Howdy.

I have an '05 r53 that all of a sudden started to give me lots of problems...

I guess it started with an intermittent check engine light about a month ago. It came on for a day, went off the next morning, then reappeared throughout the next week. I didn't know what to do about it but the car seemed to be running fine. I had just changed the oil recently and it sounded as smooth as ever -- snarling and snapping included! So when it went off and stayed off after that I chalked it up to a loose fuel cap or something.

Now this happened. One morning three days ago my car wouldn't start. I opened the door and slotted my key in and turned the ignition. Nothing, not even a click. I had just enough time to notice the radio dimming and the interior lights turn off to see the car literally run out of juice. I bought a jump pack at Harbor Freight and charged it that night. The next morning, yesterday, I used the jump pack (after hybrid-izing the procedure in the MINI manual and the jump pack) to start the MINI to go to work. That evening, I started the MINI after work. While it started without assistance, the car sounded weak turning the motor over and for a moment I didn't think it would start, but it did.

And then the catastrophe. I wanted to make a stop on the way to my house after work but I was concerned about the battery. I decided to leave the car running when I stopped thinking it would both 1. prevent the battery from being used again to start the car on a low charge. 2. charge the battery.

I wish I had never done that.

I was gone for perhaps 10 minutes. When I got back and hopped in the car, the temp gauge was pegged straight at 12 o'clock. I immediately turned the car off -- only to then see copious amounts of steam rise from my bonnet. I popped open the hood and saw most of the engine compartment coated in coolant, the reservoir cap hissing like a mad cobra. I checked the temp again and that temp needle shot right back up to the max (and this time i noticed the temp light blinks when it first reaches max -- or does that mean something different ?)

I let it cool off and prayed for the life of my MINI. I actually did alittle more than that and poured about a litre of water on the engine block to make sure it was cool. After about 20 minutes I checked the temp and when it barely rise off the resting position I thought I was safe to try and get myself home in my overheated MINI. It started up fine, but when I started it, it sounded bad. The check engine light flickered on, and it was chugging like it could die at any minute. But I had to go home. On the road, the engine performed as poorly as it had idled. It had no power, and would bog down if you tried to accelerate at anything quicker than a snail's pace. I got home, but I thought my MINI was toast.

But then I caught a break. I started my MINI today - in the vain hope that it would magically be alright - and it was! On the way into work my MINI had that same throaty growl, power, and responsiveness i have loved since the day I bought it.

So my question is, what should I do now? Take it to a shop anyway? Drive it till it thrashes?

 

Grounding straps secure?

 

Yeah I could see that being an intermittent issue. I'll check that.

One thing though : I was told by a co-worker who heard my story that I probably made things worse with the water I poured on my engine block. He said water + coils = faulty ignition. It sure explains the loss of power and responsiveness. Then when the engine dried out in the morning it ran fine.

I think the real task is finding out why it overheats at idle?

How should I check to see if I have a stuck thermostat? Bad radiator/radiator fan? Water Pump ?

 

Might be the low speed fan was not working when it was at idle, does not take long to get too hot and it may have caused the coolant bottle to split.

How old is the battery?

 

I did a quick visual inspection of the reservoir and did not see any cracks in the container itself, but I have not done a leak test or anything.

The battery is of unknown age. It had that battery in the car when I bought it June of 2014. And on the MCS you don't even hook up the jumper cables to the battery when you jump start it, so I haven't even seen the warranty sticker on it

 

You can always bring the battery to a local autozone and they can check the load capacity and condition.


The original battery in my Mini lasted 7 years and them one day it just croaked in my driveway.

 

Does the COOLING fan ever run??
A car should idle fine indefinitely....no issues...
So we need to figure out why it is overheating at idle...so that is a pressing issue...
A dead COOLING fan is my first guess, or depending on the production date, the PS fan may have seized, making the radiator fan inop (Jan 2005 PRODUCTION cars had a wiring change)....
Even if the low speed fan is bad, the high speed would cycle on and off, and it would be fine...
Next...
I would consider the water pump SC has an issue....hopefully IMO...cause if you blew a head-gasket, it might be a mess...look at your oil asap..

As to why you have been getting a check engine light....that is likely a different unrelated issue....
Till you look up a code...we can guess...but with THOUSANDS of possible reasons for codes...would be a waste of time...could be related..but who knows....

As for the battery...(a separate issue most likely)
Two real chances...a dead battery...
Or something us draining it...like a run on PS pump or a light, etc....

The ONE item that might cover all 3 issues is a failing crank damper...
As the rubber fails, the belt slips....tossing codes...reducing power, and the alternator can stop putting out voltage, and the WATERPUMP will not turn at lower rpms...
THIS might be the first thing too look at...kinda a "hail marry" guess...but about 15 minutes to inspect...

 

Very good advice above from Zippy. Pull the codes from the CEL and post them here. It will help with tracking down what possible issue or issues it has. With the coolant tank, it's common to see a leak from the seals as pictured below: (sometimes it can be subtle)



Definitely give it a good close look and inspect the cap. As for the battery, test it. A typical reading would be in the 12.6-volt range when the battery is fully charged. If the reading is 12 volts or less, then the battery needs charging or needs to be replaced with a new one. To be certain, you can take your battery to your local auto parts store for testing. We have a DIY here with lots of good information. There is obviously some gremlins going on so I wouldn't keep driving it until symptoms reappear. Pull those codes, test the battery, and look over the car. If you don't feel comfortable with diagnosis yourself, definitely take it to a MINI specialist. Let us know what you find out/end up doing.

 

Well, I got the battery tested - everything reads within spec so battery is good. I tried to get O'Reilly's to pull codes but they said they can't without having the SES light on. (and my light was no longer on)

BUT - I think I have found my culprit.

I don't know how it happened, but I had a loose relay (the No. 2 Radiator fan) on my fuse box. I popped it back in and everything seems to be fine.

On a side note: I ended up buying one of the more expensive antifreeze/coolant O'Reilly's had for sale because it was the only one that specified "silica free", which apparently is recommended for use in alum engines (Pentosin i think is the brand)... And why doesn't MINI specify the type of antifreeze to use in the OM?

 

So I checked and my MINI was built in DEC 2004, so does that mean that my PS wiring also runs the Radiator fan or....?

 

The power steering and radiator fans were put on separate circuits effective with January 2003 builds.

Did You Know? - MINI2

 

Yup...
Unless modified by the dealer...
simplest thing to look at is look at the radiator fan wiring harness...if one of the plugs is an oval plug with 2 wires, then you are unmodified...
When the 2005+ cars were modified, the wire to the PS fan was rerouted, so the plug was either left dangling on the radiator side or cutoff, and taped off....
Think about it this way...with the old style wiring, the PS fan is powered the radiator fan wiring...and a jammed PS fan can cause the fuse to blow, resulting zero power to the radiator fan...