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Does the guard just snap into place over the radiator? Can you get to it from below? We just purchased a 2020 F60S and it doesn't have the guard over the aux radiator and I will put this in for sure. Any tips on how it attaches to the aux radiator would be helpful.
Does the guard just snap into place over the radiator? Can you get to it from below?
I approached it from the side and below. Yes, it snaps into place. I took off enough buttons/clips that I could wriggle it into place and snap it in place. If you have some mechanical aptitude, it isn't hard. If you don't, it could be frustrating.
I just installed both and I've never taken a bumper off before. It was a lot easier then I thought it would be.
See piC's. You should do both. This is on my 2018 f60. The middle radiator got hit. That grill cover was $100 from my dealer and the smaller one was $53. I took off my whole bumper. It was actually easy, and I've never done this before. I had a rock go thru and take out everything and the bill was $12k.
I put window screen on it as extra protection and also realigned my bumper!! Looks better than it did before.
I read this thread not long after getting my used 2018 Countryman SE All4. I bought the screen protector part on-line for about $25.00. Just had my car in for its first servicing last week at the dealership and asked for an estimate on how much to install it. They claimed they would need to pull the bumper to do it and it would involve 4 hours of labor at $250/hr. Needless to say I could not afford to get it done right then on top of the cost of the service I had it in for. Does this sound right? if so, does anyone have know if it might be cheaper to have an auto body shop pull the front bumper and snap the screen into place? This just sounded really excessive to me.
I read this thread not long after getting my used 2018 Countryman SE All4. I bought the screen protector part on-line for about $25.00. Just had my car in for its first servicing last week at the dealership and asked for an estimate on how much to install it. They claimed they would need to pull the bumper to do it and it would involve 4 hours of labor at $250/hr. Needless to say I could not afford to get it done right then on top of the cost of the service I had it in for. Does this sound right? if so, does anyone have know if it might be cheaper to have an auto body shop pull the front bumper and snap the screen into place? This just sounded really excessive to me.
$250/hr does seem high, get it priced around. When I had asked my local mini dealership in Colorado it was going to be $300 all in to get both of them installed, which was to remove the bumper.
Removing the bumper is simple if you have any mechanical aptitude...even if you've never done it before. It isn't flying to the moon...it's some plastic clip removals and a few 10 mm screws. I installed some plastic gutter guard screen in front of the radiator and transmission cooler...these areas are vulnerable to debris-strikes, too. I did the small radiator cover without removing the entire bumper...just a few clips on the one side sufficient to get it in place. I also agree with the supplemental protection in addition to the screen. It's a very exposed area.
Earlier this week communiting home in 96F temp. Engine overheated, towed to dealer. Dealer wanted $1,200 to replace the aux radiator and it would take ~6 days b/c they would have long lead time getting the part.
I got the car home (hybrid - just charged it up and drove home). I pulled the radiator, took it to a nearby radiator repair shop (Note a repair shop, not a radiator replacement shop. Actual radiator repair shops are a dying breed.) They pressure / tank tested, identified leak, steam cleaned and applied a polymer seal that is like solder - use a torch to heat it and melt into the spot - for aluminum radiators. They did this in an hour, charged $57.
Removing and replacing the radiator is simpler than i thought:
- Jack up the car, put in a jackstand.
- Remove front tire
- pull 5-6 screws and a couple of pins holding the wheelwell liner in place. Note the liner wraps around under the front of the car. Take your time and it comes loose pretty easily.
- Take out 1 screw.... yes 1 screw holds the radiator in. The bottom of the radiator has two posts that fit into holes on the bracket. Take the bolt on the top Rt side of the radiator out and the whole thing lifts out and there's enough hose flexibility that you can pull it slightly down to work on it.
- Pop off the 2 quick release hose fittings. Use a screwdriver to pull back the wire bail on each fitting. Then just work the hose end off. Once you get it started it really pops off.
- Reverse to assemble.
I was thinking that I may have to jury-rig up some way to apply leverage on the hose fittings to get them to slide back on, but it was as simple as holding the fitting in my left hand, pressing in the radiator with my right and the fitting popped right back on. Close the wire bail (could do that at the start) and it is locked into place. I was also pleasantly surprised that after I put coolant in and heated it up the fittings didn't leak.
The saddest thing about all of this saga.... I had read this thread months ago and said - yeah, gotta do this. I bought the grid but had set it aside for the next major maintenance. It was simple enough that I spent more time waiting for the tow truck than installing the grid. Do It Now.
Update:
Less than a year later... and the polymer seal failed on another drive home, at pretty much the same spot as in 2021. Towed home. The same ratiator guys did another polymer seal repair at NC so I had wheels and could drive where needed. They also offered my money back and asked if the pressure ran higher, stating the polymer seal hasn't failed for them before. My new aux radiator arrives shortly. When I install it I'll also place some additional screening in front of the grid shield as several have done in this thread. .
^^^ I just had the same thing happen on my 2018. I am having the new part installed at the dealership and yes, they do come with a debris shield now. BTW, walk around a parking lot and see how many other makes/models of cars have exposed radiators in their gaping maws. Not just a MINI/BMW thing. Once you've seen it, you can't unsee it!
Yep its a Porsche thing also. Rover has the same problem on all the newer supercharged engines 2014+ and thats a 100K+ SUV. Welcome to the rad grille club.
Indeed same happened to me in Uk . £1000 bill and will follow up it should have a guard on the replace auxiliary radiator. Thanks for pictures.
Originally Posted by d2mini
Yup! Left us stranded on the side of the road on a family day-trip.
MINI basically said sorry not sorry have a nice day and thank you for your $1000. They know its a problem because the new radiator has a grill guard!
Here's my thread about it... https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...right-now.html
