Hi ladies and gents,

I've been a Mini One D owner now for 4 years, over the last six months I've been in and out of the service work shop more times than I can remember. My problems started back in October 2007 when my Mini over heated, I took the car to my local Mini dealership and was told that my engine needed to be replaced as all four cylinders had cracked, this was a complete shock as I'd only done 85,000 miles in the car, well I paid the £2,500.00 bill for the repairs (part payment one of their "Good Will" things) as yes you guessed it my Warranty ran out six months prior to the fault raising it's ugly head. Three weeks later I have my Mini back.

Well the Mini was running fine up and until the start of March when the Mini over heated again, this time I was told the cooling tank had a leek and that the unit and pipes would need replacing, so again I paid for the repairs (£110.00) Within two weeks the Mini over heated again. Today I have been informed that the Head has cracked and will need replacing.

My question to you is have any of you experienced any over heating problems with your Mini One D engines?

Kind regards,
HRH

Hey,

Sorry to hear your bad news... T
The engine on the OneD is tough as old boots being a Toyota unit, as long as it is serviced and checked pretty often it should be fine.
I have noticed recently on my OneD that the expansion tank for the radiator has lost fluid. It seems to be seeping out of the cap and running down the bottle.
I am sure I am not alone on this and if left for to long could result in low coolant and then the engine is prone to run hot. I guess this is what happened to you, they replaced the engine but probably not the expansion tank and pipe work...
BMW's dealer work is guaranteed for two years outside of warranty, so if they have fitted a new engine and ignored the item that caused the problem they should be responsible and liable for repair work!
Good luck...

I would have agreed with you up until this morning, about the Toyota engine being tough as old boots, but I have since found out that the Toyota Yaris 04 engine, which is the engine in the Mini One D 04 has a faulty head and on finding this fault Toyota extended the engine warranty to 100,000 miles, Mini/BMW however, have said they know nothing about the extended warranty. I've also found out that I'm not the one who has had this trouble with the Mini One D a chap in Ireland has had the same problem and he'd only done 45,000 miles or there about, fortunately he was able to get all his repairs done within warranty.

I've also found out that back in October they didn't replace the head when they replaced the engine, they the head that was originally in the car, which I feel is the reason why I'm now without a car and facing a huge bill for a replacement head and labor. I have some pic's that were taken back in October of the engine and head attached, take a look you can see that the head was damaged back then.

The symptoms you have describe are the exact symptoms that I had with my Mini and I was told that I had a cracked expansion tank, then within six months I have replaced the engine, the cooling unit and now I'm the head. I strongly recommend that you push Mini/BMW to look at your head gasket before you end up in the position I'm in today.

how strange... they charge 2.5k for a new engine but re fit the old head? if an engine has overheated enough to cause the block to crack I would of thought a new engine would be fitted as a complete unit. it could not of cost very much more for a full unit! did they re fit the old turbo?
it sounds like the block ran totally dry and then got mega hot.
could be worth ringing a Toyota garage for more help, may also be worth asking how much a complete engine is and the cost of just a bottom end. good to compare prices!
may be worth contacting the RAC to inspect the car and the work carried out last time or writing to What Cars help desk.
let us know what happens

This has happemed before ,I remember posting something about it ,and the cost of a new engine ,.
It is something ridiculous like £7000 for a new engine !!!
What is does highlight is the need for regular inspections,and the reducing of inspection periods as mileage gets higher, fuel/oil/and coolant are vital to the longevity of the diesel and due to the very high repair costs,it is imperitive that these are as clean and fresh as possible and the pipes, hoses , filters ,belts ,wiring ,inspected and replaced as necessary , a simple split header tank as you can see ,will run into £1000s in repair costs yet the tank is around £12 ,likewise hoses ,clips,etc
The engine is as tough as old boots ,but old boots with the smallest hole still get wet socks!!

so so true...
i have always loved cars and enjoyed driving, part of driving is to open the bonnet, check the tire pressures, top the levels up and keep it clean!
it not only adds a massive amount when you come to sell the car but seems to stop problems from happening!
the very long service intervals for most cars are great for leasing companies but not for the car! it could mean two years before the car sees a mechanic and opens the bonnet. i have seen a couple of early minis recently puffing smoke out the back, low oil and coolant levels and lack of attention will cause early death to the engine!

