another $500 to replace the serpentine belt. Which is removed anyway when servicing the crank seal. Classic double dipping!

[@mikem9536]

That's when you go find a more honest mechanic.

[@ddognine]

It's NOT double dipping when it comes to a Mini. Not only are they unreliable, they are horribly complicated to service. Just be glad the crank case seal isn't an engine pull.

[@Wargasm54]

Do yourself a favor. If you get it running properly, sell it pronto. Your daughter may cry. She loves the car. And you love her. And you’ll do anything you can to keep her in it. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Get rid of it and get her another “cute” car.

[@DragNetJoe]

Meanwhile, my 2006 Honda just went over 205,000 with nothing more than normal maintenance and oil changes. I wouldn't be bragging about 150,000 in 2023.

[@TheBandit7613]

I have a crappy Hyundai Elantra GT with 460,000 mi (and growing) A couple water pumps, several timing belts, 2 fuel pumps, 3 radiators, several trans oil changes, a pile of tires and brakes and headlight bulbs... I gave it away to a neighbor who LOVES it. (How do you sell a car with 400K?) Everything still works including the AC and sunroof. Paint is holding up decent, I work at night so it sat out under the moon. Vegas car so no rust.

[@pkt1213]

​@TheBandit7613 if it was a Toyta you could have. There isn't much difference in price between 200k and 400k.

[@I_know_what_im_talking_about]

@DragNetJoe - I had an 07 Civic that racked up 160k miles before it was T-Boned & Totaled at an intersection… also nothing but oil changes up to that point. Drivetrain was MINT.

[@Bacnow]

2006 Honda Accord 402,000 miles and still drives as smooth as my 2022 Accord!

[@Bacnow]

@@TheBandit7613- That’s is quite impressive for a Hyundai! You obviously know how to properly maintain your vehicles!

[@cparks7800]

I’ve done so many of these chains and swaps that I can literally do chains IN THE CAR in like 1.5 hrs including cleaning out the front bulkhead and pickup, and I can do 2 or 3 engines in a day (yes, I’ve had to do several in a day). That’s not how good I am, that’s not how easy these are to work on, that’s how much practice I had doing them. LOL

[@simonshurety3870]

Did you have someone apply torque to the transmission side of the intake camshaft in the same direction while tightening the variable pulley?

[@cparks7800]

@@simonshurety3870 no way Jose I used a jig. LOL

[@simonshurety3870]

@@cparks7800 Sorry I didn't explain myself very well....I meant while using the jig. Official Citroen Technical documentation procedures include what I tried to describe in my original question.

[@mikewatts1450]

I used to do 2 camshafts on the weekend on 305 V8 Chevy's 😂😉👍!!

[@stephenhertzler9730]

Can you work on mine?

[@oldeenglish8058]

Your videos are excellent! When I was 20 yrs old (in the UK 1970!) I had a short lived business buying insurance wrecked cars of the Mini and 1,100 and 1,300 variety to salvage parts that could "Soup Up" the standard 848cc mini. My partner was a total disappointment and I gave up on my dream. Your video brought back fond memories of days so long ago and I thankyou!

[@valentinhristov264]

Hello! I have worked quite a bit on these engines, and I have to tell u that is not a bad engine, 99% of failure is due to people driving them to the ground. Had customers drove the car with broken guide for a year refusing to repair it,the other scenario is coming for un oil change after 10000miles with only a quart of oil remaining in the pan , the other thing is what u sed driving with low octane fuel

[@mikedx2706]

The low oil problem is caused by a combination of a dipstick design that is the most difficult I have ever seen thread the oil level on; which is then combined with an engine which burns oil due to poorly designed and made valve stem seals. It all results in the engines wearing out faster than expected.

[@imchris5000]

the nice thing about those style oil filters is you can pull the top and bottom off and stretch the media out to see whats in it

[@duncan649]

I'm not a mechanic but I know that Minis in the UK have a poor reputation for reliability. Too many plastic parts in the engine failing shortly after the warranty expires, seems to be a deliberate policy of built in obsolescence. Very enjoyable to see the real guts of the engine which are rarely seen. Excellently and clearly presented. Subscribed.

[@nospoon4799]

What is strange is that two decades before this both Peugeot and BMW were building million mile engines. It is like they forgot how to do that.

[@john1703]

Please note that Mini was made by BMC (1959-2000) using 'A' series push-rod engines. Since 2000, MINI is owned by BMW and uses all sorts of modern s**t engines.

