Hello everyone! So my MINI now has 126K on it, had the engine rebuilt and all seems to be well. I am soon going to replace my Power Steering hoses because they are leaking, you can see crusted PS fluid on the reservoir as well as on the hoses as well. I took it to the dealer and they confirmed that my PS hoses were leaking.

HOWEVER, my car has had this for quite sometime now, and I always thought it was because of the Power Steering but it doesn't seem to make sense. Whenever I am done driving my car from A to B, after I shut the engine off, there is something dripping on the exhaust piping. From my understanding, the Power Steering hoses don't run over the exhaust piping or the header correct? So I was thinking maybe it was the coolant? Not too sure how to check that though. When the car is cold, I'll check the coolant expansion tank, and it looks moist, but not filled. Is that at all normal? I have a ScanGauge II that reads between 200-203F for the water temp. when I'm driving the car and the car's temperature gauge never passes the halfway mark. Does anyone know what this might be?

PS: I THINK its leaking onto the exhaust piping because it sounds like a liquid dripping onto a hollow metal tube. Not to mention if you are near the exhaust tips you can here it fairly well too.

Thanks for everyone's time!!!

 

I was with you until the end. I don't know how anything could be leaking onto the exhaust by the tips unless your battery box is full of water and leaking.
However, 1st gen MINIs are notorious for leaky coolant tanks. You may be hearing the coolant dripping onto the heat shield directly under the tank. The next time the MINI is cool, clean off the shield extremely well with a moist rag making sure to get all dirt and dried coolant off. Then take her for a good ride, making sure she stays at normal operating temp for 10-15 minutes. Park it and let it cool. Then look at your heat shield. The dried coolant will be obvious.

 

Any burning odors along with these symptoms ?

If your PS lines have been leaking for some time, I would consider changing the PS fluid reservoir tank as well.

There is a foam filter of sorts at the bottom of the tank which when exposed to PS fluid with high moisture content, becomes "moldy" looking and ineffective flow.

 

Sorry I meant to say something is leaking onto the exhaust piping in general and you can here it at the Exhaust tip. I think the dripping is actually occurring near the cat.

 

Like I mentioned before, should I check my coolant expansion tank when the car is completely cold or when the car is hot? To check the amount of coolant I actually have that is.

 

DO NOT take the cap off of the coolant tank if the engine is hot!

 

Unless you see a white film residue (coolant) or smell burning, and all it is, is the sound, it could just be the exhaust cooling off. Sometimes depending on the points and welds, metal will "tick" as it cools. Ive never had a drip-leak that i could hear, so thats my guess as to what it is if you don't find any white/yellow residue.

 

It does have a ticking sound!!! I mean it ticks until the car is cool I guess. And it is a custom exhaust with many weld points. As for the coolant I let the air out first before twisting the cap off completely . So i have an 02 Cooper S, what color should the coolant in the overflow tank be?

 

Coolant comes in several colors in the aftermarket world.

My MINIs tick when they are cooling down also. If the coolant were leaking on the heat shield you would hear a sizzle also. If it's just a tick, (and no leaks) then she should be ok.

 

the tick is the exhaust cooling

 

+1

 

I was freaking out ffor awhile now!! Thanks for the help everyone!!

 

It could also just be condensatation from the air conditioning dripping on the exhaust pipe.