Engine Coolant

[benjiboy8000]

Hi i just wondered how often i should have to top my engine coolant up? mine seem to need topping up every few weeks or so! inother cars ive had ive never filled the coolant up for months! just wondered if i had a leak?

[ScottyBoy]

Possibly have a leak as it shouldn be needed alot TBH, have a snoot about the pipes etc and check everything.

Scotty

[TDLC]

Take a looking the faults & fixes forums. Coolant loss has been a common fault in R50-53 cars. I had my thermostat and thermostat housing replaced after it was leaking to an extent that a had to carry a bottle of coolant with me on long distances. You may want to have it checked sooner rather than later. The cooling system is a high pressure system, which adds a possibility of a sudden loss of substantially all coolant at some point. Severe damage to the engine will be the result. Not to scare you but you should have it addressed by a dealer.

A good thing that you are checking your coolant levels!

[benjiboy8000]

Hi thankyou for your replies!!! should i be putting water in the coolant tank? im going to book it into the dealers for them to have a look. The car is still under warranty does anyone know if the thermostat does need replacing will it be covered under the warranty?

Thankyou

[pico89]

I only got my Mini less than 2 weeks ago and the coolant is way below the min level. Called the dealership and they said this shouldn't be the case and to bring it in on Monday!!

My gf had the same issue with her Mini where there coolant was leaking into the radiator and needed a whole new radiator.

[lee-swindon]

Quote: Originally Posted by pico89 (original)

My gf had the same issue with her Mini where there coolant was leaking into the radiator and needed a whole new radiator.

i thought the radiator was meant to have coolant in it???

[Ragamuffin]

I have the same problem. It is going back to the dealers on Thursday to have it fixed under warranty.

[maria69]

Well i had this problem too...they had my car in for over a month fixing her.
2006 cooper with less than 11k on the clock...had a total loss of coolant every 2 weeks. They ended up changing thermostat & head gasket etc...all under warranty
Just yesterday i called them out again as i've only had her back 3 weeks and had total loss of coolant again ...they said it was head gasket settling in. Grrr

[captpicard]

my 2005 cooper's in the garage now, sounds like the same problem.
lost coolant, checked, informed the thermostat was leaking and that was fixed.However 2wks later, same thing, car returned, nothing visible found, so now theyve removed the head, again nothing visible found, so the heads now being sent off for pressure testing

ive only had the car 3months(2nd hand), it doesnt give me much faith in the car at present

infact feelin sick out of the 4 months ive had the car, its been in the garage 1 month.
Hopefully i should know more by the end of the week...................

Any update's from you other folks out there with this problem??

[alisonjoyn]

i also have a mini which i think is losing coolant fluid took it to a garage but they were unsure as to what it was

[captpicard]

Finally got my mini back today
they changed the thermostat and housing again, put a new gasket, bolts an d housing set on. Hope this has sorted the problem , but only time will tell.........
the mechanics still arent sure what the actual problem was/is???
I'll keep you folks posted....anyone else had any more news?

[captpicard]

well, had the mini back for 2 days and still losing water after 80 miles

back to garage, told this may be due to air settling etc, and that the coolant top up tank isnt actually an expansion tank, as the whole system is pressureised and that part isnt, fliud is drawn from this when needed, tank topped up , another 30 miles on still losing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

problem now solved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

mini going!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

had enough now

how have you folks got on??

[fone]

My 03 S has been loosing coolant for many months. You can smell it when you get out of the car but see no sign of any leak. Left the car with stealer for two days to check and reported that no sign of leak but could smell coolant. SUggested I should change radiator, hoses, bottle, thermostat housing if I wanted a fix!!!! I walked out after paying £80 for that diagnosis !!

I feel like putting in a bottle of Radweld in to see if it fixes the leak. Any used Radweld on a MINI before ????

[DaFlake]

I'm curious... Why do you guys take your car to a dealer when you are out of warranty? They will charge you an arm and a leg for just making a comment. You are better off finding a local mechanic or a tuner to do the work at a fraction of the cost.