[@ln5747]

Had 3 UK minis all to 150k miles no real issues and one over 200k.

[@jackbower8671]

​@@ln5747I do believe you, probably on maintenance like a hawk

[@ln5747]

@@jackbower8671 just a general service every year

[@rotorhead5000]

Neat, my wife had a mini with this engine (2016, so later version) which i was dreading doing a clutch in, as well as taking care of all the oil leaks. Thankfully as a birthday gift to herself, she traded it towards a new car, so not my problem anymore. Still neat to see what i was going to get myself into.

[@robo6548]

2016 has the B48 engine, not the N14, the B48 is very reliable.

[@Whitehart-UK]

@@robo6548 Mini/BMW continued putting the N16 and N18 Prince engines in the R59 Roadster, R60 Countryman and R61 Paceman all the way up until 2016 so it was likely one of those.

[@rotorhead5000]

@robo6548 It's a further refinement, a lot of the pieces rob was taking off were definitely different than a lot I've touched on that car, but it's the same base long block underneath. Either way, I'm still stoked I'm not having to take care of all the oil leaks the wife's car had developed, it was stacking up to be an engine out service.

[@l00k4tstuff]

Maybe it's time to do an LS swap :D

[@izzy9022]

B48 clutch is like a $4000 job so good thinking getting rid of it

[@juancruzmarquez5502]

I've worked on a machine shop in South America and this engine is pretty common in PSA cars. Can confirm that just the late models are good enough. But early models did feature timing chain failure as low as 30k kms and straight up cracked cylinder liners/bores.

[@MidshipRunabout2]

If memory serves me correctly, the ones with the timing chain issues were BMW designed ones. The later ones that didnt have any BMW input versions generally suffered from less important issues, like the emissions bits. Whenever germans touch an engine, they seem to develop timing chain issues.

[@ilkkak3065]

​@@MidshipRunabout2Old BMW M40 had timing belt interval 40k km. One guide wheel of belt was size of thumpnail, no wonder it wouldn't last longer...

[@chifanpoe]

I owned two R56s cars (as well as 6 other BMW products over the years). A 2008 with the N14 and 2012 with an N18. I put 86k on the N14 and nearly 100k on the N18. Anyone that followed the BMW factory maintance cycle on the N14 at 15k mile oil changes would have issues for sure. I changed my oil every 5k miles and made sure it was always full as the prince engines do not like to be even a little bit under "full". Carbon build-up on the N14 was a big problem even with a oil catch can. The N18 did not have nearly as bad of an issues with the revised EGR system. I did not have turbo issues with either car. My N14 was part of the timing chain tensioner "recall". I took it into the STL Mini dealer and they refused to check my timing chain as I replace the tensioner myself with the updated unit. After several e-mails to BMW NA about that I was finely able to to have the chain inspected per the recall. My chain, even with 5k oil changes was out of spec and replaced per the warranty. I also never had any issues with HPFP in either car, while ironically I had to replace to HPFP in my N54 335i twice. The biggest issue I had with either N14/N18 was the thermostat housing. Both Cars had them crack/fail at around 60k miles. Valve cover gaskets on both cars started to leak oil around 65k mark as well with the rubber getting hard near the turbo. It was about a $300 part and a few hours of my time to replace both. Having owned an M52, N52, N54, N55, S54, S65, N14, and N18 engines I can safely say the N14/18 were no better and no worse than any of the other engines. They all had failure parts/leaks ect. The most reliable BMW engine I have ever owned was a N52 though it still liked to leak oil with its garbage gaskets/seals.

[@ianriggs]

I have been thinking about and hoping there would be a teardown posted today and low and behold, this just popped up :) You just made my night sir. Love the teardowns

[@module79l28]

I appreciate the time and effort you put into making these thumbnails with all the disassembled parts, Eric. And I think I can speak on behalf of all of your viewers too. 🙂

[@module79l28]

@@notfiveo - I think you replied to the wrong comment...

[@basshead993]

I am on my second mini cooper s. My first was an R56 with an n14 engine. I didn`t own it long enough to see any of the issues they are known for although I am aware of oiling problems. I have a few friends in England and the US who have had these in their minis, they always die horribly if you treat it like its a normal consumer car, which it is. I currently have an n18 engine in a newer R56 which has been great engine ignoring the downright stupid electrical problems I have found and "fixed". I would love to see a tear down of an n18.

