Hi, just done a service of my partners 2005 Mini Cooper, engine oil, filter, air filter, spark plugs and new engine coolant.
The engine temperature gauge in the car moves up into the mid position after around five minutes (stays there) and I get hot air through the vents. Can someone just confirm that this means the engine coolant is circulating properly?
I know its probably obvious but just worry when changing coolant...
Sounds ok, air locks normally cause a cold heater or sudden loss of level in the coolant tank as air escapes.......just keep an eye on the temp gauge, coolant level and that heater stays hot over next few days to be sure all is well.
Cheers. Partner just drove car and she said it seemed to heat up a little quicker than it did with the old coolant. Is this still ok, could it just because I've used a different brand?
Again it didn't go past half...
Now someone can refute this if I've got it wrong but as far as I know, the needle will NEVER go past half way. That's right isn't it everyone? Welcome to the world of stressing whether your car is overheating! I end up with empty coolant reservoir on any journey where I have to queue or crawl for anything over about four minutes. Temperature gauge does not change even when I am suck in forty minute traffic jam and can feel and hear the cooling system bubbling and boiling under the bonnet.
The temp gauge gradually goes up to 1/2 way as temperature increases to about 75 C. It stays exactly at the
halfway postition from about 75 C to 125 C, then if the temperature increases above 125 C (which it shouldn't
ever do under normal circumstances), it raises up further and eventually the light will go on as well.
You can get the coolant temp in degrees centigrade to display on your odometer under menu item 7.0
by using this trick - look about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way down the page at
"How to show RPM, Fuel Level, Speed and more on your Odometer Digital Display" : http://www.mini2.com/forum/faq.php?faq=faq_interior#faq_diy_obc_functions
My temperature gauge needle will go past half way (and the red light flashes). The first time it did this was in March 2008 on the motorway. The result was head gasket failure.
More recently was this summer. I was often getting coolant loss out of the top of the expansion tank. The needle will rise quite quickly from the middle. I tried unsuccessfully to bleed the system myself on several occasions, including a complete change of the thermostat and housing and cap.
In the end I admitted defeat and took it to a MINI specialist because I was worried that the head gasket had gone again. They changed the radiator due to a small leak, but told me that they had a really difficult job in bleeding the system. They had to jack up the front of the car to do it.
That was 6 weeks ago, and so far so good.
If you often end up with an empty coolant reservoir, then I would've though that you've got a leak or an air-lock (or both).
So can I be reassured that my engine must never have overheated to engine- endangering levels then? That's a relief!
I suppose I have yet more garage bills heading my way: sort out whatever leak/air lock is causing it to sound like a witches cauldron then to look at what's causing the strange graunching noise under braking at times.
I have never owned a car that has cost me so much to keep on the road :scream:.
I will see if I can follow through the instructIons to enable finding if there's a leak first though.
I was advised that the temperature dial is just for show only, by the time it moves your car is already overheating. Dont rely on it, use the steps above to view real time coolant temp on your dash.
That's what I heard too, on this very forum so I was really surprised to hear that some Mini's seem to have working gauges - or maybe it's just that mine has never gone to such a catastrophic temperature level that it's moved up that far (and I hope it never does).
Not wishing to sound my full 48 years but surely to God it was better in the old days when you could see the needle creeping up slowly slowly. You had chance to pull over, pop the bonnet and let things cool down, all in good time before damage was done. This idea is just stupid to have to go fiddling about with an on-board computer going through numerous steps to be able to see what temperature the car is - WHY NOT JUST SHOW IT ON THE GAUGE THAT'S BEEN PUT ON THE DASHBOARD FOR THAT VERY PURPOSE?!!
Anyhoo, I just need to go through all the steps to find out whether there's a leak or airlock or both (which there must be) and see if it sorts it. I don't think it will be sorted though not without yet another visit to a garage and no doubt several hundred quid in bills, and then you don't know if the garage actually knows what they're doing.... I'll probably just go straight to the 'causing offence' mode by taking with me a copy of the instructions on what they need to look at and telling them that's specifically what I want checking/repairing!
But I must get it done. I can't even be in the queue for McDonald's drive through for more than literally 4-5 minutes and I can hear it boiling. It makes a long traffic jam way way more stressful than just the agony of going nowhere fast, when you don't know if your vehicle's about to go pop I can tell you. Still, it will help if I can see the readout on the speedo wotsit I guess.
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