[KATENKEITH]

For 2-3 days we`d noticed the interior misting up badly -even with A/C on . Yesterday pm it was so bad I had to keep wipng the windscreen to see.
There was also a bad smell like a small animal had died in there .
When we got home I checked under the bonnet -not that I know what I`m looking for but thats what you do isnt it?
Anyway-NO coolant . I mean absolutely no water in the header tank at all . The car had not overheated and no warning lights came on.

MINI recovery came out and said we cant drive it -it may overheat and damage engine.

Recovered today to MINI dealer and now we are swanning around in brand new(150miles on clock) EB/B
Cooper .

Fault diagnosis anybody?

[Rawhyde]

Quote: Originally Posted by KATENKEITH

For 2-3 days we`d noticed the interior misting up badly -even with A/C on . Yesterday pm it was so bad I had to keep wipng the windscreen to see.
There was also a bad smell like a small animal had died in there .
When we got home I checked under the bonnet -not that I know what I`m looking for but thats what you do isnt it?
Anyway-NO coolant . I mean absolutely no water in the header tank at all . The car had not overheated and no warning lights came on.

MINI recovery came out and said we cant drive it -it may overheat and damage engine.

Recovered today to MINI dealer and now we are swanning around in brand new(150miles on clock) EB/B
Cooper .

Fault diagnosis anybody?

Your windows are fogging, there is a loss of coolant, and a strong smell in the interior...that spells one thing. Leaking heater core. The Heater Core is a miniature radiator that the coolant circulates through to provide heat for the climate control.


Hopefully, your car is still under warranty. Let them fix it. Heater cores are sometimes quick and easy (Ford Trucks pre 1997) or dreadfully difficult (1985 Corvette). I don't know how bad it is on a MINI.

Usually, the part is cheap. Labor requires a lot of hours on most cars.

When you get the paperwork, let me know how many hours it took. Just to satisfy my curiosity.

Rawhyde

[Malin Dixon]

The fact that the engine didn't overheat means that you probably had enough water in it for the conditions. The water in the water tank isn't used for cooling, it is a reserve, so you were down to no reserve but that doesn't mean the engine was actually short.

I agree with the diagnosis of a blown heater core. I don't know how difficult it is to change. I've seen heater fans that were 3 screws and a connector to remove, and others that needed the radiator drained, steering column and all the dashboard removed.

[KATENKEITH]

Quote: Originally Posted by Malin Dixon

The fact that the engine didn't overheat means that you probably had enough water in it for the conditions. The water in the water tank isn't used for cooling, it is a reserve, so you were down to no reserve but that doesn't mean the engine was actually short.

I agree with the diagnosis of a blown heater core. I don't know how difficult it is to change. I've seen heater fans that were 3 screws and a connector to remove, and others that needed the radiator drained, steering column and all the dashboard removed.

I think its a dashboard out job-BMW will let us know when its done- a couple of days they said-all covered by warranty thank godness including loan car

[MiNiGuY]

Quote: Originally Posted by KATENKEITH

I think its a dashboard out job-BMW will let us know when its done- a couple of days they said-all covered by warranty thank godness including loan car

Dashboard/heater matrix is the full works. Coolant draining, aircon degassing, steering rack disconnection, front seats removal , down tubes, centre/rear console, carpets, inner finishers, A and B post finishers, airbag deactivation,gas pedal removal, steering column,electrics, rear seat bench... blah blah blah. It gets stripped to a shell on the interior from front to back except the rear seat backs and the plastic rear facias (quarter cases). That's if they are doing the job properly of course.
When you get it back, check the whole interior for scratches/scuffs etc.
Dash removal is pretty labour intensive and fiddly and in fact it's actually a quicker procedure to remove an entire MINI engine when you know what you're doing!!.
Having said that, I could do a dash in 5-7 hours from removal to refitment, doing it alone, properly and with care.

Unless the carpets are damp around the carpet area covering the front tunnel I'm doubting it's the matrix anyway, but it could be and you'll be told soon enough. Good luck with it all.

[KATENKEITH]

Quote: Originally Posted by MiNiGuY

Dashboard/heater matrix is the full works. Coolant draining, aircon degassing, steering rack disconnection, front seats removal , down tubes, centre/rear console, carpets, inner finishers, A and B post finishers, airbag deactivation,gas pedal removal, steering column,electrics, rear seat bench... blah blah blah. It gets stripped to a shell on the interior from front to back except the rear seat backs and the plastic rear facias (quarter cases). That's if they are doing the job properly of course.
When you get it back, check the whole interior for scratches/scuffs etc.
Dash removal is pretty labour intensive and fiddly and in fact it's actually a quicker procedure to remove an entire MINI engine when you know what you're doing!!.
Having said that, I could do a dash in 5-7 hours from removal to refitment, doing it alone, properly and with care.

