This is my first post as well as my first mini. Just picked it up last week and so far I LOVE IT!!! Grabbed a 2005 MCS with 34,000 miles and I'm already contracting the 'mini-madness' after reading through the forum: "ok I have to upgrade my pulley, DIY a CAI, remove a muffler for a one-ball conversion...."

One thing that concerned me was the day after I parked it in my garage, I was backing out and noticed a significant puddle right under where the engine was. I didn't have time to check to see what it was because it was 4 in the morning and I was heading to work.

When I got home, I checked the puddle which was pretty much completely dry. It looks like coolant and I was going to have it checked out soon. The second day of parking it in the garage, there was another puddle but a lot smaller. The third day, there were no more new puddles. I was looking through the manuals on the car and noticed a service page from a toyota dealership that stated 'minor engine leak'. It hasn't leaked the same fluid since then but I did notice a nickle sized spot of oil where the coolant usually was leaking.

I will be monitoring the coolant/oil levels but I was wondering what the input of the 'mini-masters' would be on this subject. I figure since it has such low mileage, it might have been leaking because of lack of use.

This used mini was bought from a BMW auction that states it was repo'd because the owner defaulted on the loan. I can get pics of the leaks up later but I'm at work right now.

 

There are many places that can leak oil on an engine.

valve cover
rear main seal
oil pan
cylinder head
timing cover seal
front cover
oil sender
dip stick tube
oil cooler
oil filter
drain plug
cam plug
oil galley plug

To find an oil leak, follow it up the engine to the highest point there is seepage. The oil will sometimes leave a clean path as it dribbles due to the detergents in the oil. Your engine is young, but generally speaking, make sure that the pcv valve is ok. Meaning, not open or closed, open being, the valve is blown out, and closed being that the valve is clogged with junk.

Coolant can leak from the water pump, radiator hoses, cracked radiator, heater core, heater core hoses, heat exchanger & hoses.

 

Yeah, another friend recommended for me to pressure wash the engine (protecting electrical parts) and then putting a white cloth under it when parked.. I'll see if I can trace that leak and hopefully I didn't buy a lemon..

 

If it's coolant, make sure you keep the reservoir topped up. The location of the coolant will help narrow down where it's leaking from. If it's right up front under the plastic lip guard, I'd be checking the radiator and it's connections. If it's back behind the engine, it's likely the coolant reservoir has split at the seam. If it's to the right side of the engine, it could be the thermostat housing gasket. Those seem to be the most common areas of coolant leaks.

 

Its a mini...
when it stops leaking, there is no more fluid in it?!

Seriously, different things leak...important thing is if they are minior, and montored.
There are lots of threads on various leaks here...coolant is common on many, and usually an easy fix...the resiviour bottle, and the thermostst both have common leaks....
Some r53 also burn/leak oil...so monitor oil useage.

 

My 06 MCS has a coolant leak. I found it to be the coolant overflow bottle had a split in the seam. There is a little tray under the bottle was catching mine. It never hit the floor. I just happened to see it while doing a visual motor insp.

 

" I checked the puddle which was pretty much completely dry", it isn't oil.

The overflow tank is a common problem - make sure your PS fan is working - mine failed & the overflow tank split at the seam from overheating - THANKFULLY, I believe it was what kept the car from catching on fire.

 

+1 on the thermostat as a possible source. Both of our 2006 MINIs developed leaks there.

 

Thermostat is the most likely cause, its on the right side of the valve cover down in a dark hole use a flashlight to look for trails of white powedery substance running down it.

 

stevecars60... I don't want to sound ignorant, but what is PS fan?

 

It's the fan that cools the power steering pump. Under the car, find the oil pan drain bolt and look about a foot toward the rear of the car. You'll see a round grille about four inches in diameter. That's the grille for the PS pump fan.

Loss of the PS pump fan won't cause the engine to overheat directly, but the same fuse that powers the PS fan also powers the low-speed engine fan. With the low-speed fan inoperable, there's no fan cooling until the high-speed fan circuit kicks in (about 260 °F, I believe). Look at fuse #40 in the driver's side kick panel - it should be a 5 A fuse at the bottom of the third column of fuses (the column nearest the front of the car that's shorter than the other two columns). If that fuse is blown, it's a good bet that your PS pump fan has seized and your low-speed engine cooling fan isn't working either.