[CountryEd]

Hi fellow Mini enthusiasts! I recently picked up a 2012 Countryman Base, manual trans with 75k miles. The car has been great and a lot of fun to drive (even without the turbo). Over the past few days I have noticed a small stain where the car was parked. I put it up on ramps and can see there is a drip of coolant under the front/center of the engine next to where the exhaust/catalytic pipe are. The coolant recovery tank was low so I added a small amount of distilled water 5 days ago. The recovery tank level has been okay since then, so the volume of coolant leaking is small. Regardless, I want to get it fixed asap.
That said, are there common causes of a leak like this? The engine compartment is packed pretty tight, so I couldn't locate the leak source with a flashlight.
Any suggestions on finding the leak source are appreciated.

Thanks

 

[CountryEd]

Thanks so much!

 

[CountryEd]

Good advice to change the water pump while you have the thing taken apart. I checked for a recall, but it doesn't apply to my VIN.

Thanks!

 

[CountryEd]

Update - the source of the coolant leak is the oil cooler. My mechanic says this is 'next to impossible to get to'. He's quoting about 6 hours of labor and says the parts are usually less than $100. He says this is a common issue and he sees it several times a year. Has anyone else had this repair done? Is it really that much labor?