[@_IMNNO]

Same here. It sucks that the N14 pretty much ruined the consumers perception of MINI and believe all MINIs on the road have this engine variant. The N18 and B48/6 are proven to be way more stout.

[@squeakers27]

​​@@_IMNNOGood to hear, currently got an 2007 Cooper with the N12 (1.6 non turbo, pre facelift) which has it's own slight oil consumption problem. Looking at upgrading to a Cooper S soon and got a friend who wants to sell his F56 Cooper S for an older R56 Cooper S but I'm definitely making sure to avoid the N14 at all costs and getting a well looked after N18. Some people say the N18 is better but not by much so I would be interested to see any changes they show the improvements we see irl

[@davidmurdoch42]

I'm rebuilding my 2nd N14 as a project car. Don't ask me why except that I know my way around it by heart. The N14 mods well. Just take care of it. That plus the inherent great baseline handling characteristivs of the chassis make it an awesome track car when rebuilt and dialed in. I love the R56 more than my Stage 1 Golf R.

[@marclandert9603]

I'm owner of a C5 with the same engine (156 HP THP). The engine is a result of a collaboration BMW/PSA. All that was good by Peugeot has been removed and all what was bad by BMW has been installed. The timing chain doesn't last more than 100k kms. The direct injection with the variable camshaft timing causes deposits of burned oil as the engine tends to an increased oil consumption. The valves so are not cooled down by intake port injection. The result of this may cause overheating of piston crown and valve seats. One piston was washed out that proves that there was oil consumption (typical for these engines). With this amount of coolin liquid in the oil circuit, the engine couldn't run very long as the shape of the bearings weren't that bad. I guess that the customer stopped before greater damage happend but cause of the burned valve. Anyway, my C5 is running now about 220k kms however with the second timing chain set. The fan module and the electric motor of the water pump had to be replaced (that goes frequently together). And the throttle unit. But this is a problem with a lot of other constructors. Oil consumtion is about 0.4 lt/100 kms. I'll never put 0W or 5W oils, that's bullshit.

[@Bugsworth]

A friend runs a garage where a Lady drove one o these in for a service. She was still driving around in the courtesy car two weeks later! Two common problems were the number of parts that need to be removed in order to get tools to the target part and the number of special tools required to put it all back together again. When i saw it the headlights were missing, not even the main dealer had all the specials needed, and those they had were so seriously expensive they didn't want to lend them out. Never again! He said Great vid, thanks. 😀

[@Nivee427]

My brother had a Mini, the amount of times he had to take it in to the shop for repairs was something else, i believe that car spent more time in the shop than his own driveway. Eventually he was able to get a refund on the car thanks to it being classified as a lemon.

[@kenobistyle]

Ah yes, I remember this engine! The timing chain was made of a softer metal which would stretch. You would hear the rattle, so a temporary fix was to put a longer chain tensioner to take up the slack. By the time I got the car, it had already been done so I replaced chain myself. The other issue was the High Pressure Fuel Pump, common issue for them to go.

[@zokusharuuku1091]

Isn’t it wonderful that bmw recalled the sane high pressure fuel pumps for all of the bmws it was used on but did nothing for mini?

[@GetOffMyLog]

​@@zokusharuuku1091was that the same high pressure fuel pump that was recalled in the twin turbo v8s of that era?

[@northernsegageorge6510]

I live in the UK and see dozens of Minis on my daily drive and they are very popular here with younger females in their 20's. I've always fancied a Cooper S but speaking to a few mechanics when I was looking at buying one, it really put me off with the potential huge repair costs and the known failures. Though still have the urge as S models seem great for the UK B roads.

[@samarduengo5863]

I have a 2009 mini Cooper s with the n14 engine. If you correct the factory engineering faults such as timing chain head gasket as well as keep your valves clean with a couple modifications and a nice tune, these are absolutely fantastic! They get a serious bad rap because so many people are not mechanically inclined and delay preventive maintenance. For those who have a thorough understanding of the n14, it can be a wonderful platform!

[@bufjayup7774]

You are spot on with your opinion. I've owned 9 Minis of this vintage. 7 were the S model. SO many issues. Coils. High Pressure Fuel Pumps. Throttle bodies , which are plastic and can't really be removed without breaking the throat on a higher milelage motor. The ridiculous timing chain guides and replacement thereof. Random "Half Engine Power" lights. Stupid oil filter housing crap. And I treated them all well. That other Mini 3 cylinder that you also did a teardown on was leaps and bounds better - especially low end torque - but what a PITA to work on. I learned my lesson - no more Minis for this guy. Blast to drive / expensive to maintain and fix.

