Hello,
I always read the board, but I hardly ever post. However, I hit some kind of animal on the highway tonight and am worried of the consequences to the front of the engine. You'll forgive my ignorance, but that metallic air intake (that's what it looks like, anyway) at the front and bottom as I'm facing my Cooper S has just one large dent into it. The plastic bodywork is kind of smashed too, but it's not about to fall off, so I don't have too many worries about it.

Just from my basic description, can anyone take a shot in the dark and tell me if that is going to cause a major headache for me? Or can I continue to drive my car for a while until I have the time to schedule my Inspection 1, which is due in about one thousand miles?

Definitely let me know if I need to describe this some more. Obviously, I know that only a trained person doing a visual inspection can tell me for certain, but I was just wondering if anyone who has had this happen to them can share their experience.

Thanks for your help.

 

take some pix if you can, but it sounds like you damaged your radiator. If its not leaking coolant, it should be ok for a while but should ultimately replace it depending on the severity.

 

A more thorough description would certainly help. We have several members who are experienced damage appraisers and might be able to shed more light on your problem.