2 headgaskets for mine - bought the car secondhand. March 07 under warranty new gasket, I bought the car in Sept 07, new head gasket around November 07 (20,000miles difference) - just out of warranty and had to pay £250 for it.

Last week car started to overheat again but I was doing about 90mph and since slowed down to 80 its been ok!!!! Fingers crossed!!

Mini One D - 80,000miles

thats strange to get a diesel to overheat. to be honest push the dealership as that work should be warrantied for a year, so i doubt you will need to pay a thing, get BMW uk involved too

Quick question, for those who have suffered head gasket problems do you check the engine weekly? i always open the bonnet once a week but have seen on the site a growing number of people who are having this fault on Mini One, OneD & Coopers so am a little worried!
Can this happen at any time or is it due to neglect?

Think I've just joined the band of owners with head gasket failure on their Mini 1 Diesel.
I had an over heating engine around two weeks ago - needle went into the red - I pulled over very quickly and called the RAC - they suggested it might be a sticking thermostat - topped it up with water and advised me to keep an eye on it. After that the car ran OK but as a precaution I had the car serviced. After a few days the temp gauge suddenly shot into the red - pulled over and turned the engine off - The engine quickly returned to normal operating temperature. I continued - same thing happened - I turned the heater on and turned to head home. I stopped off at a service station and checked the rad - 'stone' cold. I topped up with a fair amount of water - (it quickly heated up) and continued home. I put it into a local one man band garage - he's diagnosed a head gasket fault.
I found it strange that the temp gauge indicates normal temperature even though the water level had clearly dropped to a seriously low level and the heater continues to blow hot air. Before everyone says - the temp sensor needs water to work correctly! The point I'm making is that the temp. gauge appears to be capable of extremely misleading readings - I cannot believe the engine was running at anything like a correct temperature yet the gauge initially only had an occasional foray into the red zone and otherwise indicated a completely normal temperature. I don't know whether the garage that serviced the car picked up on low water level but it looks like I'm in for a big bill. I've had a lot of problems finding a garage that wil even touch the job and am resorting to a garage miles away that I had previously used before a house move.

I have a Mini One D which has done 98,000 miles, its an 05 and has been serviced at the intervals recommended by a garage (not BMW specialist). I have had no trouble until I changed the air filter for a K&N panel filter, went on a long journey and the engine overheated. Added 2 litres of water to the cooling system initially, on return journey added a further 6 litres over course of journey. Car kept over heating, there is no obvious coolant leakage, oil level is normal, exhaust dry. Got home and checked all hoses, no leaks, left standing and running with news paper underneath. Concluded that it could be filter screwing up the engine management system. So changed back to a paper filter. However did note a slight hissing sound from coolant expansion tank cap.
I didn't experience any problems over the past week until today, when engine overheated again. Water has vanished again, topped up and left. No leaks evident. However today have been running aircon, I wonder if there is a link (aircon never serviced). Noted a comment on one of the threads about checking temperature of Rad, if the Rad is cool and the car has over heated then a good chance the coolant isn't being circulated through it, although ive noticed my hoses are quite hot and I am sure I can hear the pump working. Can anybody suggest anything, I havn't as yet taken it to a BMW specialist to get checked out, but may be my only solution. I am going to monitor over the next week and see if there is a link with aircon, may even change thermostat etc and engine temp sensor.

Your symptoms do sound like mine (I'm the post above AKA Harry Worth ) - I don't believe the temp gauge - I think the water level drops below the sender so it doesn't read correctly but still sits midway. I'd being travelling down the motorway at a steady fifty when the gauge briefly moved up. When I stopped and put my hand on the rad. it was stone cold - I topped up with water and immediately the radiator came hot (presumably it was pretty much empty) and the gauge still remained at normal running temperature. My local one man band has diagnosed a head gasket - Bubbles of air and the water bottle is being pressurised even after briefly running the engine. I'm having the car towed to a more knowledgeable company so I'll keep you posted!