[@SeanPwnery]

I've had one sitting in my driveway for 3 years now. A friend just gave it to me because he had one valve chip away and it ran poorly on 3 cylinders with low compression on #1. He was charged 5k to replace the valve - the guy who did the work was actually a former master BMW mechanic but went independent with this own shop. He didn't change the other 15 valves while he was in there which I find really odd. It was my understanding that the OE valves were inconel which is great for heat resistance, but supposedly horrible for impact resistance (as in smacking open and closed throughout a valve's lifetime for instance) and eventually chipped away. So 11 months after this repair, #2 had a valve assumedly fail the same way due to how it ran when it gave out... 200 miles from home. I purchased the gasket sets and a full set of 16 steel valves, but in all honesty - I'm not sure I want to tackle this one after seeing the teardown. Thanks as always for sharing the horror show of that one. Knowing what you know about Ecodiesel 3-liter failures in Rams with their EGR and oiling systems, do you think another one of those could make its way here? (yep... I've got one of those sitting in my driveway too)

[@hyphensclassics]

So, so true! Like you say, the engine can be good, but the maintenance interval was set at 10k miles, should have been 3-4K miles.

[@las3k91]

It was 15k! It would kill every turbocharged engine.

[@hyphensclassics]

@@las3k91 wow 15k, even worse!! I have worked on the N12 before…you know things are going to go bad as soon as you remove the valve cover

[@MathewFisher124]

I’ve rebuild 100’s of these (I’m in UK) in the mini and PSA group cars. I’m commenting this before watching the full video 😘 Oil in water is really common due to the core plug in the head failing and that usually causes the bottom end issues (most people that don’t know this engine say head gasket, head gaskets are not a majorly common failure on these) Timing chains are really common also, usually the upper guide likes to fall apart.

[@constructmaster6280]

Where is that core plug? Can it be found in the cylinder head attachment parts section of the parts catalog? This sounds like very useful info for the new BMW/Mini tech asking!

[@MathewFisher124]

@@constructmaster6280 The core plug is just below the cam gears in the middle of the head. There is an outer plug that is visible on the casing on the cylinder head (hidden by the engine mount with the engine in situ), remove that and the inner core plug is directly behind it.

[@galaxymode]

Hey I pulled the cylinder head on this Peugeot 508 right now, it’s burning coolant, but there appears to be no sign of head gasket leak, what could be the issue?

[@MathewFisher124]

@@galaxymode First, MLS gaskets are almost impossible to see a brake unless it smacks you in the face so I wouldn’t worry about not seeing a brake. Second, you’ll need to check your head and block faces are flat, I’ve seen them warp a few times due to over heating. I’ve also seen cracks in the head due to over heating also, needs to be pressure/magnet tested. Third, if it’s a turbo model they have a water called turbo which I’ve seen blockages in the turbo/return line (mainly when someone has tried a rad weld ect) and put coolant into the intake/exhaust housing.

[@carmenacotto6870]

​@MathewFisher124 The bolt broke off from the exhaust cam sprocket then snapped the chain. I need to know how to get this engine to TDC when I assemble it.

[@gothicpagan.666]

Popular in Europe and UK. We have dozens that come in our shop on a regular basis for oil & filter changes. We do them every 5-6k miles. A few have clocked up 170k-190k miles and are still going strong. Others we didn't get to early enough have had problems from 30k miles. Use a good oil and foam intake cleaner and their good. If they are modified add water injection and change the oil twice as often as a minimum. Royal Purple has a great product for these, oil is cheap engine rebuilds are not.

[@100xasd]

From own experience with these engines in Peugeot, they did in 2017 make a revised timing chain, which improved durability. The 200 hp version was generally more reliable with adjustable cam timing on both intake and exhaust cams.

[@mikman7219]

The pistons are very clean. The oil was great and likely the problem is not oil related. Low octane fuel also doesn't lead to overheated valves if low octane was used.

