My  Mini Cooper power locks stopped working. Please help!!

This is a complaint we get at Specialty Car Services more and more. As the Mini Coopers are getting older, things are wearing out. There are three main issues with the Mini Cooper central locking system that can go bad:

- The BCU (body control unit) can short out or lose its program.
- The key can go bad.
- And/or the door lock actuators  can stop working.

We will cover the symptoms and repair methods for each below.

The Body Control Unit or BCU  is a a computer that controls the power locks, power windows, interior lighting, and power seats in all Mini Cooper models.  Lately I have seen some cars where the power lock system would “have a mind of it’s own” and just work inconsistently.

This unit can go bad in a few ways, it can get wet, it can get a power  spike if you jump-start your Mini, it can go bad if the car sits with a dead battery for a lengthy amount of time, or it can just simply stop working. Thew unit itself is around $400 from Mini and takes an hour or two to install and reprogram. This is not a repair you can do at home, as the new BCU is not plug and play. It will have to be initiated to your car using the Mini Cooper diagnostic tool. Of course Specialty Car Services in Miami, Florida has the necessary  tools and computers to diagnose and replace the Mini Cooper BCU.

Ok so you go out to your car push the button on your key and.. NOTHING? First thing you do is go get the spare key , hopefully you have and know where that is,  see if that key works. If your spare key does the trick, it meand your first key has a bad battery or has lost its programming. If the battery is bad that means you need a new key, as the Mini Cooper  key battery is recharged by the car everytime you  drive and cannot be replaced separately . A new key is easily purchased and will need to be programmed. When programming the car to accept a new key all other keys must be present . Same thing goes when your key loses its programming. E can try to reprogram the car to accept the key.

Last but not least we have the lock mechanism (or actuator) itself. This is the little motor that actually locks and unlocks each door. These can go bad over time and are not difficult to repair.

If you are having any issues with your power locks or windows on your Mini Cooper stop by or give us a call. We are happy to help and well equipped to do all repairs on your Mini Cooper at our shop in Miami, Florida.

Your comments or questions are always welcome

Adam Yunis , Shop Owner
adam@specialtymobil.com
305-443-3305

Dear Adam,

My car has never been serviced, where do I start? What do I do?

Good question. Definitely one I hear a lot.

As always, we have several types of situations and many places to start:

Is your car fairly new and just coming up on its first oil change? Perhaps you recently purchased a used or pre-owned car, and are unsure of its previous service history?

Or are you one of those who refuse to go to the doctor until we can’t walk, are you treating your car the same (or worse)?

So you have decided its time to tackle the monster, where do we begin?

OK, so your new car just hit 5000 miles and so far so good. You know you need to change the oil, but what else? It’s important to start a service schedule when you first get the car.

This would be a good time to change out the air in your tires for Nitrogen which will prolong the life of the tires as well as increase gas mileage. Also it’s important to remember to rotate and balance your tires every second oil change.

This will ensure the tires wear more evenly and last their longest. Air filters should be changed every 15k miles. Most new cars are going to require synthetic oil which should be changed at 5-6 thousand mile maximum intervals . Brake fluid should be changed out every two years for most cars, every year for exotics.

Since we’re planning a long term service plan , lets also remember to flush the transmission fluid every 30k miles as well. Be sure to ask for BG brand fluids and additives when doing annual services. By using the BG products you will be putting a lifetime warranty on your mechanical systems, and it won’t cost you anything extra.

By following these easy steps your new car can last for decades!

Let’s say you finally got that car you’ve been watching on Ebay. The old owner says everything has been maintained by the book, but seems to have misplaced the receipts. You look through the car find everything from air fresheners to my old girlfriend’s panties, but no service records. Where to start?

Well the best money ever spent when buying a used car is on a pre-purchase inspection (but that’s another column for another day). Now we have to work with what we have. Lets do and oil service which will include a complete vehicle inspection. If everything is working properly and the car drives well, we can start a service schedule just like it were a new car. Lets start from scratch, do an air filter, cabin filter , fuel filter, and brake fluid flush. Now is a good time to make a budget for future needed items like tires, belts, hoses and brakes. During the inspection the RIGHT tech will give you a good estimate on how long you have before replacements are needed.

Last but not least, old Bessie has been a good car, never complains about the cheap gas or the forgotten oil changes, but she needs help.

