Mine looks just like that only about 1/2 an inch wide, i've tried to scrub it off but no can do... there's also some crusty build up around the MINI emblem

 

Mine came off with a lot of elbow grease during the first wash. Apparently whatever wax the dealer put on the car didn't protect it that well, because the stuff was welded on pretty good. This time it came off much easier with some water. Still left a mark, though.

Are you planning to have the dealer do the valve fix? My dealer is 2 hrs away, so I'm just trying to guage how many people have the problem and then have this fix done successfully before I make the trek over there.

 

Doodlez, your pics are great! The stain on my PW looks the same except it hasn't run down as far as it has on yours. I talked with the service rep at Moritz Mini this morning. He said he had seen only a few cases and suggested that I run the washer fluid thru and replace with plain water or another brand of washer cleaner. He agreed that the fluid in our Minis is "rust" colored. Duh! Mine isn't leaking until I use it, so I guess the rain washed the most of it off before it had time to run down the hatch. He told me to bring it in if it continues, and he would replace the nozzle. Since I won't have time in the next two weeks to take Flo in for service, I'll keep an eye on her and apply a little wax to the area. I may siphon the OEM fluid out and replace it with water this weekend rather than just pumping it through the system.

 

i'm lucky to be only a few miles from the dealer, but with LA traffic makes it about a 20 minute drive but i'll be placing a call tomorrow to make the appointment... have to have them fix my iPod adapter too although the s/c whine is always music to the ears

 

Love the whine in the s/c! This story is OT, but I had to share as it made my evening last night. I go w/my bud to her church's "ladies night out" every year. This year her 85 YOA cousin Jean was here from Ohio and went with us. We took the Mini. Jean is a very young 85 YOA.... She piled into the front passenger seat, hooked up her own seat belt, and got a firm grip on the door bracket. She relaxed about two blocks from the house, turned loose of the door bracket, and got the biggest grin on her face. When we got to the church, she couldn't stop telling everyone that she got to ride in a Mini Cooper!!!!!! Such joy! Made the yellow stain on the hatch seem like a nit.

 

Mine did that too at first, but so far I haven't noticed any more. I had an Alta Air Diverter Intercooler installed, though, and have to use distilled water for the back washer anyway, so maybe that's what's saving my paint job. I did hear Heather (Service Rep) tell the warranty chick that they have been repainting back hatches in extreme cases, so if you're not able to get the goop off and it's stained, take it to your dealer and demand a fix for the paint.

As for the yellow goop......I had it seeping out of every nook and cranny at first.....especially all the weep holes under the hood. Aka (MA) made me watch him wipe it all off and he preached to me over and over that the stuff HAS to be wiped off several times so it doesn't stain the pepper white paint. I've been real diligent, and I think it's gone now. It was really interesting to read this thread though. I learned tons!!! Thanks guys!!!

 

i read somewhere up above the an MA confirmed that the wiper fluid is rust colored..

just to clarify that point in particular... the factory installed wiper fluid that i siphoned out of my ww fluid resevoir was not rust colored.. it was crystal clear... didn't smell too good though...

in case you need some siphoning advice... here is what i did... i had a longish piece of surgical tube... i just filled the tube up with water and plugged one side (surgical tubing is easy to plug - i slid a philips head screwdriver up one side)... then slide the unplugged side down into your resevoir... once you are happy with the location of the plugged side (for example - you don't want it outletting onto your hood), unplug and let the siphoning begin... after a few seconds of siphoning.. you will notice a nasty smell... that is perfectly normal... : )

as for the cosmoline-y goopy crap... i have had to clean this stuff off the car twice from all the usual places... since then our MINI has been goop free...

 

Quick note; my daughters '06 PW MC had this issue and it was bad enough that Bob Smith MINI re-painted the trunk under warranty. Bad news is it seems to have come back (or so I was told last night). I will be checking on this this weekend and report back here... I am not sure if the valve was replaced.

 

well, thanks for the siphoning advice sbpwjm ... but I have to say, this seems like something that MiniUSA should be aware of and taking action to fix/prevent, especially if they are ending up having to repaint pieces of brand new cars.

I seems absurd to me (and no offense to you sbpwjm) that owners of a new $20k + car should have to siphon out window washer fluid.

I read somewhere that a new owner asked his dealer to "drain" this fluid off before taking delivery. Whether or not a dealer can actually drain it out (or maybe they have to do some kind of siphoning trick, too), new owners shouldn't have to do this.

sorry for the rant... I'm expecting my car soon and want to figure out the best way to avoid this problem. perhaps I will try to email MiniUSA and see what their response is.

