So, three days ago i was driving home in traffic on a side street. Out of nowhere a huge bright orange sand bag appears in the road ahead. Of course all of the large vehicles in front of me passed over it no problem, but my mini was a different story My ac condenser and radiator took a pretty bad hit along with the radiator support. Now, i did not notice this untill today when i took the bumper cover off to inspect for more damage. I drove the mini two days without leaking, overheating ect..


Im thinking about usinging some gorilla glue on the radiator support... but im not sure if i should drive the car with the radiator and ac condenser smushed if I should replace these, do you recommend me ordering the parts and doing a DIY?


thanks

 

Depends on how handy you are...

I will say that it is a little tricky taking the hose clamps off, however, putting in a new radiator and radiator support really isn't that bad. The only thing that I don't know about is putting in a new A/C condensor....

If you were going to just do the radiator and radiator support, all you have to do is remove your bumper cover, remove your aluminum bumper carrier, remove all clips from the wheel wells onto the radiator support, unbolt your ac condenser and drop it down (you may want to have a support for it if you have your vehicle on jack stands), unbolt your radiator, undo your hose clamps, drain your radiator, detach your radiator, unbolt your radiator support, I believe you have to un-clip an intake hose, unplug your fog lamps, unscew and unclip your radiator fan and rubber mouldings, and switch all equipment from one radiator support to another. Then, basically, put it all back together. Again, I'm not too sure about the A/C condensor, you may want to have that looked at by a professional, however, the other items are easily done without removing the A/C condensor completely.

Any way, if you have a Bentley manual, it has all that you need to get the job done, it got me through it just fine!

-Chase

 

The A/C condenser is easily removed and replaced, it would require having the R-134A captured and then the system vacuumed down after the new part is installed so any moisture is removed. After that new R-134 can be added to the A/C system. Having the system vacuumed runs about $40-$50, I am sure more if you are in the People's Republic of California. If the A/C system stops blowing cold air, it is probably due to a leak in the system. When the A/C system pressure drops below a certain value a pressure shut-off/cut-out switch tells the compressor to stop pumping by not allowing the compressor clutch to engage in order to prevent damage to the compressor.

I would recommend changing out the filter/dryer too. Most condenser, compressor, and evaporator warranties require changing the filter/dryer anyway. The Bentley Manual covers the procedure very thoroughly.

Good luck!

 

You might realize that California is a ridiculously conservative state. Last 3 out of 4 governors have been republicans. Liberal California is a myth, and has been for many years.

Back to the topic, get the Bentley Manual. It will take you on a step by step journey through your repair.

 

If the condenser is not leaking, then I would not bother replacing it. You've only lost a small fraction of the total fin area and you wont have any problems with reduced capacity. If there ends up being a leak, the system will shut down to prevent damage due to lost refrigerant. By the looks in your pictures, you have 'soft' damage to the condenser, where there is a gradual bend in the bottom-most tube and some crushed fins, rather than a hard gouged-out chunk of metal with more potential for leaks (as would happen if a rock hit it).

The radiator support can be fixed with some serious glue, or it can be replaced. If memory serves, you can actually finagle the radiator and condenser from the plastic support (also known as the modular front end) without disconnecting any coolant or refrigerant lines. This plastic piece is not structural for the body, rather it just holds the two cores and some smaller bits in place.

 

Really? Somehow I think of UCLA Berkley, 9th Circuit Court, Nancy Pelosi, Hollywood, GreenPeace (based out of San Francisco), San Francisco political environment itself, and the Propositions 22 and 187 that won support by the majority of voters but overturned by the court (9th Circuit no less), and the State's obsession with telling everyone how to live...conservative you say? How about the "sanctuary" status of San Francisco, the California EPA, state tax dollars going to illegal aliens in way of education and welfare? Did I mention being one of the highest taxed states in the union?

It has nothing to do with who is governors, after all California was notoriously a liberal state even when Ronald Reagan was governor. I was speaking more of the overall social climate of California. The term I used; "People's Republic of California" isn't mine, but one used by a co-worker who used to live there in California, and moved because he was tired of the liberalism there.

But I digress...

Yes, I agree that the Bentley Manual is the best one out there for 1st Generation MINIs.

Sorry Gromit801, I couldn't help it.

 

True, and I agree. I would have it checked with a "sniffer" to see if it is slowly leaking, if it is I would go ahead and make plans to have it replaced.

But as Greatbear stated, if it isn't leaking then you would be ok letting it go the amount of cooling area affected on the condenser shouldn't cause an issue.

Thanks for clarifying that Greatbear.

 

If you've got full coverage insurance, and a low deductible, another possibility is to turn it into your insurance company to cover the repair. The cost of a radiator, radiator core support, condensor, bumper cover (I assume it got damaged), A/C evacuation and fill, plus the labor to do all of this is not going to be cheap. Even if you do the work yourself, your time is money and parts aren't cheap.

 

My car is currently in the shop for similar damage. Losing control in the snow last winter and ending up in a ditch with a rock coming up through the lower bumper cover (front spoiler) shattered my radiator mount, and dented the AC condensor and radiator. I spoke to the body shop rep today and he told me that they found additional damage to the painted bumper, which needed to be replaced. My insurance is covering everything (minus $500), and although I haven't yet gotten back the final tally, I was given a quick quote of $2k...I am fully expecting it to be a lot higher. I do live in expensive San Francisco, but there is a lot of work involved, and parts are not cheap. If insurance is at all an option, take it...I think the condensor & dryer alone run close to $500.