[@strongme80]

Hey Eric, please try to unjam that turbo, there's a chance that you might find the valve piece that broke off has jammed the turbine then consequently cracked the coolant jacket then all the coolant drained to the sump during operation. This happened to me exactly, the motor will still run but will have no power. The issue with the N14 is that the PCV allows too much oil to get "recirculated" so the combustion chamber runs hotter because it's also burning oil and then it cooks the exhaust valves. So with valves looking not cocked up, the valves most likely underwent walnut blasting as well as obviously a timing chain replacement, the N14B16 motor is known for chain elongation, so when it begins to rattle at start up that's a sign for that maintenance interval to be addressed. I know all this crap because I've rebuilt my motor 4 times!!! Also, on your description, this isn't a BMW Engine rather a collaborate with Peugeot and BMW, AKA the Prince engine. Funny also that at the beginning when I saw coolant come out of sump and the motor still turns I knew what the problem was. And confirmed it when you pulled the head. :-) I truly hate this motor with a passion, no matter how much effort put in to seal the suspected oil leak areas, it's always gonna leak oil somewhere. I'm selling my built Chili Red 2007 MCS in a couple of months, I just picked up an 2004 E46 M3 as a replacement. Good riddance to this POS car.

[@caseymuzio7609]

Man these new bmws are so eco-friendly I've never heard of a water lubricated engine before where have I been

[@robo6548]

These are French engines, from Peugeot PSA.

[@parkerbohnn]

It's not water its dog piss. Somehow a dog "pissed in" (piston) the engine. Someone must have left the cap off the engine when they put oil in it.

[@xxz1434]

This engine isn’t new 😂 BMW abandoned PSA engines years ago

[@michaelmaloney7537]

As a mechanic i love watching your videos imagine taking parts off that are difficult on an engine stand and doing it with the engine in the car

[@ramzisunilabdullah696]

I have a 2014 Peugot 508 which uses this prince engine and so far I haven't had any serious issues, mostly wear and tear .about a year ago I had the oil seals changed due to some leaks ,belt tensioner and water pump.but that was it.the engine is really smooth

[@n6mz]

The more I see of these """modern""" """high-tech""" engines, the more I want my dear departed dad's old 1949 Chevy fastback (RIP also).

[@XY_Dude]

For the burned valve, I vote for lean burn. However, the spark plug was not white. Mystery, for sure.

[@DaBomb31290]

The only decent N14 is the JCW version, but they can all have issues (timing chain, turbo, cooling system, oil consumption, etc.). The "belt tensioner" you removed is actually referred to as the "friction drive" and it drives the water pump indirectly off the back of the drive belt. The water pump pulley friction material does crack and deteriorate over time, but they're easily replaceable. Lastly the water pump being plastic means that it was original, which is rare since they're so prone to leaking.

[@ericbarenz5217]

Just a thought, but it looks like the right amount of water the oil pump would have circulated in the upper end of the engine was turned over 5-6 revolution with a breaker bar……. I’ve been a master auto tech for over 25 years and most automotive related KZbin channels annoy me. Your channel is the exception. You respect the process of disassembly as if you expected to diagnose, repair, and reassemble each engine.

[@davidferry548]

Who would have guessed I would sit in front of tbe tv watching some one pull engines to bits, yet here I am AGAIN ! This guy is actually very entertaining

[@HellaNorCal916]

I'm not surprised. I've always heard bad things about them as far as reliability. In Japan they swap the engine for a Toyota VVT-I unit that makes close to the same power,but is actually reliable. 😂

[@sethbybee4748]

Happen to find an engine that wasn’t sat outside and you still have to deal with tons of water. Bad luck! Keep up the good work Eric. I’m always looking forward to Saturday just for this

[@l00k4tstuff]

maybe the previous people thought that's what an engine flush was ;)

[@garysimpson8860]

Don’t normally bother get into discussions about things like this but I had a jcw running 248 bhp on the dyno with small mods and I did plenty off trackdays with it never had a problem with it apart from the clutch going and a burst water pipe , I changed the oil every 3 thousand miles as it had a hard life and sold it with 86 thousand on the clock and these engines are the same in the Peugeot 207 gti and my sons running 250 in his and been the ring a few times and done loads off trackdays in his and it’s still going so there not all that bad if u keep up oil changes etc 👍

[@retinaquester]

I have the 308 Thp 1.6, and it sufferd from all the mentioned problems. it was dealer maintained. All intervals as specified, and topped of with oil 0W30 (Expansive.!) At 50K (kilometers) A full engine swap (Under warranty), because oil consumption went 1L every 12K/km. Turbo Failure, Tubo Electrical cooling pump failure, Gassthrottle body carbon buildup (replaced). Engine inlet manifold Carbon cleaning because of build-up. At 140K on the ODO meter, 4 full sets of timingchains and hydraulic Timingchain tensioners went by. The car is used as family verhicle and had none of the racing, and no caravan on the hook. So no this engine is a Russian roulette, some last. Most don't.

