Check Engine light

My check engine light came on and the helpful folks in Tacoma suggested I better bring the car in for service.

Molly and Jack offered this more practical info:
Dear Nancy,

I recommend you call George Mahalick. He runs his own Mini Cooper place and specializes in working on Minis for racing/competition. When my husband, Jack, got me my Cooper we were in Oregon; I took my Cooper to George (even though my Mini is not even an S model!) as well as to the Portland dealership, Rasmussen, for checking over, servicing, and stocking up on parts; and, although I was happy with the dealership, George is the mechanic of preference for me. He is honest, straightforward, runs a clean, cheerful shop, is easy to work with,and works with Coopers because he likes them so well. And, he will send you to the dealers when that makes the best sense. He's the man I thought of when someone in our e-mail group mentioned bringing up a mechanic to train someone here. I wonder if he'd be interested? Anyway, training one of our own Juneau mechanics makes perfect sense to me.
George Mahalick
MINI-Madness
2092 NW Aloclek DRive, Suite 509
Hillsboro, OR 97124

telephone #'s:
888-783-6294
503-466-6463

mini-madness.com
[After I wrote this I checked out his web site again. It looks like he's been exceptionally successful and may not have time for anything but his racing specialty. But perhaps he'll refer us to someone good. We may need a good independent machanic if we want someone up here to train one of our Juneau mechanics. If there are other independent mini cooper machanics out there, he may know them. And, he may know of another mini mechanic, or may be the one himself, that would love to come up to fish in our waters and breath our clean air, and would love us to bring him here to train one of our mechanics.)
When I was doing all of this stocking up on parts, I also bought a mini cooper machanics manual. Now I am having a pickle of a time finding it! Guess I'll have to pick up another next time I go south. Wish I had it at hand for you to look at.

Good luck.
Molly