Hey all,

I just got my R53 about two weeks ago. Today, hopped in and it wouldn't start. It turned over pretty weakly, with an occasional CHUG. I came back about 20 minutes later and after about three more attempts, it started. The coolant temp gauge was in the red, so I shut the car off. I checked the reservoir and it was bone dry. I checked the oil and there appears to be enough oil.

Backstory - I noticed the check engine light on this past week, but it turned off itself. I had an alarm installed and the guy said the light came back on while he was working on it. He scanned it and he said the code was for cylinder 3 misfire. He also said it's probably just that the spark plugs need to be replaced. My car is an 02 MCS with 55,000 miles on it.

Could it be the spark plugs? Why would my reservoir be bone dry? I admittedly didn't check it when I bought the car. I do also have a 3,000 miles, 90 powertrain warrantee.

Let me know if there's any other information needed. Also, car knowledge is still pretty amateur. Trying to learn. Thanks in advance! Pictures below.



Speedo after I finally got it started. Traction control light was also on and would not turn off.


Reservoir overflowed at some point and is completely empty.

 

So it started and the temp gauge showed it was hot right away, or after you drove it awhile?

The slow starting is most likely either the battery or the starter. Maybe the new alarm took the last bit of life out the battery.

The lack of water is most likely a leaking reservoir. It's a very common problem. Easy enough fix, and there are some pretty nice aftermarket choices to replace it. You don't have to replace it right away, but definitely keep an eye on it.

Assuming it's the battery, I would replace that before trying to figure out the misfire problem. A bad battery can make the car do weird things

 

Once I filled up the coolant, it started fine. Having different issues now, will share in another post. Thanks!

 

What was the issue with the coolant ? I am having similar problems myself.

 

My guess is that there's a coolant level sensor. I'm still new to this car and I can't find anything to support this (with a quick Google search anyway), but it's the only thing that makes sense to me. I'm sure someone more experienced can verify my thoughts. Hope that helps!

 

Hmmm I haven't seen/heard much about that either but its a possibility. Ive also been told it can be a summer mixture of the gas? Let me know if you find anything solid out. Thanks

 

Well, I was for sure out of coolant. It was bone dry and when I filled it back up, it started up no problem. I've also replaced my spark plugs thinking that I might have had a bad plug. Going to the dealer today to get it double checked, so I'll let you know. Cheers!

 

Awesome! Yes please let me know what the dealer says I am very interested.

 

Coolant won't affect your starting. You can start and run it dry until it overheats if you want. First thing to check is your battery. If you have a multimeter, it should be reading 12.6 volts from the battery. If it does then it needs to be load tested at most any auto parts store. If the battery checks out good then check you terminals for cleanliness and make sure your grounds are clean and tight. If that isn't the problem then you can move on to the starter.

 

Ahh, ok. I did run into a few things about the battery or starter. I will do that ASAP! It starts okay for now, so I'll try and make it to this coming weekend.

 

Battery would be a good place to start with the starting issue. I'm sure the dealer will test it and let you know what it reads. When you replaced the plugs did the CEL ever come back? For the coolant, did you notice any type of leaks anywhere? Check the coolant tank as it's pretty common for them to fail at the seams. Take a look around the coolant tank. In some instances, you can instantly see it has been leaking. In others, you may only see a faint trace of coolant beginning to emerge from the molding seam. We have a tech article with more info here. Let us know what they find.

 

So, I think that the cap on the reservoir wasn't tightened as tight as it should have, or may have come loose. Looking at the picture I posted, it does look like the coolant was leaking from the lid. I also ran into overheating problems on my way to the dealer today. I checked the coolant first thing and it was bone dry again. I noticed wetness all around where the reservoir is too, which made me think it could have been the lid. I ended up making it to a gas station. I got some coolant, tightened the lid with all the force I could muster, and the car ran great. The check engine light even turned off. I think it was on because the cap wasn't put on all the way. Also, I have heard that the reservoirs are known to leak on the early MINIs. I will continue to keep an eye on my levels, but I think I might just need a new cap even. It looks a little torn up. I hope that helps!

 

Thanks! I posted a little above about my adventure today, but dealer didn't see anything immediately wrong. Also, this isn't a MINI dealer (it's Jeep/Chrysler), but if I notice anything off I'll take it to a recommended shop. Thanks!