Unless the carpets are damp around the carpet area covering the front tunnel I'm doubting it's the matrix anyway, but it could be and you'll be told soon enough. Good luck with it all.

Wow-thanks for that -er not 10 minute job then. I think there was some moisture in the passenger side footwell so may be heater core -we`ll know in a couple of days if BMW garage get the parts ordered today might get it done by Wednesday. The loan car is good though so no worries.

[KATENKEITH]

Quote: Originally Posted by MiNiGuY

Dashboard/heater matrix is the full works. .
When you get it back, check the whole interior for scratches/scuffs etc.
Dash removal is pretty labour intensive and fiddly and in fact it's actually a quicker procedure to remove an entire MINI engine when you know what you're doing!!.
Having said that, I could do a dash in 5-7 hours from removal to refitment, doing it alone, properly and with care.

Unless the carpets are damp around the carpet area covering the front tunnel I'm doubting it's the matrix anyway, but it could be and you'll be told soon enough. Good luck with it all.

Got the car back today-excellent job including full valet .
No scratches on interior,or marks. Still smells a bit odd but I guess that will go.

Labour time -they said 4 1/2 hours, but I didnt get a job sheet so cant tell you exactly what was done.

A happy ending

[Kinster]

The worse thing that can happen to you is loaning you the ghastly Electric Blue

[KATENKEITH]

Quote: Originally Posted by Kinster

The worse thing that can happen to you is loaning you the ghastly Electric Blue

LOL-yes but I was very cruel to it

[MiNiGuY]

Quote: Originally Posted by KATENKEITH

Got the car back today-excellent job including full valet .
No scratches on interior,or marks. Still smells a bit odd but I guess that will go.

Labour time -they said 4 1/2 hours, but I didnt get a job sheet so cant tell you exactly what was done.

A happy ending

Great.
Glad you're happy!!!

4 1/2 hours sounds just right for a couple of guys doing the job properly. Also you say all is ok, with no scratches etc so your dealership obviously know their job AND care about their work so good on them and good luck to you!!

[AussieMini]

Quote: Originally Posted by KATENKEITH

Got the car back today-excellent job including full valet .
No scratches on interior,or marks. Still smells a bit odd but I guess that will go.

Labour time -they said 4 1/2 hours, but I didnt get a job sheet so cant tell you exactly what was done.

A happy ending

I am somewhat an expert on blown heater cores because my last Cooper S went through four of them!!! I now have an 05 S!

What you described sounds 100% like a blown heater core and as i said, mine blew four of them.

For your sake I hope they can fix it but from my experience they couldn't. A few people I know who know a lot about cars and MINIs said they were confident my MINI - which was only 18-months old - had an unhealthy build up of pressure that BMW couldn't find therefore kept cracking the heater core because it was the weakest point.

BMW just claimed the heater cores were faulty!!!! But all four???

Feel free to PM me if you need to know how it all panned out with a car that has this reoccuring problem.

[MiNiGuY]

AussieMini , you say
"For your sake I hope they can fix it but from my experience they couldn't. A few people I know who know a lot about cars and MINIs said they were confident my MINI - which was only 18-months old - had an unhealthy build up of pressure that BMW couldn't find"

With respect, do you actually believe what you have posted?

Your MINI could well have had a 'build up of pressure' - but to suggest BMW couldn't find it, and to suggest the people you 'know' could??? - Come on!!!. - Get real.

BMW made your car.

Think about it.

Why would you suggest that the people you know have actually given you correct advice, and why accept that they have informed you of something that the makers of the car itself have failed to notice, realise or understand???.

It's only my point of view of course, but with respect I'd consider it best that you maybe accept that your post is a little dramatic.

[AussieMini]

Quote: Originally Posted by MiNiGuY

AussieMini , you say
"For your sake I hope they can fix it but from my experience they couldn't. A few people I know who know a lot about cars and MINIs said they were confident my MINI - which was only 18-months old - had an unhealthy build up of pressure that BMW couldn't find"

With respect, do you actually believe what you have posted?

