OV9

It does all seem very coincidental, for sure. They also gave the car back following PCV valve replacement and the VVT solenoids were spitting oil because the o-rings were missing!

There's another shop near me that I know is good. I'll take it there instead.

Garage found the issue - cracked oil cooler assembly. Apparently £300 or so to fix.

Hopefully the car runs ok post repair despite the overheating :shock:

Edit: car is back already and driving fine. Fingers crossed it resumes normal duties.



Good grief, that didn't take long. 25 miles later ...

Good timing that this all came out just after PMQ's!

Fair enough, and that would make sense considering it was a pioneer of BMWs new eco cars at the time. I think they look fab on the outside.


Agree. BMW haven't topped it yet really have they? Personally I'd sooner have an i3 over a MINI. Every MINI I've ever been in or looked has felt cheap ...

Not looking good for Starmer. At all.

He said he wasn't aware of the extent of Mandelson's relationship with Epstein, but it's increasingly looking like that wasn't true..

Fair enough, and that would make sense considering it was a pioneer of BMWs new eco cars at the time. I think they look fab on the outside.

The i3 does look a bit bland inside.. but I've not seen other trims or been in one. Not keen on these minimalist interiors.

TBF I've always been impressed with the feel and look of the modern Mini interior, especially with a nice trim level. They feel premium.

The 3 cylinder in the non-S isn't a Peugeot engine. It's the B38 BMW engine.

I've recently had issues with it in our Mini. But it's generally a reliable unit. Great when it's working - fast, punchy, no turbo lag, economical, etc.

Can't comment on the electric Mini. Did have a quick look at them ...

Garage found the issue - cracked oil cooler assembly. Apparently £300 or so to fix.

Hopefully the car runs ok post repair despite the overheating :shock:

Edit: car is back already and driving fine. Fingers crossed it resumes normal duties.

https://i.ibb.co/cKpSpTLD/Screenshot-2026-03-10-15-06-51 ...

Currently waiting for the Mini to be recovered. Cooling issue and overheated while driving.

FFS!


Mini has been collected and delivered to the garage. Apparently it started fine, barely any smoke, and drove onto and off the lorry without issue.

Fingers crossed the leak can be fixed and no ...

Clearly an absolute mega car, but it seems very hard work and I imagine the occasions where you'll be in the mood for it will be few and far between, especially since you'll be driving miles just to get the oil hot enough to fully open it up. By that point I'd think I'd have had enough. Headache ...

Currently waiting for the Mini to be recovered. Cooling issue and overheated while driving.


Which engine ? Sounds like head gasket. If it only overheated a little bit you should be OK. That’s exactly what I had with my Clubman (N14, but N18 is similar). New timing chain while it’s off, of ...

That's impressive MPG for such a car

Is there a mix up between MPH and KPH there?

I'm sure the point stands but that does seem particularly quick!

TBF these things do have an insane mid range ..

Currently waiting for the Mini to be recovered. Cooling issue and overheated while driving.

FFS!

It feels like BMW have a tendancy to build multiple generations of car that share common weak points - cooling systems, oil leaks, valve stem seals..

On the topic of migration - worth noting that the Greens are doing increasingly well in the polls. Reform going backwards, Restore a newcomer to the race, and apparently on 100k+ members already. Rupert Lowe seemingly attempting a hostile takeover of the right-wing space.

Exactly. And once you've paid your fee to the smuggler, if your asylum claim fails (unlikely) and the UK gov sends you packing, sorry - politely asks you to leave (which you don't have to do) then you're still quids in. You'll leave with a lot more cash than what you started with.

Surely this is ...

He spent half the election banging on about how he'd 'smash the gangs'. They were elected and what transpires? No plan whatsoever to smash the gangs.

This policy from Mahmood shows they can't get a handle on this issue. They're also tied up in knots by their own extremist back benchers, the ECHR ...

Smashing the criminal gangs is going well...

https://www.itv.com/news/2026-03-05/asy ... ommodation

It isn't as simple as that, though. Our economies are deeply interlinked and the USA is our biggest trading partner. Ripping up or even re-evaluating our relationship could kill jobs, investment, GDP, and subsequent ability to pay for the public services that the Greens are keen to pour investment ...