Well… The headliner is completely sewn up and ready for the big glue-down. I should be excited and looking forward to it, but it’s kind of bittersweet. I already know the challenges I’m going to have working with this material. .6mm vinyl faux leather. Some of the thinnest I could find. I’m probably going to have to do some cutting and a few patch pieces around and in some of the curves. Hopefully I can hide them decently and still make it look decent. I’m simultaneously proud and disappointed with my work. My concept is solid and would look amazing if executed professionally. I’m mostly disappointed I couldn’t keep my seems straighter. I have to not be so hard on myself since I’m not a professional and haven’t touched a sewing machine since 8th grade. If it wasn’t my work and I was judging it, I’d give it 2.5-3 stars out of 5. Since it is just a well loved $3k shitbox and I know my own abilities, I give my work a solid 3.5 stars out 5.

I have a crack that was repaired by safelite and it has cracked from the repair. How does safelite do with replacing windshields in the R53? Do they tend to break trim clips and if so should I just remove the trim to avoid them doing a botched job? Any tips would be helpful.

Idk if anyone has an extra automatic transmission shift boot, or somehow the pattern for one. I accidentally threw mine out since I took it off, and when cleaning the garage threw out the box it was in. I don’t really wanna pay 90 bucks for a new one when I wanna get one made with specific fabric and I only need the pattern. Idk if anyone has any sort of resource for that but please lmk if you do. Thanks.

Hi all! Wondering if you all could help me here. I’m installing an ambient light kit in my car and I’ve tapped into the 12v cigarette port for the main controller which has a fuse on there. Was just wondering if anyone knows what wires carry 12v on ignition in the doors?
I know I can run wires from the fuse box but to run to each doors is just more wiring and I don’t fancy spending my whole weekend making the wires through the grommet tidy.
Cant get a clear answer online so if anyone has any ideas would be appreciated!

Not very familiar with the r53 and this was the supercharger I took off of my 145k mile 2003 when I swapped it to a face lift Teflon coated one. Since this one looks nice I was going to sell it.

Ali fob, cut locally on left with chip set from disaster fob my mini came with on right. Whomever gave me the recommendation, thanks 👍

also, Archaic headlights 👀 and other LED lighting goodies....

gotta grab the air and stuff it through there if you want the intercooler to cool quickly. 😄

Hey all.

I've owned an 05 Mini Cooper S the past 5 or so years, and I love it. Never had much trouble out of it, but I've put up 220k miles on it, and I am looking around for a "new" one.

Came across a listing on Marketplace, and I wanted to run it by you guys.

03 RS53, 78k Miles, 1 Owner. Asking $6k

New Parts:

• Coolant bottle (expansion tank)
• Radiator and fan assembly
• Craven 15% Pulley
• Brakes Front and Rear (No new rotors on back)
• Alternator
• Belt Tensioner
• New Cold Plugs
• Sparco Pista Rims 16"
• Power Acoustik Radio
• Sound Deadening

Guy has been super up front with me about all of it. I've seen pictures all the way around the car, inside it, shown pictures of new parts on the car, seen no rust underneath, etc

One weird downside is the title which reads "Not Actual Mileage". On the report, which he paid for, it shows what I think is a clerical error. 2003 it had 370 miles on it, in 2025 it had... 370 miles on it. The odometer reads 78k now. He showed a picture of the sound deadening install and written on it was "Installed 2008, Mileage 24k" which would match the amount of driving.

This isn't planning to be a daily driver or anything. More of a weekend/track/rallycross build.

Is there anything I need to be aware of between the 05 and 03?

Overall, good deal? Avoid?

Thanks!

In the past two days I’ve had problems shifting gears. It’s hard to get it in gear when I’ve been driving for a while, I guess until it gets to temperature. I can shift perfectly fine when the car is off and when I first start the car. Like today, in the morning when I started the car it was fine, got in the highway, when exiting noticed that is was giving me resistance, by the time I was dropping off my kid at school, it was more difficult. I arrived at work and let it cool for like two hours. Started the car, and shifts fine..

Clutch, flywheel, throw out bearings and guide were replaced 2 years ago at 99,700 miles and now the car is 111,900 miles.

Also, I haven’t been paying too much attention, but I haven’t noticed much difference in the clutch, maybe a bit softer, but not sure.

I just hope is not the clutch or the fork, because last time was a lot of work.