[@giulianomacarrone7938]

@@retinaquester 1 l every 10k km it's almost normal, the thing is that YOU NEVER get to see it bc you should do the oil change between 8k and 10k km. Carbon issues? just cancel the PCV. The problem are the owners and the mechanics. The maintence period is shorter than in other engines, sadly.

[@retinaquester]

@@giulianomacarrone7938 Oops I wrote a mistake in the line. The oil usage was 1L at 1.2K, so a single trip on vacation would require a refill. 0.75- 1L

[@giulianomacarrone7938]

@@retinaquester that sounds like a problem, there are a few things to see and look for a solution. Engines are engines, just a bunch of pieces of metal, rubber and plastic... there's no magic in between. Good care and good to go

[@retinaquester]

@@giulianomacarrone7938 At the engine level doing labour is very fast more expansive than just swapping the engine. Specially when it's still warranty. Given the HUGE number of faillures on the 1.6 THP, I know they will not easily take a look. It's a poor designed engine. Just type in Google "1.6 THP" and you will get what I mean ;-)

[@jamespoyntz7876]

141,000 miles and running fine. Ran same engine in a Volvo with no issues. Oil and coolant changes are absolutely essential and level checks weekly.

[@hfarms5779]

I realize that all engines are basically the same but your depth of knowledge on tear downs, are amazing.

[@josephgriffin1065]

Despite the obvious lack of maintenance, this engine doesn’t look that bad, couldn’t imagine treating an engine I owned like this.

[@davidmurdoch42]

I 2nd this. I think the above comments that someone poured water in are spot on. I ha e rebuilt one of these N14s by hand. And based on what's in the video it's hard to see how that much water got in there. It had to have run w oil and water for the head to look like that.

[@-yes-]

I'm with you, n14 is not that reliable as japanese counter part, but it's NOT that bad as long as you know how to work on cars

[@OneJuanWon]

On paper, the R56 gen Minis look great - and I'm sure they are if you're willing to spend what it takes to keep it on the road. Around 2011, there was an engine change to the N18. According to internet folklore, these are an improvement over the N14, but I'm sure they have their fair share if weaknesses and issues to watch out for. Perhaps an N18 teardown some day???

[@lzaffuto]

The N18 certainly isn't trouble free but it was *specifically* designed to fix the prevailing issues with these N14 engines. I'd also like to see a teardown and comparison.

[@las3k91]

@@lzaffuto like super thin piston rings? Nah, they didn't touch it. BMW moved PCV into cylinder head and cut oil change intervals, which made the biggest difference.

[@edwardhegarty750]

I was waiting for the head gasket expecting to see where coolant crossed into the crankcase. Very surprised that the gasket was good. Could there perhaps be a crack in the block or head that would push coolant under pressure into the crankcase?

[@crpgap9595]

I think somebody (say the female owner) put water in the oil filler instead of the radiator.

[@Troy_Built]

I've actually seen that twice. @@crpgap9595

[@willgallatin2802]

More likely the oil cooler has a crack. That would allow coolant and oil to have quite the dance party.

[@christopherboyle1479]

Good guess, I think. Many BMW engines have that arrangement where the oil cooler is actually an oil-water heat exchanger and the casting linking that to the block has oil and water separated by those awful little o-ring things that fail all the time.@@willgallatin2802

[@crocodile2006]

That's not coolant in the crankcase... that's plain old water and lots of it. Car the engine was pulled out of was flooded

[@jerrydandrige2506]

I've had no trouble with my N14 JCW it runs like a dream, you just have to look after it or properly.

[@thegodfather2322]

Mechanic from uk here. Yea we have a lot of these engines in the uk in the peugeots,citroens and minis. We've found these engines are usually good for about 70000 miles and then they begin to break down. Its a shame cause i found Peugeot used to make some really good engines and still made good diesels (apart from the 1.6, they fail due to way too long service intervals) then they put these engines into everything and ruined themselves

[@therealdojj]

[@IKnewMickey]

Thank you for your relaxing content. Excellent presentation week after week.

