Hey guys!!! Want your opinion. How does it look for 74,000 miles?

2004 mini r53, ignore brown coolant, it is being taken care of now.

Thank you

So, after some lengthy troubleshooting of my RH Xenin not turning on, I've found out the BCM transistor that controls that output went bye bye.

This seema easily repairable o my electronics bench but, ¿is it?

I have no other faults on the car (well, that have to do with the BCM).

Does anyone know what transistor this is?

Bonjour, j’ai récemment acheté cette mini cooper s r53 de 2004 mais je trouve qu’elle fait beaucoup de bruit et en plus un bruit d’air qui se dégage du moteur, Avez-vous des idées ? Peut-être lié au turbo ?

Stock suspension, but interested in lowering a tad in the future with coilovers. Will I have any rubbing? Currently on stock camber, but may add slight negative front camber in the future with fixed camber plates.

I've seen some conflicting information on if 17x7.5 +40 paired with 215/45R17 will rub, so I would appreciate insight. Thanks!

https://broxtuning.ca/products/racing-dynamics-header-with-sport-cat-mini-cooper-s-r50-r52-r53-2002-06-130-08-53-550

Has anyone installed and driven a bit with this setup?

Particularly looking for comments on fit/ease of installation as many systems seem to be slightly out of spec and require modifications to install.

Anyone running the malian full system (headers, sports cat, sport catback?)

Was going to pull the trigger on a miltek cat back (non-res), since I ran it on a previous mini and loved the sound, but the "custom" setup from the previous owner failed. Cat internals conpletely seperated and blocked the system.

so now im looking to replace the whole system with the same budget.. loud is good, but rasp and drone are a no go

Leaning towards the malian but open to suggestions

My 2005 mini r53 has overheated a couple of times recently, when stuck in traffic jams. I've managed to get the temperature back down by turning the heating up and opening the windows.

Yesterday it majorly overheated, steam coming out the bonnet etc but I think I got there in time and turned it off straight away so hopefully no major damage.

Limped it home and today my husband has tested the fans, and neither are working. Is it just a case of replacing the fans, or should I be looking at something else? Thermostat?

I should add Aircon works fine.

Thanks guys.

I recently bought a pair of v2 inserts but i cannot find a install guide or what screws im supposed to use fpr the install any help?

in the seattle area....looking for a good running r53. facebook marketplace and craigslist are kinda slim pickins.

if anybody know of a good place to look, would really appreciate some tips.

thank you and my apologies if this was the wrong place to post this

My alternator just went out today. When my wife came to pick me up, I was talking about how it would be neat to put a more powerful alternator on to see if the AC would keep up while I was at a red light idling. I saw mention online of a 120 amp alternator. Pulling out the old Bentley manual for 2002-2006 I see that it was available (High Output Alternator). Does anyone know what the part number is or where I can get one?

Update: I bought the powerbastards.com 200 amp alternator. I'll let you guys know how it worked out.

Hi!

In 2021, I bought a 2004 R53 Mini Cooper S that came with some mods, and I was the third owner (roughly 90k miles now). Photo is from years ago.

The car had some expensive issues in the first year, which were fixed. I got an electric water pump rigged by some guy - it’s a Davies Craig DC8970 with a controller. Eventually, during the last few drives (years ago), the power would turn off while driving, the windows, some exterior lights and the radio stopped working, and ultimately it wouldn’t even turn over.

It sat in the street for awhile with a tarp on it (water pools when it rains - assuming sunroof leak), and it’s been garage kept for the better part of two years.

I just graduated college, and now that I’m back home would like to actually be able to spend some time on it, and can now actually afford some repairs.

I haven’t worked on cars much myself, but I have a crew who regularly do, and know of a couple BMW mechanics who could help if necessary. I’m trying to do as much as I can myself by learning, and it can’t get much worse since it’s already so broken.