If you put off doing preventative maintenance long enough , you’re car is going to remind you. Either the fuel mileage will get bad, something will start squealing, or the motor may just blow up. Rest assured you cannot get away with neglecting your car forever. First place to start is always fluids and filters. The fluids really are the life blood of your vehicle and keeping them fresh is crucial to its longevity . Once that is done lets do a quick tune up, these days that means change the spark plugs and wires (or coil packs). This will usually help with the fuel economy.

As always the best way to assess the condition of your vehicle is to have someone you can trust look at it. This means someone familiar with the service requirements of your specific make and model. Specialty Car Services wants to be that shop you can trust.

Please stop by our car services shop anytime and we can discuss a maintenance plan to keep your car running perfectly for many years.

I welcome your comments and ideas,

Adam Yunis, Shop owner
Specialty Car Services
305-443-3305

My A/C blows!! But it’s not cold. What gives?

Summer is almost upon us, and its getting hot in here. Is the air conditioner in your car up to the task
this year? Automobile air conditioning systems work hard in a very harsh environment. It doesn’t take
much for something to fail when it gets hot out.

Lets talk about some common issues with your a/c system. Its ice cold or its not . It either blows or it doesn’t. You can either control it or you cannot. Which problem do you have and what can we do to repair it? Do you feel it too, or am I having hot flashes?

So you notice the air conditioning has gone from freezing to cold to warm. This is a symptom of the compressor not having enough refrigerant gas (Freon). You may have had a leak and eventually the compressor burned out or the low pressure sensor is not allowing it to come on. The leak may be as simple as a hose connection or as expensive as an evaporator. The way we diagnose this is to suck the system completely empty with an a/c system vacuum .

We then recharge the system with Freon that is colored with dye that is only visible with a
UV light. If the air conditioning system starts to get warm again, we then look at all of the hoses and
components with the UV light. The leak will be easily spotted as the dye will glow bright yellow under
the special light. At this point we replace the broken parts and recharge the system. If a compressor
is needed we can choose from a brand new original equipment type which we have resources to get
below dealer prices or we can get a more inexpensive remanufactured part. Both will carry our twelve
month warranty.

The old girl just doesn’t blow as hard as she used to. Are you having a problem with the amount of
cold air coming out of the vents? Maybe its not blowing at all. You could have a problem with the blower or “squirrel cage” as we call it. It is simply put a fan powered by an electric motor that pushes the cold air out of the evaporator case and through the vents in the dashboard. There is also a blower resistor that can go bad and restrict your ability to control the fan speed . It can get stuck on high or low, you never know when its going to wear out. These types of repairs are usually not difficult ,and are pretty economical to get fixed.

A flick of the switch. So you push the a/c button a few times and nothing happens. The air
conditioning system could be fine, but you have an electrical problem. It could be as simple as a blown
fuse to an entire control panel. Many European makes have separate ECUs (electronic control units)
within the body that can go bad as well. When this happens we can sometimes just reprogram the units,
this requires special programming tools (which we of course have). in your car this summer.

The important thing to remember is to have the air conditioning system checked at the first signs of
a problem. A system that is just a little low on gas can quickly overwork itself and wear out expensive
parts. This all goes back to my philosophy of making sure the people looking at your car are familiar with the specific procedures necessary to your vehicle.

We are auto air conditioner experts and will be happy to give your car a check out anytime. A complete diagnosis including vacuuming down the system and recharging it with Freon (the type with dye) will run just under $100. This amount is always credited back when we find a problem and repair it later.

As always your comments are invited,

Adam Yunis
Car & Truck Air Conditioner (A/C)  Expert
Shop Owner, Specialty Car Services
12930 SW 85th Ave Rd.Miami, FL 33156
305-443-3305

My  Land Rover can’t get it up anymore what can I do?

Land Rover and Range Rover suspension systems are among the most troublesome in the market. The basic design is an air pump that fills rubber boots which replace the springs found in most other vehicles. The idea is  you ride on a cushion of air that will absorb all of the bumps on or off the road. The reality  is you have a very complex system of expensive valves,pumps,hoses and airbags. All of these fail in one way or another usually sooner rather then later. Lets talk about the causes of the failures of the Land Rover suspension and Ranger Rover suspension, and what we can do to lower the repair bills when they fail. The key is to repair the small problem before it escalates.

