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Does my MINI Cooper have a cam belt or chain?
Do MINI Coopers made in 2001 have a cam belt or a cam chain? I am hearing two different things.
I've just bought a 2001 MINI Cooper. I took lots of advice before I bought it, and it has a full service history. It's just had its MoT and passed with no advisories. As it has 90,000 miles on the clock, I asked when it last had a cam belt change - and the guy said about a year ago.
He has given me receipts for all work done, including the cam belt change etc - but I now notice that the receipt says 'Advise, check mileage for camshaft belt change'!
So I am now guessing that the cam belt has not been changed! Do MINIs of this age have a cam belt, or could I be lucky and it has a cam chain? Because from what I understand, a cam chain lasts for a couple of hundred thousand miles.
I've just bought a 2001 MINI Cooper. I took lots of advice before I bought it, and it has a full service history. It's just had its MoT and passed with no advisories. As it has 90,000 miles on the clock, I asked when it last had a cam belt change - and the guy said about a year ago.
He has given me receipts for all work done, including the cam belt change etc - but I now notice that the receipt says 'Advise, check mileage for camshaft belt change'!
So I am now guessing that the cam belt has not been changed! Do MINIs of this age have a cam belt, or could I be lucky and it has a cam chain? Because from what I understand, a cam chain lasts for a couple of hundred thousand miles.
Asked on 15 November 2012 by Jazz22
Answered by
Honest John
They have a chain cam Chrysler engine: a South American built 1.6-litre version of the engine in the Neon. It needs clean oil (5000 mile oil changes), but no R50 MINI ever had a timing belt, not even the 1,4 diesel which had a Toyota Yaris diesel engine.
The only MINI ever with a belt was the 2008-2010 R56 MINI 1.6 diesel that used the same 1.6 diesel engine as the Ford Focus, etc. In 2010 that too went over to a chain cam BMW diesel engine.
The only MINI ever with a belt was the 2008-2010 R56 MINI 1.6 diesel that used the same 1.6 diesel engine as the Ford Focus, etc. In 2010 that too went over to a chain cam BMW diesel engine.
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