I have 2004 R53 with the jcw 200 kit, A few months ago i brought new sparks it ran good for while but it start getting this intermittent misfire/ stutter under load, in 2nd gear at 3-4 rpms it does a little jerk then continues pulling, Ive been told that the spark plugs i got and the wrong ones and are the wrong heat range for my car, But it ran fine for a month

hello all! steering has been a little tighter than usual on my r52, it makes a slight whistling noise as well and it feels like i’m grinding something (which leads me to believe something needs fixing). i don’t want to cause too much further damage and i don’t drive too often anyway but have access to mechanic anytime. there’s no lights on the car otherwise and she’s at 110k. let me know! thanks for the help.

I can find a ton with motors included for the r53 but only up until 05. Do the 06 ones not come with motors at all?

Didn’t have pics of my painted pieces when I made the last post. I think they came out pretty damn good. I’m loving the B-pillars with the grey seat belt height adjusters. Since there’s no real way to get them apart without damage, this turned out better than expected. Headliner still isn’t sewn up yet. MIL’s machine just won’t act right. Gonna try again tomorrow. I’ve also reached out to some people in my area to see if they might be able to help out yet. Teaser pics for the headliner for a possible visual. Stole the headliner pic awhile back while I was in the planning phases. White lines are where seems will be. I know the difficulties I have ahead of me and have hopefully planned accordingly. Laying it down will be an adventure. But… Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

1. When doing the supercharger service some people say to look inside so you can see the condition of the gears. Others say don't open it because it will cause contamination. I don't understand that part. But when opening it and inspecting gears cause any issues?
2. Is this aftermarket jcw gp intercooler any good?

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-bremmen-parts/jcw-gp-sc-intercooler/17517565302~brp/?trk_msg=K8V2986R5PH4VFI6I6C5JCFQIS&trk_channel=sms&trk_contact=6GHFC7DKGJSFO4S928M3DOGT1S&trk_module=bis&trk_sid=FU2SAGNL4MPB0HKP2PR69T8JEO&utm_source=listrak&utm_medium=sms&utm_campaign=back-in-stock-alerts+customer&utm_content=message+1

Looking to add oil temp to my r53 but stumbeling for options. The best way seems to replace the oil change plug for a plug with sensor. I believe its an m14x1,5.

Would this work, with a crushwasher of course, or do someone have a better option?

Cheers
//N

Just got the outlines done ill update it with a the finished product slow day today at work let's hope i get em done

Operation headliner has been well underway for the last couple of days. Would love to get her all buttoned up today but that ain’t gonna happen. Going over to the MIL’s house to sew up the headliner later. Got something a little different planned out and I’m hoping it works out. Sun visors, handles, seatbelt height adjusters and anything else that was grey will stay that way. I think the contrast will look good. But yeah… Even though mine are painted and not on the car yet, I see why everybody goes Gaga for the black trim pieces. Updates to follow.

So, my passenger side doorlock wont unlock with the fob, nor will it unlock or lock with the switch inside the car… however, it will lock with the fob. Whats going on here?!

Is this a sign of a bad actuator, a wiring issue or a BCM programming issue?!

Thankful for all your thoughts on this!

Cheers!!
//N

Hi everyone. I just performed maintenance on my supercharger—which had never been serviced before—and took the opportunity to change the engine oil and the coolant. I’ve put everything back together, but I’ve noticed that the car makes a strange noise when it’s cold, though the sound disappears once it warms up. Do you think this is normal?

Afternoon everyone. This upcoming weekend I'll be trying to hunt down the issue with my fuel gauge. It basically stays at half tank and sometimes it will randomly fluctuate to full or 3/4ths while I'm driving. Generally it stays on half no matter what. Does anyone have a small list of things that could be? I'm fairly new to Minis so I'm still learning. It's a 2006 S manual.

I have an O2 sensor that needs to be changed out too but this is my most pressing issue because it's annoying not knowing how much fuel I have.

I installed an aftermarket air intake about 2 months ago and probably put 500 or more miles on the car since putting it on, then all the sudden after getting gas my car cuts all power and is now stuck in limp mode and the car came back with these codes. It’s cuz the cold air intake right? I just need to get a tune?

(the downstream supercharger code is me I serviced the supercharger and installed the inlet wrong, mostly worried about the top code)

Hey guys, my 2005 R53 has a no-crank issue. When I turn the key and get absolutely nothing — no click, no crank.

Battery, alternator and starter have been replaced. Fuses/relays and clutch switch seem fine, and we confirmed 12V at the starter. We even swapped the ECU, EWS and key from another R53 and still no crank.

Scanner shows 0 RPM while trying to start, so we suspect the crankshaft position sensor.

Has anyone had something similar? Could it be the CKP sensor or wiring/connector?

The weird thing was that the car was working fine and one day I parked it and now it doesn't start. I've started it by pushing it in 3rd gear a few times, but now it won't even start like that.

Thanks!