One scenario is you wake up , go out to your Range Rover and its sitting all the way down on its wheels. The suspension has collapsed and the truck will not stand up. In this case the pump has most likely failed. The clue is that the entire vehicle is sitting low not just one corner. The pumps usually fail from being over worked, just got burned out. This will happen when you have one or more of the air shocks that are leaking causing the pump to run continuously .  For this reason it is important to address the issue if your EAS (electronic air suspension) light stays on once the truck is started or comes on while driving.

Scenario two is you are driving and you notice the truck just can’t seem to stay level. You are stopped at a light and notice the front end  going up and down an inch or two every few seconds . In this case you most likely have a leaky air shock or hole in an air line coming from the air pump. More evidence of a leaky shock would be the Land Rover sitting low on one corner only. Replacing just the airbag on one corner is not that expensive (about $500) on a 96-2002 Range Rover . On a 2003-2010 Range Rover you could be looking at closer to $1300 for one as it is the complete strut assembly that we  need to change. Some good news for Land Rover Discovery and LR2 owners is that the air shocks are in the rear only, the fronts use conventional springs.

OK now we know that your Land Rover has a suspension problem, what do we do next? Well there is some good news. First we always inspect the suspension components during every oil service. This way we can spot a small leak before it causes any expensive damage. You can also keep an eye on your Rover and come to the shop as soon as you notice it having trouble “getting up” in the morning. There are also some kits in the market that eliminate the air suspension all together. These Range Rover air suspension elimination kits run about $1200 installed and will replace all of the troublesome Land Rover bits with standard shocks and springs. The kits also come with some electronic patches that will trick the dashboard lights so they don’t say EAS failure all the time. We are the Land Rover professionals for South Florida and will be happy to check out your suspension anytime.

I invite your comments or questions,

Adam Yunis
Land Rover / Range Rover Expert
Shop Owner, Specialty Car Services
12930 SW 85th Ave Rd.
Miami, FL 33156
305-443-3305

I’ve been in a car accident. My car has body damage ,maybe frame damage, now what?

There are many things to think about. My car was towed from the accident scene, where is it now? What is my insurance situation? Does it matter if the accident was my fault? How much will it cost to repair and who decides where it gets fixed?  How will it be fixed, the way I want it or the cheapest way?  Most importantly will my car ever be the same again? I’ll try to explain the process from the scene of the accident to picking up your repaired car.

So you’re pulling up to a red light and someone hits your car from behind. First thing to do is walk to a safe place , don’t stand around in traffic waiting for the police.  While the paperwork is being done, call your own tow truck. Have a phone number stored in your phone, do not use the company the police are going to call.  I use Done Right Towing because they know me and have always been good to my customers. Tell them to call me and I’ll be expecting your car and put it somewhere safe. You want to use a company that will take the car where ever you want it. If you don’t know of a body shop (use us) or have the car towed directly to your home or office until a decision can be made. This protects you from high storage fees and  it keeps your car from being dropped at the body shop of the tow truck driver’s choice. While you are on the way over to the shop I’ll have an Enterprise rental car on the way to pick you up.

How bad is it and who is going to pay to fix it? No matter if the accident was your fault or not I would always call my own insurance carrier. This will assure you are getting the type of service that you pay for, not the lousy coverage the guy who hit you may have. If it wasn’t your fault your insurance rates will not go up from making an accident claim. Your insurance company will send out an adjuster who will come to my shop and inspect the damaged car. He (or she) will present me with a detailed appraisal and tell me what they will pay to repair your car. They will detail what type of parts are to be used , new or recycled, factory or cheaper aftermarket. The appraisal will also detail exactly how much they will pay for labor and supplies. I will look the totals over and make sure the adjuster didn’t miss anything before agreeing to start the work.  You as the consumer should always ask your company for a copy of the appraisal , to make sure you are getting all of the repairs and new parts they paid the shop for.  Look and see if you were to get any new wheels or tires, and make sure they match the originals.

I’m not going bore you with the details of unbending and painting your wrecked car. It is very important to understand that its not just banging out dents and spraying paint anymore. Todays cars are made of exotic materials (aluminum ,composites and plastic) which must be handled  in different ways. A well equipped shop will have the specialized techniques to deal with these. Painting must be handled with care. Whether its an entire car or just a spot on one panel, the color must match perfectly.

