Looks like only certain cars, i still dont have one for my 2007 R56 S.

 

I changed my thermostat a few months back and just finished replacing the water pump. Both out of warranty and I only have 55k miles on it.

The engineer who designed the cooling system needs to be horse whipped.

 

A key difference is that the Jarvik was built to outlast the patient. Not so much the plastic Mini thermostat housing.

But they do look alike.

 

Excellent post. Some observations, however:
1. If you don't like making donations to the dealer, you might consider ECS Tuning or other aftermarket vendors for parts. I suggest ECS because they're kind enough to sponsor this board.
2. Antifreeze/coolant: Save a few bucks; research coolant and use a cheaper compatible coolant.
3. I just finished this job. I read that pushing the back of the thermostat housing with its o-ring back into the rear coolant tube was fairly easy. I simply lacked the strength to do it, in the angles and space provided. Maybe because I'm 70 and only 170 pounds and lift weights only twice a week, wasting away mountain biking and snowboarding. I had to use a pry bar (with padding...didn't want to break the plastic). Had the same problem with that rear coolant tube; with a new o-ring, I could not force it into the coolant pump by hand. Used a big fat screwdriver to lever it in.
4. I believe I read a thread saying getting the thermostat-to-rear-coolant-tube clip back in place was very difficult, and that someone else wrote to put the clip on before pushing the thermostat into the tube. I found it to be the easiest part of the job. Possibly because I took the air filter housing off, so I could easily reach in there. It cannot be done by putting the clip in before getting the thermostat end into the rear coolant tube. Literally impossible. The clip is in the way. I tested that with the parts out. Just put the clip on the rear coolant tube and look. You can see that it would be in the way.

 

I plugged two of them into the wrong places, and then the third one would not go in. I noticed a little brown sleeve left behind (in the plug hole in the fat hose that goes from the MAF sensor to the turbo). That is there to make it impossible to plug the other two in that connection. However, the other two can be plugged into each other's slot.

After staring at them for a while, I saw how to figure that out: One of the two slots has a single prong connector inside; one of the two plugs has only one wire coming out. They go together. This is not something you'd ordinarily look for, but it does determine which goes where.

 

Hi all, few days a go it was about 18° in DFW got home from work shot the car off and found my cooling fan is running to my surprise my temp gage showed 154°, this went on for about 20min, I had opened the hood and checked the coolant reservuar and nothing was out of ordinary touched the motor it was cold no leaks on the ground the next day drove the car to work and all was great.after work checked to see the coolant level all was perfect and no coolant under the car. 2 days later driving to work and my check engine comes on I monitored the coad P112B since I work at a auto dealer I had one of my ASE Masters check the thermostat and his diagnostic was the sensor not the thermostat it self since all the coolant level is fine and no loss of coolant.
What do you all think my car is a 09 S.
Thx
Ben

 

The sensors can go bad from time to time. You changed your thermostat a while back correct? Sometimes the air can get trapped after a single bleed, i bled mine about 3 times to get all the air out and then no more air. But if you are good and the level is touching that sensor, then the sensor might be bad.

 

No I did not change the thermostat since I have owned the car, I have 72000 miles on it, if the previous owner have I really don't know, few month back the water pipe came undone and dumped the coolant but I stoped the car immediately before the temperature went up, got it fixed and as I recall bled once.the car is not being driven and it is parked now till Thursday that goes to my mini tech,just needed to know should I for now just do the sensor or the thermostat too.
Thank you.
Ben

 

Ok, just making sure. When you opened up the system you could have gotten air in it. Most of the time that air if not bled out a couple times can get trapped and the work into the thermostat and for a short time make the sensor read zero coolant and error but that usually then does not show the 154 temp. It could have been a air pocket or that sensor. You can change the sensor out quickly and then clear the cel. If it comes back then you have an air pocket from the water pipe coming loose.

 

Thank you for the info and help, will have the sensor replaced an re bleed the system and go from there.
Ben

 

Welcome, the temp sensor is here: Just make sure you push it down in and make sure the o ring seats and the clip is in tight. What to not damage the sensor plug.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ugh-start.html

Sensor plug:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...epairable.html

 

If the work was done by a Mini dealer, I can't believe they would replace the water pipe and not the T-stat, since it has to be removed to replace the pipe. It would be seriously foolish to reinstall a T-stat with 72k miles on it. The manufacture date is imprinted right on the T-stat. In which case, it should be covered under the part warranty. If done at a Mini dealer, they refill the coolant system with a Mini version of the Airlift vacuum system, which checks for leaks via vacuum first, then because there is no air in the system from the vacuum, there is no need to bleed.