[@roby46tm]

Also, being an european mechanic (italy) i can state: This engines (mostly the first revisions) burn oil like crazy due to a flaw in piston design and tend to burn their headgasket. I also replaced a few of these and i rebuilt one that had low oil compression due to the oil pump not sealing properly. Every time i saw one of these things i was genuinely afraid. Also, you see that plastic tube that you removed with the thermostat housing? That thing always become britle and breaks where it inserts behind the water pump and i swear it was the worst job in the world, i hate that thing so much

[@simonfazackerley8131]

The head gasket issue was a known problem from the factory!!! Its due to the engine mounting using the cylinder head instead of the block as per the original mini

[@arbrim98]

Adoro ❤

[@rpazz1181]

FIY to anyone with a similar problem with water in the engine on a N14 or N18 BMW engine. The problem is there is an aluminum core plug (similar to a freeze plug) located in the top center of the cylinder head that works loose or completely comes out dumping water directly into the crankcase. Fix it by tapping the hole with 3/8" pipe tap (put grease on the tap threads to catch metal shavings) then install countersunk pipe plug with locktite. Also, to remove the timing chain and gears with the tensioner guides all at once: remove top tensioner guide, the cam chain tensioner, two front cover guide bolts, TTY cam gear bolts and large TTY crank pulley bolt, remove both cam gears and holding onto them lift upwards and the chain along with the bottom crank gear with the guides should come out the top through the head. Be sure you go back with new TTY bolts torqued to specs and you must have a Engine Camshaft Alignment Timing Tool Kit to go back together with this (about $35 on Ebay)!

[@dfavilla2]

Eric, I wanted to tell you how helpful and interesting your video's are! Your recommendations are credible and educational. Well done and thank you!

[@battleshipnewjerseysailor4738]

The actual reason you could not push pistons 2&3 down was that they were at TDC so the chain may have contributed but not much

[@danielengdahl]

Awesome video, thank you! Really good information and good to see the insides. I own a N14 JCW and love it. Bought it with flawless documentation and a really good spec. Just changed the timing chain kit (among other things) the other day as a precaution since it was nearing the mileage where it tends to become an issue. Hopefully it’ll be good for a few miles now. I’m in Sweden and always use 98 octane which is readily available here and drive it like I stole it 😅 That and frequent (750-1000 miles) changes of Liqui Moly oil hopefully also helps. Keep up the good work!

[@ChrisPatrick-q6k]

BMW=JUNK

[@leviathon2]

My girlfriend thinks our relationship is in trouble because I prefer to watch these vids instead of going to her family’s barbecue.

[@BitcoinandGold]

Its problery keeping your relationship going. Hang on Pal.

[@RaymondHerbert-j3o]

She is correct. You can watch them any other time. DICk!!

[@stephendavis6066]

P​@@BitcoinandGoldif y value the relationship go to the barbecue....and be pleasant....you can watchKZbin anytime.... otherwise.....boo2u

[@prabhakarshenoy9571]

I appreciate your show and performance on removing each parts in the engine. I love it. I have mini cooper base 2009. Thank god I don’t want turbocharger to make noise and even some problem.

[@xxfcdrift3sxx]

Take his advice and make sure there are good service records from a dealer or reputable Indy shop if you just have to have one of the r5x minis. If not you should keep in mind that the chains, guides, valve stem seals, water pump, water pump pulley, thermostat, water transfer pipe, oil pump flow control valve seal (they make a kit), front main seal are all common failures and I have done several of each of those in the past year at the BMW/mini shop I work at. Also check above the crank hub behind the pulley cause there are 2 plugs in the timing cover the are press fit and sealed with adhesive that can leak.

[@g2145cal]

I had a 2010 Cooper S. It was a money pit. After several thousand spent, it was a great car.

[@AfterDark33]

They’re getting up in years but if you want a motor that can treat it’s owner well, I think it would be cool if you can find a Buick 3800. They may be hard to find blown up though, but knowing old GM owners, that hopefully won’t be too hard!

[@mikekokomomike]

Guess you can put the Ford 300 there too.

[@stevenkirk8401]

Buick 3800. They don't blow so no you won't find one on this channel.

[@shaun2072]

My favorite issue on an N14 was the non serviceable vacuum pump seizing out of the blue and as it is driven off the end of a cam it snaps the camshaft in half.

[@zevisgarage]

That was only on n14, on n18 and n16 it’s designed to break a piece of plastic inside the vacuum pump instead of breaking the cam

[@howardsimpson489]

Does it take the brake booster vacuum with it? Nice unboosted discs.

