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General MINI TalkShared experiences, motoring minutes, and other general MINI-related discussion that applies to all MINIs, regardless of model, year or trim.
It doesn't have to be BMW brand, but it has to be the correct type. There have been major developments in coolant technology over the last 20 years with HOAT and OAT long life coolants. Unfortunately, those two new types of coolants are incompatible. Mixing them can cause coolant to gel and clog small passages in the cooling system and lead to major problems, up to an including the destruction of your engine.
The only way to be safe is to use only the coolant specified for your vehicle.
From my understanding,the BMW coolant is blue.
As far as I know,the stock coolant is green in my wife's Mini.Never been changed.
About all fluids, both BMW and MINI cross lines. The MINI coolant is blue. It may only look Green due to tank color, and having been diluted with a 50/50 blend of coolant and distilled water.
+1 its concentrated Coolant and gets mixed 50/50 with distilled water. Sometimes with age and looking in the coolant tank it can have a tad shade of green, then you pour it out and its blue. G11 blue in the aftermarket. MINI factory comes in a big gallon so its easy to make 2 gallon of 50/50. Which does about most cooling jobs. Used on both my MINIs.
BMW has issued a 1991 technical bulletin, 17-01-88-(1743), which details problems with what is known as silicate gel precipitation in engines. This is the 'green goo' that results as a consequence of an antifreeze over-concentration in the coolant, combined with hard water, and the phosphates commonly used in many antifreezes. BMW factory antifreeze has been formulated to prevent this problem of silicate drop-out without any coolant performance loss. This antifreeze contains no nitrites and no phosphates. The part number for a one gallon container is 82-14-0-031-133, use 50/50 with distilled water. Personally, I stick to using BMW coolant for this and other reasons. Just for ease of mind.
