My 09 Mini Cooper a month old has greese coming out the bonnet on the front wheel area on the plastic above the front wheels on both sides of the car . I have looked under the hood and can't see a thing . It has been very hot where i live in deep south = could this be some greese that is on hinges for the bonnet or what . I wash it off and it comes back during the day ?
It is driving good . where is the greese coming from any ideas ?

Thanks

Grease? Pics please?

They use this weird yellowish material (looks like beeswax) to spray the cars down for the ocean transport that protects them from sea spray. In some of the second gens, it oozed out of all sorts of nooks and crannies in hot temps later... I can't remember the name of it.

If that's not it... post some pics... and drop your MA an email and let them know what you're seeing.

Cosmoline, I believe, is the name.

Yes it looks like bees wax under the hood in many places and it just started oozing out the last few days = the temps have gotten close to 90 degrees here where i live . It it hard to wash off ! Hope thats the problem . Im not a good car guy LOl ! I can only change the oil in my other cars . I will give my dealer a call and ask them . It not even close to summer temps here yet = it gets close to 98 in Aug . Bee like stuff will go every where then LOL !
Thanks for your help

wandrur: Thanks!

onetigerlsu: You're very welcome! That's what we're here for.

Just call your MA and tell them you have cosmoline leaking out of your bonnet. They should be able to clean it for you or you can use a little simple green to clean it off.

Be gentle and careful when removing it. A little simple green goes a long way!

what is green ? I live in louisiana and its hot here ! I had to drive to Baton Rouge this past saturday for work and my Mini sat in the hot sun all day and was leaking this stuff out the corners of the bonnet . i had no clue ! My Mini must sit out side in the hot sun everyday now because i have no room to put her and no shade ! Bee stuff may take over LOL !

As you can see from my pic of my car in the back ground we are rebuilding from the hurricanes last year and have no shade from my new Mini . Carport is full of building materials for my house now and it will take a long time ! So my Cooper will have to take the Heat !

It's a cleaning product called "Simple Green". It comes in spray bottles, you should be able to find it at the grocery store. It's really great. The stuff is SUPER concentrated so when you buy it, buy a couple of empty spray bottles too so you can dilute it.

For cleaning the cosmoline I'd probably dilute a half cup of Simple Green in four cups of water and put that in one of the empty spray bottles, then spray onto a clean cotton cloth and gently rub at the cosmoline itself until it lifts off. When it's gone, rinse the area with water REALLY GOOD!

Just keep doing this every time you see the beeswax stuff on your car until it stops. It will stop eventually on its own.

I'm getting a lot of grease leaking out of my bonnet as well. I kept wiping it off but I got so sick of it that I'm just leaving it alone. I hope it's not harmful to my paint.

thanks for your help ! i will try to get the cosmoline off under the bonnet and hope it stops ! I will try your suggestion . Thanks for your help = i love my Cooper so far ! It drives like a dream ! My teenage son loves to drive it also ! I can get him to get the bee stuff off for driving time LOL ! That bee stuff as you said is every where under the hood . I will clean her up good ! Thanks from the deep south !

Yeah, you're going to want to remove it... it's a real pain to get off once it hardens. If you're having problems getting it off, call your dealership and ask them if they can detail the car again for you because you're having cosmoline leaking all over your car. They should take care of it free of charge.

My teenage son jokes about driving my MINI. All it takes is one look from me for him to know that he will never touch my girl. I'm so attached to it that I can't imagine letting him get behind the wheel... if he had an accident... I don't think I'd ever let him live it down.

Kudos to you for being brave enough to share the MINI love with your son. You're a far better person than I.

I will keep washing her = until i get time go to dealership in a few weeks . To far to take a trip now to dealership . Hope it does not hurt the paint ! Again thanks for the help you guys are great for us new Mini Owners

I don't think leaving the cosmoline is harmful to the paint... but call your dealer and ask, just in case because I'm not an expert on paint. Your dealership will be very familiar with this as it is a common problem with new MINIs.

Well for now only time my teenage son can drive my mini is to school and back with me in drives seat . He thinks he is cool and he is LOL !Driving a Mini ! I teach at the same school and coach FB so he want mess up or else. Poor kid will get my Jeep to drive soon this summer its big and slow ! yes I know the mini might be safer but its mine !

i used rubbing alcohol and a terry cloth rag to remove the runny yellow stuff

I have used simple green, just remember it will strip off wax, so if you get it on the exposed part of the car,, just hit it with some wax..

goo b gone also works..

and I have heard peanut butter for the hardened stuff.. but dont use crunchy.. or if you think the car may be allergic to peanut oils

a lil WD-40 on a rag works too

the peanut butter trick is to get wax residue off the wheel arches ... but a soft tooth brush works also

be happy MINI soakes your car with COZ vs having salt intrude and start rust...

Thanks for your help . I can finally get outside and try to get the stuff off my car . I have been busy with spring football practice . The stuff is still ozzing form under the bonnet now for a number of days = but work has me too busy to get her clean . I will try to get the stuff off my plastic wheel arches . May also give her a good washing !

my 05 MCS dripped Cosmo for 3.75 years, from delivery right to the day I traded 'er problematic little booty away. I used Klasse AIO to keep it at bay. and yes it can stain the clearcoat so get it off asap

My 09 seems relatively Cosmo-free, but it does tend to come out my rear washer nozzle and drip down das boot. Yah.

My dealer did a chassis power wash on their dime with my 05, and it helped. this is what BMW is supposed to do at the VDC, but sometimes it doesnt all come out.

if U cant get it off, complain nicely to yr dealer, and I bet they'll do the same

Oh and if U get tagged with bird crap, that takes priority over Cosmoline. That stuff will eat thru clearcoat.

I guess this will be a on going thing for me . That stuff is hard just to wash off . I live to far to run to the dealer .Its very hot here already hit 90 degrees today . Again i live in deep south so its a cool day LOL ! I guess i will wash my car every day LOL !

What works as good/better than simple green (and is safer to some extent) is a Mr Clean Magic eraser. Most important thing you have to worry about with the cosmoline is it will stain the black trim if left to dry, although the stains can be removed with Black Wow, or Black Magic.

Yes it is stained already and its sad ! I have a new car and the trim is stained already . I have been washing it twice a week and the cosmoline is oozing from under the bonnet on the plastic . It looks bad ! I have a jeep that is 7 years old and the plastic just faded from the sun . Does the plastic on the Mini do the same thing fade from sun ?

I finally had time to call dealer today and he told me what it was just like you guys said . He told me to keep the stuff off the paint and bring it in to the dealership when i have a chance but not on the weekend because they have no workers in service department on the weekend . in a few weeks i will try to get it buy the dealer and have them remove all the comoline if possible and give my new car = a good shine if they can . Hope it stops some in this summer heat !