[@oliver-o8j4c]

167k km trouble free. Well, let's say I've had a completely different experience with this car. I bought my '07 R56 cooper (non turbo) in 2008 from a Bmw dealer in Germany with 18k km on the clock. The day the car left the dealership it was the last day the car saw a workshop (except for the tires). I own other cars and this mini has been my 'commuting car' for the last 15 years. Except for oil changes, until the car reached 185k km on the clock (nov 2023), I almost forgot there was an engine to take care of. The list of issues I experienced are, no, is : a coil. 167k km and 15 years without any other issues than a coil, never seen a workshop. The last weeks, I entered for the first time the 'N12 timechain problems' zone. Trying to source the cause of a rough idle, I eventually found out the chain oversprung. Having read and watched about this engine, I decided to replace the chain, the guides, the tensioner, the inlet vanos, etc... I am currently doing it by myself and I am surprised how many specific tools it requires. However it appears feasible but as mentioned the space is scarce and a lot of time is devoted only to get an access. Do I consider this experience with my R56 as a good experience ? No hesitation. Yes, thousand times.

[@StaticVapour590]

Oh yeah the prince engine, those are wonderful. So reliable and good as we see on this video.. Joking aside another really common failure on these engines is the thermostat housing, it will start leaking from the seams of the plastic pipe that connects between the housing and water pump. Easy job to replace in theory but it's pretty tight spot

[@georgetillett6549]

In some installations, at least the Citroen C3 non turbo, there is no level sensor in the coolant reservoir so the first sign of a cracked thermostat housing is overtemp. In one case I've worked on this lead to an irrepairable cracked cylinder head and the other a loose inlet valve seat that eventually stuck open, the piston hit the valve and the insert broke, shot peening the cylinder head and piston. Thanks for your excellent videos.

[@maxa2j]

Awesome a Mini engine! It'd be cool if you found a F56 (2014-current) 3cyl 1.5 Turbo engine for a tear down. It would add to the 3cyl collection you've done so far. It does seem the older years Minis had many more problems, would love to see something more current with those.

[@stevemartegani]

The F56 engines are B series engines now, apparently much more reliable. So much so that MINI has moved up to #3 on Consumer Reports best brands list. I would like to see a teardown of one too, if any of them fail.

[@TheMisterpino]

@@stevemartegani Hmm, got one in the shop right now which has a ruined piston. Same damage as all the VAG 1.4 TFSI engines, piston just fell apart. The car has done about 140k mls so maybe the problems start a bit later with these engines but still.. Cars these days are just made to break down just after the warranty expires.

[@_IMNNO]

@@stevemarteganiUnderrated comment. Lots of negativity here in the comments surrounding the perception of MINI. Everybody thinks that the N14 is in all of them. The N18 and especially B-series are very reliable if you change all the consumables on time. Guide and piston ring wear is usually attributed to extended OCIs.

[@maxa2j]

My wife's got 28k on it, so sounds like I've got a lot of life left until we start seeing issues. I gotta say though, those 1.5 turbo are really peppy and quick!

[@MrManBuzz]

​@@_IMNNOI'm not going to attempt to say Minis are as dependable as say a Toyota or Honda, but the first gen with the Tritec engines are solid, and so are the 3rd gen. Everyone goes off the second gen and then thinks all Minis are as bad as the early N14 engines. The N18 engines are better, but they're still inherently flawed.

[@Gutlord]

Just found the channel and absolutely love it. Such a nice approach to these, a pleasant personality and just no nonsense. Very well done and a new fan acquired! Ps. This engine along with the EcoBoost are horrible. Pair these with the hybrid system for lots of cold starts and oil deprivation - a recipe for success 😂

[@RichbUKDE]

This engine was the sole reason I chose an older supercharged cooper S when I went buying. I know they have issues too but the stories of the N14 (Prince) where WAY more common than on the older Tritec. And to be honest...The supercharger whine (with a smaller pulley and open airbox) sounded SO MUCH better than any turbo could ever sound.

[@sheilamorrison1954]

Same. I loved that car!

[@JohnCarlyle]

Same, was looking at R56's 12 years ago, saw all the engine issues and got the supercharged R53 instead.

[@rdxandtnt]

When you did your live feed i was the guy who asked why you got fired from Mazda. You have given me so much motivation to take on my car related tasks that i now want to do what you do. Dont worry im in PA. 😂

[@peternorman2563]

Always follow this mechanic he is so knowledgeable and a pleasure to watch !