 

I've had the same problem with the back washer. I haven't used my wipers yet but noticed a tiny drop of fluid jiggling on top of the jet hole. A check valve would be a good idea. I get the yellow drips but I check it everyday and clean it off so there is no stain. Touch wood!

Also, since picking up my MINI I did have to clean cosmoline off of him. Even after a wash there was thick greasy drips here and there that came right off with some simple green.

 

Drat, this is worse than cleaning up after a newborn baby. I have an old fish tank siphon stuffed away in the garage that I thought I'd try.

 

no offense taken mini dreams...

sure there are some things that the dealer needs to remedy but the things i can do myself.. i'll do myself... i try to keep my cars out of their respective dealerships as much as possible...

the siphon process takes less than 5 minutes...

sbp

 

I called the dealership yesterday and told them to install the check valve before I pick it up. However, when I got there, they told me that the check valve was already done in the factory. I think I was told a big fat lie and no check valve was installed at all! We'll see if I have any oozing. I'll keep you guys posted.

 

Update: I sent pictures of my dribble to my service advisor (since I'm a 2-hr drive from the nearest MINI dealer) and said he thinks this stuff is cosmoline. He told me to try using some rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball to remove it and then re-wax the area. It seems like the amount of dribble is decreasing, but still there. I'm going to try this and report back.

 

Mine has not yet dripped from the washer nozzles anywhere, but I also have not used the washers yet!

I do, however, have cosmoline dripping evvvvverywhere. Inside the engine compartment seems to be the worst, but I cleaned up what was a good sized drip from the side vent this morning and it was dangerously close to staining. I was starting to freak out but 4 or 5 rounds of Speed Shine took it off.

I need to get inside the engine compartment and have at it though, it's just gross in there!

 

Well, I tried the rubbing alcohol/cotton ball on my dribble as recommended by my SA, and it took all traces of the gunk off!! Now the real test begins to see if more stuff will leak out . I drove around all day today, and no leakage so far, but the car will be parked outside in the sun all day tomorrow at work, so we'll see what happens.

I hope everyone else is dibble-free! If not, try the rubbing alcohol and a cotton ball - much easier than scrubbing with quick detailer, but don't forget to reapply your wax afterward.

 

can someone post a pic of the stain on a pepper white? i tried to get the dealer in portland to fix it, but they said it was something else then washer fluid, some natural element, bah i say, its the same darn stain that i had on there the day i got it, and it came back! it might not be washer fluid though it could be the cosmoline that is jammed under the rear mini badge? whatever it is it is in there and ain't coming out with my detailing skills.

 

Well I'm going in on Wednesday (maybe if work doesn't get in the way) to take care of the valve and see if they can get that damned stain off, i'll let you all know how it turns out

 

Another option to remove all of the washer fluid (stolen from a fellow PW27SG member)....

Next time you wash your car, spray all of the washer fluid out while someone hoses the windshield and bonnet area down. You could probably just spray it all out and then wash the car too, but this gets the washer fluid off of your car quicker.

If you have the HID lights, you'll want to make sure the headlight washer fluid is completely dried out too.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to refill it with water and clean the system out completely, both front and rear.

After that, just put some new washer fluid in and you should be good to go.

Drew

PS. Doodlez, are you going to Flow MINI? Also, check out www.tarheelminis.org because we are planning a meet out your way soon.

 

We've had a lot of rain here in Fort Worth this weekend. I've used the washers and checked the paint. So far no more evidence of staining. Hopefully it was the excessive cosmoline, and it's washed away. Glad to know about the rubbing alcohol.

 

They were SUPPOSED to be installed at the factory, but there have been a ton of cars delivered over here that don't have that check valve in there. MOTW has had to install a bunch of them. I don't have a clue how to tell if it's in there or not. Mine dribbled a little when I first took delivery, but it's fine now. They might have put one in there for all I know.

As for under the bonnet, I'm still finding cosmoline. I wipe it down everytime I wash Chickadee. My MA told me to keep that stuff wiped off cause it will stain, especially pepper white.

 

My MA told me I had to make an appointment to fix this. They couldn't do it before I picked up my cooper. So, it's going back to get the valve fix on saturday.

 

Well, it's almost been three weeks and no sign of a dribble. I guess they did put the check valve in after all!

 

I'm thinking mine did as well. I initially had just a bit of drip, maybe 10 little drips total, that I cleaned off immediately. But that was before I ever even used the wipers. Since then, I've used the washers, and no drips. I'm thinking maybe there was just some cosmoline in the line and I pushed it out when I used the washers.

So far, so good...

 

did you guys actually have to use the washers before you noticed the drip? I haven't used the washer... just the wipers and haven't noticed anything yet. My MA said something about they don't install this part unless I report a problem. So far, I haven't seen anything yet. Crossing my fingers.