My '09 Clubman has about 140k on the clock, and until recently I've been fortunate, it hasn't required anything more than routine service. A few weeks ago though, I had a serious fright. I was driving on the freeway, hours away from home when I started to notice the engine missing every now and then. When I exited the freeway close to my destination it was clear there was a problem. The engine stalled at the bottom of the off-ramp, and wouldn't hold an idle after that. Soon the check engine warning illuminated.
There was no dealer for more than a hundred miles, so I sought out a privateer with expertise in Minis. I took the car to the one in the town I was in that most prominently advertised; a good sized, local, family owned shop that claimed to work on all kinds of European cars. Their website noted they had plenty of experience with Minis. The shop looked clean, well maintained, and well appointed. I left the car with them for diagnosis, and got the answer more than 24 hours later. The catalytic converter was shot they told me, and it was going to cost $4,027 to replace it.
I was shocked! I don't have an extra four grand, and the car was running just fine only the day before. I queried the mechanic every way I could think of, encouraging him to suggest any possible alternative cause, or less expensive solution. He had nothing to offer. He also warned ominously that other problems might be revealed once the catalytic converter had been replaced.
I phoned four different shops in the LA area, including Mini Cooper Experts. All of them told me they couldn't be certain of the problem without seeing the car, and encouraged me to bring it in. But Ben from Mini Cooper Experts was happy to take his time on the phone to ask about the history of my car, how it's most commonly driven, and explain to me why he was skeptical about the course of action recommended by the shop I had taken it to.
I decided to pull my car from where it was and possibly have it towed to one of the shops in LA. I paid them the $115 fee for their diagnostic services, and started the car. As I exited their parking lot I noticed it was running much better than when I brought it in two days earlier. Within the first block, the check engine light went off, and stayed dark. I phoned Ben at Mini Cooper Experts to ask his opinion, and he was again very generous with his time, talking me through the possible consequences of driving the car that far. I felt confident that if I could just get the car there, I had found someone who possessed both thorough knowledge of Minis, and the kind of integrity we're all looking for in a mechanic.
I decided to chance the drive, knowing that if worse came to worse, and the check engine light came on again, I'd just have to stop and deal with a tow from that point on. The car ran normally the whole 200 miles. I easily found Mini Cooper Experts, and noticed it was a small shop, but very clean and organized looking. They put the car on a lift, and showed me to the office, where I was able to use their Wi-Fi to get some work done while they examined my car.
After about an hour Ben asked me to come out, and take a look at what they'd found. While the car was up on the lift he showed me the exhaust system and explained the purpose of the catalytic converter, the 02 sensor, and the mass airflow sensor. He showed me the report on the diagnostic codes my car had generated earlier in the week, and the history that indicated that no further codes had been generated in the roughly 250 miles I had driven since then. Ben explained several possible causes for the event, but recommended I assume the best, and continue to operate the car without replacing anything, since it looked to him like the most likely explanation was an electrical malfunction of some sort that might, or might not return. While I was there he offered to have my car washed (it needed it badly.) He happily answered every question I could think of about my car while it was being washed, and showed me things the dealer never did, like how to display the specific types of service that would be needed when the mileage to service countdown display elapsed. He printed out two copies of the computer diagnostic report, keeping one for his files, and gave the other to me. Finally, he answered "Nothing," when I asked what I owed him, explaining there was really nothing wrong with my car! And he stuck to his guns when I pushed, trying to pay him something for his time.
I was slack-jawed as I drove away. Here was a professional with the kind of deep expertise and integrity that used to be more common in decades gone by. A real treasure. I've driven about another thousand miles since then, and my car's continues to run perfectly. Mini Cooper Experts is about 35 miles from my home, but I'll be going there for service when my car is next due, in about another 1,500 miles. They've got a customer for life in me! read more
