Coolant

[haiax0]

Evening all,

When driving into work this morning in my unmolested 2001 Mini one there was no issues with the heating blowing hot air..

This afternoon on the drive home the heater blew out cold air.. I started to check some forums and people pointed toward coolant levels.. Although my temp gauge read as normal on the journey home i didn't suspect anything was a miss..

I have just gone outside and looked at the expansion tank at the middle rear of the engine bay, popped the cap and peered in with a torch.. This is empty and dry with a layer of heaped sediment at the bottom. I can only assume whatever coolant that remains is in the system and this is not a good sign...

The car has a full service history and was last serviced in approx. 1000 miles ago in July the log book shows me a class 2 inspection was done with an oil change (on the actual receipt it states antifreeze - 30) but doesnt say that it was changed just the text as written above

I should really call the garage and ask the scoop... as stated above its a 2001 mini one... should i rush out to halfords and top up? what coolant type is required??

Any help appreciated!!

[marque]

Hi ya

when the coolant is cold take of the radiator cap make shore you have coolant in the rad, sometimes the exspantion tank crack and start leak. so you may have nothing between the tank and the rad but coolant in the rad if you follow.

be careful what coolant you use they have differant boiling points, this one i use as it approved for bmw for the mini

Halfords | Comma XStream G48 Antifreeze Concentrate 5 Litres

if the heater is blowing cold air i would imagine you need to bleed the system as well this can be a bit of a pain but spend the time dont rush.

http://www.mini2.com/forum/maintenan...screw-plz.html

hope this helps

[haiax0]

Thanks! While you wrote that I went to halfords and bought the G48 solution and wacked some in between the fill lines.. Turned on car and let it idle for 5 minutes and still no heat!

Will go back out and check the radiator itself!

Many thanks!

[marque]

Hi ya

You need to bleed the system from the sounds of it. Don't rush bleeding the system

http://www.mini2.com/forum/maintenan...screw-plz.html

Also remember to mix the coolant correctly the ratio is on the back.
It's pretty thick stuff undiluted

[haiax0]

Quote: Originally Posted by marque (original)

Hi ya

You need to bleed the system from the sounds of it. Don't rush bleeding the system

Also remember to mix the coolant correctly the ratio is on the back.
It's pretty thick stuff undiluted

Located the top 2 bleed screws (doing it by torch at night on my tod so not the best) and introduced BMW approved concentrate (mixed) to the system, which it did not want to take untill I located bleed screws and forced out the air!

Took the car to a garage to investigate why there was not fluid in the expansion tank etc... Turned out the bottom hose to the rad was slightly corroded and allowing fluid to pass, They removed it, cleaned it, applied new clips flushed the system and replaced fluid, ran car for a long while... And all seems well.. heaters blowing hot again and didnt flinch in the heavy traffic i commute with on the way home!

Luckily the local garage where spot on and charged my mere pounds for there time!

Was fearing the pump or rad to be at fault! Pheeeeew!

Thanks again for the pointers it is truly apreciated!

Best Regards
Haiax0

[lisamartin79]

I think you must check your car and ensure that this thing happens sometime or on the regular basis. You just check it out.


No work on the coolant system while the engine is hot! Mini heater is not blow hot air when the engine is hot either the thermostat has gone or maybe it is faulty. You have a simple restriction that will be easily fixed by replacing defective hoses and/or flushing your heater core.

You can also cross check the operation of the heater valve units and when you do this, to see that it opens and shuts as it's supposed to. Physically manipulate the valve through its full range of motion and see if it works while you have the garden hose flushing out the heater.
.

[mab01uk]

The Mini does not have any 'heater valve units' that I know of, unless it is a classic Mini which does have a cable operated water valve giving very hot or cold with nothing inbetween........