 

No it was done by firestone since that was the closest repair facility at the time my water pipe separated
I don't use the dealer I know how it works with them I only use my master ASE mini tech who also installed my stage 2 manic. As far as I know none of those parts where replaced.
But heading to the shop today and he will look to see what is needed. He has the sensor ready if that will take care of it.
Ben

 

Ok, let us know how it goes.

 

Well it was a bad sensor after all, took a few minutes and all is well. Check engine went off coad cleared. And my baby is back on the road.
Ben
Thank you all

 

Now the transmission took a $h1t and I only have 57K on the clock. What a POS.

 

I need to file a report on myself here. The two O-rings would not force in without lubricant. So I sprayed them with silicone lubricant spray. Don't do that. The hydrocarbons in the spray cause them to swell, and then, levering them in can make the problem worse. The O-ring at the water pump end tore, and I had to do the whole job over. (The practice made it go faster.) I ordered and used new O-rings and silicone grease. Made the job a lot easier. Still had to use levers to get them in, but I could see them slide into place; no leaks now.

 

Automatic tranny? I had to change my thermo on my 2012 at 36k, bad sensor, so consider yourself lucky.

 

Lucky? Only BAD luck. I had an extended warranty that ran out last April. I had 3 or 4 electrical issues while it was in warranty. We had a few issues that were mostly electrical and service at one dealership 30 miles away is good while the new dealership near me are total morons.

In May it died and would not crank. It was $450 for new spark plugs and another $180 for 2 coil packs and a hour labor - 57 miles outside of the warranty window. In June the thermostat housing started leaking. Dealer wanted just north of $900 to fix that, I did it for $220 in parts in about 6 hours.

In August the TPS board went **** up. My mechanic trouble shot it for about 10 minutes and came back the board was bad and they die easily and he can get me one for just over $400 (no warranty) or charge me $50 and code it out. In November the water pump spun out, it was the plastic housing that had a hairline crack in it. My mechanic wanted just under $800 and the dealer was $1100. I did it in 8 hours for about $125 parts.

Now the automatic transmission has locked down the car. I could understand if I had a teenager driving/abusing it but this is my wife's car, she is a retired school teacher. I don't think she has ever had it above 3500 rpm or more than 5 mph over the posted speed limit and I have made sure that it has been serviced more often than the intensive service schedule. This car has been babied. It is just a crappy design that used sub-par parts with a premium cost.

 

I can relate. Bought mine for 11k about 2 years a go I have over 20k in this 2009 S, but just love the car. From $100 to engine rebuilt full suspension and every other week 2-300$ to keep it going the N14 r56 is an ATM machine, should have done my home work and went with r53 if I wanted a Mini cooper.
Ben

 

I am sorry to hear of your troubles but plugs are $10 each and coils are $20 each. If you can change the thermo yourself you can surely do plugs and coils. I changed the water pump, water pipe and thermo all at the same time since I was in there, hopefully you got the metal housing water pump.

I have not heard of the TPS board being a common problem. Is that Throttle Position Sensor? Or Tire Pressure Monitor? Or something else? What were the symptoms?

Have you been drain/filling the trans every 10k? You said you serviced it "more often than the intensive service schedule" but the trans does not have a change interval on any service schedule according to BMW.

Also, 2012 should be the N18 engine. Hopefully your build date is after Feb (I think) so that you have the bosch fuel pump or else a $1000 parts only repair is in your near future.

 

The P112b is back so now I have to replace the thermostat.
Ben

 

As unfortunate as it is to have to do; and most times it's multiple times I highly recommend you spend the extra money on OE thermostats for these cars.

The headache that the aftermarket units may cause aren't worth saving a couple bucks. We had a point where it seemed 60% of the aftermarket thermostats we installed came back within a year and were faulty again, some of which were less than 6 months! Since then we've stopped even offering the cheaper option to customers.

 

You are on your original thermostat correct?

 

yes