My garage has confirmed the cylinder head as failed along with the water pump - appears I might have lost water circulation/coolant due to the failure of the pump and the rest is history as they say. The car had done 130,000 miles so it may be worth changing the pump if your Mini is approaching these sort of miles as a precautionary measure. When I think back to my company car days, the water pump was often the first thing to fail and usually around 100,000 miles!

I just took my car into the dealership for an MOT, and in the conversation mentioned that on the way there I had noticed that the heater was blowing hot and cold even though it was on max heat. The temp gauge was in the middle on normal.

They just rang me to say that the problem is pressure build up in the cooling system due to an internal failure of the head gasket! Repair bill is £1600!

Not chuffed on a 5 year old 65000 mile car that I have had from new and only last serviced in December. BMW and the dealer have contributed towards the cost to bring it down to £979.

It is a FEB 04 build car.

Couple of months ago my Mini started overheating on the motorway. Mini one D 2005, 96000 miles.

Took it to BMw main dealer who said it was a cracked expansion tank. Replaced it, £140.00 for a 5 minute job and couple of pence for the plastic tank! I had asked them to look at the head gasket as being the problem but they assured me that it was ok.
Went away, car overheated again almost right away, took it back. Again, I said I thought the head gasket was likely culprit, told me again they knew better and it was ok. Told me the problem this time seemed to be an air lock in the coolant system and they would need to keep it overnight to bleed it a few times and run it from cold again, etc, etc.
Well, I got it back again the day after, supposedly fixed. Guess what - overheated again, just as it had before. back in to Bmw who this time told me it WAS the head gasket - SURPRISE SURPRISE!!!!!!!! Told me it would need a new head gasket and the head would need swent away for skimming - total cost £1380.00 - eye watering.
So they got it stripped down, and phoned me to say the head was damaged and could not be skimmed and it would now need a new head - a further £1400.00, bringing cost up to nearly £3000.00 - unbelievable!! To top it off, the garage broke the camshaft while stripping it down, causing me to lose the car for a further week to order a new part from Germany. Cost me loads of lost income and they refused point blank to accept any of this was their fault - apart from the camshaft - wouldnt compensate me, even for lost earnings as a result of their screw up. Would not accept any fault for the eventual need for a new head, even tho I had said from day one it was the head gasket.
I believe them screwing up the repair on 2 previous occasions and sending me away again tio drive the car which overheated again caused the head damage.
Well, I had no choice but to pay the money through gritted teeth as the car was then in a stripped down condition and couldnt take it elsewhere where the cost would have been half of the rip off that is BMW.
Mini Uk refsued to make a good will payment as they said the car had not been fully dealer serviced by BMw -s o they were nt interested. It had been regularly serviced and properly looked after, albeit not by rip off BMW after the warranty ran out.
Bottom line is - Bmw could nt care less once they have your money - after sales is non existent. They appear to take the view that if you have a Bmw, you can afford to be ripped off.
In case you're wondering about the dealer - East midlands and its not Derby, used to have a good football team.

if they've been that bad its time to name and shame...

Wow not good news here, but if ever it strenthens the need for regualr looks under the bonnet! I'm off to look now...

I am two pages into this topic on head gaskets on the diesel engines and am really put off buying one of these cars, i was hoping to sell my landrover td5 2003 for arround £7000 and buy a mini with good fuel economy which means the mini ONE with the diesel engine.
My landrover has 88000 miles on it had 40,000 when i bought it, i have never had to touch coolant or oil apart from 12000 changes on oil and filters.

I am selling it for a smaller car and like the looks of the mini but the more i read this forum the more im put off, i wont be folking out for warranties as i lost my job recently and need to find something more fitting to my wallet and judging by the sort of bills i am seeing for work it shocks me.

Dave

When i got mine at 80k miles i gave it a once over. all seemed fine.
checked two weeks later and the expansion tank had coolant stains down it.
Water level was low, but it never over heated.