Your MINI could well have had a 'build up of pressure' - but to suggest BMW couldn't find it, and to suggest the people you 'know' could??? - Come on!!!. - Get real.

BMW made your car.

Think about it.

Why would you suggest that the people you know have actually given you correct advice, and why accept that they have informed you of something that the makers of the car itself have failed to notice, realise or understand???.

It's only my point of view of course, but with respect I'd consider it best that you maybe accept that your post is a little dramatic.

So dramatic in fact they replaced my 18-month-old car with a 05 model for free although there's no legal obligation to do so in Australia?

While my 03 S gave me nothing but grief (well its heater core did) I am very happy with BMW's assistance and customer service and the fact I now drive a nice new one.

Something to think about...

[MiNiGuY]

Quote: Originally Posted by AussieMini

So dramatic in fact they replaced my 18-month-old car with a 05 model for free although there's no legal obligation to do so in Australia?

While my 03 S gave me nothing but grief (well its heater core did) I am very happy with BMW's assistance and customer service and the fact I now drive a nice new one.

Something to think about...

Good on you. Glad you're happy now.
Obviously wasn't the matrix on your car else they wouldn't have taken away from you!!!

Good result though!!

Good on you.

[scooperman_uk]

heater matrix replacements are a nightmare! ive done 2 in a Renault 5. very time consuming and labour intensive. i had a series of 3 fail go over a 2 year period.. absolute pain in the royal ass.. as said earlier its a dash in dash out job at the worst.

[screenworld]

My 03 Works S split its heater matrix last summer at around 7000 miles. And the second one has gone this week at 13,000 miles. Same symptons as reported above. Could it be that the supercharging is finding a few crevices and inducing pressure into the heater system ?

Any more out there ?

[HettonMassive]

My march 03 mcs has only 7000 miles on it and the problems we are talking about here are happening now. I fill it up with water and within a couple of days the water has gone. My girlfriend was stuck in traffic lights and it began making knocking noises under the glove box before the temperature shot up and the warning light came on. After letting it cool down she filled it with water (about 1.5 Ltrs volvic) and within 2 days doing only 10 minute journeys it was gone. In garage on monday for a check. Help me forget about it this weekend and tell me its not serious.

Joe.

[MiNiGuY]

Quote: Originally Posted by HettonMassive

My march 03 mcs has only 7000 miles on it and the problems we are talking about here are happening now. I fill it up with water and within a couple of days the water has gone. My girlfriend was stuck in traffic lights and it began making knocking noises under the glove box before the temperature shot up and the warning light came on. After letting it cool down she filled it with water (about 1.5 Ltrs volvic) and within 2 days doing only 10 minute journeys it was gone. In garage on monday for a check. Help me forget about it this weekend and tell me its not serious.

Joe.

MINI has always been seriously annoying to fill up with water from empty.
It became recognised, then labeled as a design anomaly rather than a design fault.
I would agree with the anomaly verdict.
Of course your car shouldn't have been empty. 03 mcs has suspect filler bottle so check it for leaking.
The 'noise' you mention coming from the glove box area could, as you imply, be to do with the matrix, but my feeling is that your car is not filled with enough water and you are hearing air turbulence (air bubbles) entering the matrix rather than a fault in the matrix itself. If the carpets are wet the matrix or its in/outs are problematic. If the carpets are dry then like I say, your water system sounds like it needs bleededing.

[KATENKEITH]

Its done it again-same fault -heater matrix leaked all the coolant and now its gone back to the dealers on a recovery truck.

This must be a known common fault with the MINI.

Beween us we`ve had over 30 cars in 20+ years us -some really p**s-poor ones, but never had this happen . Then twice in 6 months.

We were thinking of changing the Cooper anyway-FOR AN S. Any more reliable?

K n K

[AussieMini]

Quote: Originally Posted by KATENKEITH

Its done it again-same fault -heater matrix leaked all the coolant and now its gone back to the dealers on a recovery truck.

This must be a known common fault with the MINI.

Beween us we`ve had over 30 cars in 20+ years us -some really p**s-poor ones, but never had this happen . Then twice in 6 months.

We were thinking of changing the Cooper anyway-FOR AN S. Any more reliable?

K n K

Hi KnK,

This happened to my S four times and if they try to tell you it's not common they are B-S-ing you. It is a known fault and one in which they have few answers for.

Put it this way, after a few threats of negative media in Australia they replaced my 18-month old S with a brand new one.

Ride their backsides.