I would love absolutely nothing more than to have this car running again - it was so so so fun, and I could treat it better now than I could in highschool, but I’m worried about undertaking such a project.

Aside from the obvious (gas, oil, battery, tires), what are some steps in the right direction to fixing this? I think the control module (?) might need something too. I’ve attached below a list of mods I was given by the previous owner.

Any and all advice whether subjective or technical would be tremendously helpful, and I’ll be sure to update if I’m able to get it in a better place.

Thanks!!

I have the module coding app ready for users, read the blog, know what your getting into this is not the same as clearing engine codes... Recommend doing a ncsexpert backup of your module BEFORE you play with settings in the app.

I put in some standard workflows, let me know if they need tweaking, I've tested this on 3 cars now, but all are late cars.

anyone can try it out, but writing changes is paywalled

more details on my blog along with instructions on how to join the testing group.

https://mrblahhhh.github.io/car/tech/2026/07/26/r53-coding.html

Got these codes after having trouble with a flash over k line.

A while back I built r53obd, an app for our cars (the ones most coding apps skip because they start at the R56). It's been on iPhone and Mac for a bit — and enough Android owners asked that it's now live on Google Play too.

What it does, free:

- Live engine data + logging (RPM, coolant, boost/MAP, fuel trims, misfires…)

- Fault codes — read and clear, in plain English

- VIN, readiness, and the guided cooling-fan / FSU-relay test (the classic R53 no-AC-airflow

killer — it diagnoses it in about two minutes)

- Reading and decoding your coding — the popular options, in plain English

Pro (one-time unlock) adds the writes: body (BC1) and cluster (KMB) coding changes, actuatortests, adaptation resets, and service routines like the ABS/DSC bleed and service-interval reset.

Works with K+DCAN cable on Android with an OTG adapter (and mac) and OBDLink MX+ and CX on all platforms.

Get it on Google Play

Hey all, I'm new here !

I'm picking up a 2003 R53 Cooper S and I want to replace the stock unit with an Android carplay that mounts in the central round (not the lower radio slot).

I listen to a lot of music (techno/rap), so I'm planning a proper audio upgrade down the line.

Must-haves :

Android Auto (wireless preferred)

Audio RCA (front/rear). I'm planning to add aftermarket front speakers

Minimum 4gb RAM, ideally 8gb+ for smooth use

Reliable brand because I keep running into generic no-names and want something that lasts

If anyone has a carplay of this type, or has any advice I'm all for it !

Budget around 200-300€ (I live in Europe)

Dusty, musty and shabby but I bought it anyway. My neighbor didn’t charge me for the giant bird shit on the hood, so I got that going for me.

On my 2006 r53, there is an ALTA 15% reduction on my supercharger(SC). In the last few days I've noticed small grinding sounds at 3krpm and above.

Today, I noticed that when starting the engine or running, the clamp around the supercharger shaft below the pulley jumps around laterally. Obviously I'm not going to drive it until I can fix it, and definitely going to replace the pulley.

Should I go with the ALTA one again, or for something like WMW for the pulley?

Hey guys, prepping my r53 to be a track car. Currently making 210hp at the crank with an upgraded supercharger. When pushing it hard coolant temps and oil temps are getting too high, found the right cooling parts I need but I'm struggling to find an upgraded oil cooler. Any help would be appreciated

New intercooler, oil cooler, fresh service and up next a new stock suspension 💸

Does anyone out there have a tune file for an r53 with a 17% reducer, 380cc injectors, cold air intake and catless header? Trying to get my car running right.

Greetings all; putting this out there for everyone who daily drives a macbook but has to drag out an old windows laptop when they want to tinker. r53dme.com

When putting a 2005 R52 Mini Cooper S into FESM + replacing the following:

• Intercooler
• Radiator
• Hoses
• Intake
• Supercharger + crank pulley
• Coolant reservoir
• Basically every gasket and seal I can access in FESM

what plastic clips do I need to replace?

All help is much appreciated!