The answer is the same for most questions about auto repair. Its important to have someone who knows what they’re looking for when evaluating your damaged car. We guarantee all of our paint and body repair for as long as you own your car. I will take all of the headache out of repairing your car from having the car picked up to dealing directly with the insurance company. And yes the car can be repaired as good as new, if the right   body shop repairs it.

I invite your comments , please call me anytime at 305-443-3305

Adam Yunis
Collision Repair Expert
Shop Owner, Specialty Car Services
12930 SW 85th Ave Rd.
Miami, FL 33156
305-443-3305

Hey Adam,

“My Mini Cooper is overheating”, or my “Mini Cooper needs a radiator”. That’s a phone call I get every week. Mini Cooper cooling systems need servicing and if you don’t check them occasionally they will fail without warning. Its not usually the radiator, the most common Mini cooling problems are thermostat or cooling fan related.

Lets start with the thermostat. This piece of the Mini Cooper cooling system puzzle regulates the temperature at which the motor operates. It opens up to allow the flow of coolant from the radiation through the motor once it reaches operating temperature. The thermostat sits in a little plastic housing , and this is where the problems begin. The housing tends to warp from the underhood temperatures and the seams develop leaks. The way we find these leaks is looking for evidence of coolant on top of the transmission case , which we check during every oil service.

The cooling fans are directly behind the radiator and they help cool the water flowing through it. There are two, one for the a/c condenser and one for the radiation itself. They are powered by small electric motors which either just wear out or the relays overheat and stop working. The result of the fans failing is that the coolant gets too hot and in extreme circumstances can cause the seams in the radiator to open up . The fans come in an assembly which we change out as one piece.

The other pieces of the Mini Cooper cooling puzzle are the water pump, radiator and hoses. All of these should be checked for leaks or weak spots during every service. Lets take a minute and talk about whats actually flowing through all of these parts. The coolant or anti freeze depending upon what climate the car will be operating in. Here in Miami, Florida we use a coolant that is specific to the Mini motor. By using an improper product in the Mini Cooper enging you can actually do more damage then good. The Mini coolant is engineered to protect the seals in the cooling system and metals in the motor itself.

This is just another example of why its important to have someone who is familiar with your Mini Cooper working on it.

Our shop, Specialty Car Services are ASE Certified Mini professionals and would be happy to have a quick look at your cooling system anytime to give you peace of mind.

I invite your comments , please call me anytime at 305-443-3305

Adam Yunis
Mini Cooper Expert
Shop Owner, Specialty Car Services
12930 SW 85th Ave Rd.
Miami, FL 33156
305-443-3305

I know there are plenty of places that can service your car, some are even cheaper and faster then we are.   Having the oil changed is one of those things that brings you to your mechanic a few times a year even when your car is running perfectly.This is the time when a good mechanic will check out the condition of your entire car, not just quickly swap out the old oil for fresh oil. The brakes, tires, suspension,steering system, belts, air conditioning lines and body panels should all be looked over. You hand over your keys, pick up a magazine and just assume whoever is doing the work is familiar with the procedures for your type of vehicle. The reality of it is that modern cars have very specific requirements.

              On a Land Rover for instance you need a diagnostic computer just to reset the service required light in the dash.We have that Land Rover diagnostic tool, why would you service yours somewhere that doesn’t? On a Porsche you need to drain the turbos on some models or the dirty oil will remain and mix with the fresh oil, what was the point of changing the oil? On some Ferrari models you need to add the final quarts of oil once the car has been brought up to temperture, don’t overfill the oil tank or you will end up with an Italian smokey mess. Ask me how I know about that one? Some BMWs need a specific weight of oil as they get older to prevent it blowing by the piston rings.

             These are just some of the things that a mechanic who knows what he is looking at will know about specific models, like yours. We have several techs working together who each are very familiar with BMW, Mini, Ferrari, Porsche, Land Rover, Mercedes, and Maserati. We have another tech who does all American cars and trucks, yet another guy who does all Japanese models.

 That is the importance of having someone who knows your car service it.Please stop by or call me directly at 305-443-3305 with any comments, Thanks Adam Yunis Shop owner

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 Mini $99 Oil Service Special! Includes:

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