I bought a new BMW cap and replaced the coolant. Still ok now, but i'll be keeping an eye on it in the future.

I think if i had not noticed the stains then the car would have soon overheated and once that happens it's too late for some engines!

probably worth swapping as an annual item given the risk factor.

so just a short note from me. Had to have the gasket changed - thakfully the head was ok, but the plugs belts and tensioners were all done at same time. on a 120k 53 plate total bill was £1733 inc VAT. That said the car is good to go for another 100k

Wouldn't be Nottingham by any chance would it?

I am two pages into this topic on head gaskets on the diesel engines and am really put off buying one of these cars, i was hoping to sell my landrover td5 2003 for arround £7000 and buy a mini with good fuel economy which means the mini ONE with the diesel engine.
My landrover has 88000 miles on it had 40,000 when i bought it, i have never had to touch coolant or oil apart from 12000 changes on oil and filters.

I am selling it for a smaller car and like the looks of the mini but the more i read this forum the more im put off, i wont be folking out for warranties as i lost my job recently and need to find something more fitting to my wallet and judging by the sort of bills i am seeing for work it shocks me.

Dave

Nobody is going to write post after post saying they've had no problems! If you look on Land Rover forums (I have) you'll find all sorts of horror stories, which cost £££ to put right!

Don't buy a diesel is the simple solution - just buy a one petrol!

Had all the same as before but broke down on A road, towed off, all mayo in engine; Head gasket gone, prob new engine. 28K and 2007 build Cooper One. Guarantee not in place- part exchange only option.

I recently purchased a 2003 mini one d privately. Luckily I exchanged over the full warranty as I have now been without it for 3 weeks! I was having problems with the heating system as no hot air was being pumped into the car and with it being winter was starting to get on my wick!

After taking it to 2 standard mechanics who did not know the problem, BMW have informed me that it is the head gasket!

I have also been told that it is not a toyota engine in the car, it is a citroen 1.4!

The first 2 garages along with bmw said that the thermostat was failing but after being replaced twice they both came to the conclusion that it was the head gasket that was failing.

This model is even causing problems with Mini main dealers as soon after the mini one started to use bmw engines. Luckily I am covered under warranty but it has been a very annoying 3 weeks trying to get the warranty compamny to shell out for it!

Good luck to all who have the same problem!! :D

Had my 04 D for 90,000 miles and absolutly no problems.

Why..................

Well firstly I have always serviced my car at half BMW's recommended milage, new oil and filter twice a year.
Secondly every two years I flush out the cooling system and replace the coolant.

Thirdly I took to servicing my own car for half the price, making sure the job was done properly with care.

By the way, my car is tuned for 100bhp + with lowered suspension etc etc.

The moral of the story is, dont rely on those over inflated servicing intervals, no car was designed for that.

Hi,

My car is currently in the garage - same issue - head gaskett gone @92k.

My mini was maintained at the specified service intervals - all by BMW service centres.

The repair is costing £820 (inc VAT).

It's in a local BMW specialist (not BMW Dealer as these guys are rip off merchants). My local garage that I take it for MOT etc does not do head gaskett repairs and had a hell of a job trying to find someone in the area who would take a mini to repair it.

Apparently (news to me), its a pressurised system and because of this it's a bit of a pain to fix. This means that 4 local garages didn't want to touch my mini with a barge pole - and these are garages on the "goodgarage" scheme so not fly by night peeps.

Having looked around at the forums for both Mini One D and Toyota Yaris D4D there seems to be an issue with this engine around the 80 - 100k mile mark.

If I have any recommendations - it is this. If your Mini One D is approaching this sort of mileage....get it checked out!

Cheers

DC

Apparently (news to me), its a pressurised system and because of this it's a bit of a pain to fix. This means that 4 local garages didn't want to touch my mini with a barge pole - and these are garages on the "goodgarage" scheme so not fly by night peeps.



It shouldnt be news to anyone as all water cooled cars are pressurised, so thats a load of codswallop about the garage not wanting to touch it because of that fact, they must mean they cant do any water cooled car in that case? 4 x "notmuchgoodgarage" there it seems.