 

Ah yes, looks like we posted at the same time! haha. Check the condition of the cap and the seal just to make sure it's not faulty. If it keeps overflowing out of the cap, might be a good idea to replace it. Here if needed. Yes, if you start noticing things again definitely find an indy mechanic that is better suited to diag your MINI. If you do decide to replace that battery we have a great DIY here that can be helpful.

 

After looking more into my situation as well it seemed my cap was loose too. I pulled the cap off started and filled it to the proper line, and tightened the cap like I never have before. After that I reset the ECU just to see if that helps and so far so good. Ill let you know as the week gets hotter if anything else happens. Thanks for writing back about the issue. It seems this week alot of us R53 owners are having similar issues. Its funny I am still convinced its the mixture of additives in the summer vs. winter gas as far as the bad start up goes. At least thats what everyone including MINI is saying.

 

To continue my story, I started overheating on my way to work today. I was parking when I noticed it and had been keeping my eye on the gauge while driving. I'm convinced I have a bad radiator cap since it's a little torn up on the inside. I'll take a picture later today and post... trying to find somewhere to get a replacement cap so I don't have to overnight one. I'd double check and make sure yours is still good. I've read a lot of issues with the stock caps & reservoirs.

That's interesting about the summer gas mixtures. I'm going to get my battery checked to make sure it's not that, but something tells me it's not. Gut feeling, but will keep reporting.

EDIT: I think it's the cap, because it was wet from under the cap again. I didn't have a rag to open it up and check since I'm in work clothes, but I'm going to take a peek at lunch time.

 

Along with a new cap, I would suggest obtaining a new coolant reservoir tank because they tend to crack and leak. You have probably put a lot of stress on the cap and tank with the coolant heat.

Another common coolant leak is from the thermostat housing and gasket. Look for puddled coolant and/or white dried coolant around or beneath the thermostat housing.

Since you had a misfire on #3. Along with changing spark plugs, check the spark plug wires where they attach to the coil. My guess is you will see corrosion on the coil terminal that the wire plugs onto. Clean off all corrosion and add a little dielectric grease to the terminal. Also inspect the spark plug wire for corrosion.

 

I just ordered the cap from someone in the neighborhood. I was thinking about ordering a new OEM reservoir just in case, so maybe I'll do that today. Then at least, I'll have a new tank on the way. I'll check for the thermostat housing, but I can see dried coolant coming from the reservoir cap. Every time I've looked after overheating, I've seen wetness originating from the cap. Fingers crossed it's just the cap!

The coils and wires seem fine. The engine is in immaculate condition considering the car is 12 years old. Previous two owners only drove it a combined 55k miles. I have some dielectric grease, so might just lube it up to be safe. Thanks!

 

As an update, I got the new reservoir cap. I had the mechanic I bought it from take a look. He says he doesn't think it's the cap (it wasn't as torn up as I had thought), which leads him to believe it could be something much worse. Now I need to figure out how to get it to the dealership which happens to be some 40+ miles away right now.

 

When the car is "overheating" and blowing all over the top of the tank which I can see from the photos do you have the AC on? Also where are you located and what is the tempature like right now? I had a simular issue and it seemed to be the lower coolant hose.

 

Yet another update... I decided I needed to take it back to the dealer to take a look at. The mechanic that sold me the new cap took a look and suggested it might be a symptom of a much worse issue. On my way to the dealer, I overheated again. I filled up with coolant and decided to stop somewhere closer. I was only about 3 miles from a German auto mechanic by my house. I figured I'd pay them to diagnose and then figure it out from there. I was still 30-45 minutes from the dealer.

Long story short, the mechanic I ended up taking the car to found that my fan had gone out or wasn't operating properly, causing my engine to overheat and vent the coolant through the reservoir cap. I also have misfires in cylinders 2 and 3. The shop was closing before they finished, so they'll finish diagnosing tomorrow.

Side note, the mechanic is also going to see if they can fix the car for the dealer since it's not a MINI dealer and they would be outsourcing anyway. We shall see.

 

Oh no man I am sorry to hear that. Let us know tmrw as the information comes in. Are you going to order the fan on your own and have him install it? How much are you looking at??

 

Not sure on pricing yet. I have a 90 day warantee, so trying to work that all out right now. Really, I'm trying to see if the dealer will let the shop fix it under the warantee. I bought the car from a Dodge/Jeep/Chrysler dealer, so they would outsource anyway. Haven't heard anything yet, but I'll update again when I know more.

 

Ok good luck! Ill pray to the MINI Gods on your behalf

 

So, final update. Car has a blown head gasket. The car has now been in the shop longer than it's been in my possession.