[Milpol]

Remove the serpentine belt and check the pulley for play ! this will let you know if the bearing is on the way out. There are two weep holes at the back of the pump that are also tell tales but you cant see them unless you remove the pump. I recall but cant confirm 100% that some pumps impellers corroded resulting in reduced function but again I cant recall where I read this online.

End result is to pull the pump, check it and replace the coolant. Depending on the age of your car, its prob not a bad idea to replace the pump at the same time as a preventative step. I had a weeping radiator but couldn't confirm between a faulty pump or radiator prior to going on a trip (not driving) so I ordered both a pump and radiator. On return from the trip, I confirmed my leak being the radiator but swapped out the pump whilst I had the car apart. The old pump showed minimal signs of wear but due to the age of the car I found it prudent to change it anyway along with new hoses.

Pelican parts have a good DIY on the pump replacement if you surf to their webpage.

 

[Milpol]

The O-Ring where the pump goes into the block is very easily damaged, that's why I always buy two when I have worked on my cars. The R50 can be a *** to bleed.

Also, consider the radiator cap (its the only thing I have not had to change).

There is also a blanked cover on the block on the UK passenger side where the Cooper S water pump fits but one assumes that it has been checked and there were no obvious signs of leaking.

Don't give up as they are great cars, just that diagnosis can be lengthy as for any vehicle.

 

[Milpol]

So, as well as new thermostat housing, thermostat, new water pump, new o-rings etc my spanner man has spotted that the bottom of the rad is swollen to the point of almost splitting so he's just fitting a brand new rad and also the fan is goosed (doesn't always work at stage 1) so a brand new fan unit is being fitted to the brand new rad

Christ knows what the bill will be for this little lot :eeksurprise:

I'll update later today when (hopefully) the mini is back on the road

Jase

Been down this track with my R50 as I have mentioned before but to be honest, they are not a difficult DIY and you could save a lot in labour should similar happen again. It doesn't take a lot of tools or space and after your 1st time it will be a more simple process.

The Mini is a compact car and looks daunting to work on but its modular design actually makes it easy to work on and a lot more accessible than one would think.