04 mini cooper non S model.

Had to remove the head and fix a couple bent valves. New bolts and head gasket. it was summer so wasn't using the heat.

Now that it's getting colder I realize that I get warm air at best from vents. Car temp gauge goes up to middle fairly quick. No overheating. No mixing of oil/coolant that I've seen.

I've started the car with the cap off the side of the engine, ran until it started to overflow/drop level due to air escaping, and refilled as it dropped. Also tried bleeding at the plastic bolt on the passenger side radiator tube while the car was running, got some air then fluid and closed it off. I've done that several time. No change in heat.

Just got done driving about an hour and opened bleeder screw with car off. Some air then fluid. Closed it. Opened radiator cap on driver side of engine and no pressure/coolant spraying everywhere like you would normally get with a hot car that just drove.

Am I looking at a thermostat? Or is it possible the heater core is blocked? Both lines at the core get hot.

 

open front bleeder on rad hose and open jug. Should gush out bleeder if warm. TOuch different parts of rad and hoses too. Sound slike air. Any gurggling inside when heat is on? Air can get traped in core. It can be a pia to bleed them 100%

 

don't believe I've heard any gurgling, hoses are hot. I'll open the reservoir cap and bleeder screw and see what happens. Is this with the car running or just warmed up and off?

 

Warmed up and car off and cap off. Open bleeder a good way first then open jug. It should push the coolant threw system. Make sure it’s got fluid so it doesn’t suck more air

 

What are ur coolant temps? That will tell you if you have a coolant system problem. Should run close to 96 c.

re the heating, your air mix door may be to blame.

auto or standard ac?

 

Not sure on actual temp, but gauge reads in the middle. When switching from cool to heat I can hear a change in the blower air. But in case, how do I check this?

Standard ac. Basic controls for everything. AC system connected but not charged, leak in hose.

I do have pressure when removing the cap now. Not sure if the bleeding process mentioned worked so I did it the way I'd normally bleed a car. Put car on ramps so the front is high (radiator cap the highest point), however since radiator cap is at the engine I did not do this. Big funnel in radiator cap hole, fill with coolant, turn car on, let it run, look for bubbles in water and keep coolant in funnel.

Some small bubbles at first, once it heated up and I'm assuming the thermostat open the coolant got violent. Like lots of bubbles were occuring or it was boiling. Cannot remember if this is normal with other cars. But I shut it off after about 30 secs. Keep fluid level up. Heat still not working.

 

There is a heater bleed port , little H pipe almost under the battery on the firewall. Have you bleed that?

 

If ur coolant operating temps are right (sounds like they are). Then the system is bled. Not the problem.

you need to confirm coolant temps. Do that with obd reader, inpa, or on the cluster. I’ll paste instructions below.

the mix door. I’ll paste a tread below with more info. If the mix door is not closing right your air will never be cold or hot, but warm or cool maybe…

more info in thread.

the glovebox will need to come out to check this, but that’s not hard

 

I have not. I will check this. Are the bleeding ports meant to be open during start up/warming up, or after thermostat opens? Or car warms up/ thermostat opens, turn car off and open them?

 

Obd readout on cluster



1) Push and hold the 'trip' button on your instrument cluster while turning the key to the position just before the position where the engine starts.



2) As soon as you see some stuff on the odometer area, let go of the trip button and then start pushing the trip button over and over. It will cycle through some numbers ("1.x ... 2.x ... 3.x .........) in order. Once it gets to '19.0' let go of the button and watch the display. It will say 'off', then 'on', then 'off' over and over.... When it says 'off', push the trip button once. This will unlock the hidden mode.



3) Now repeatedly push the trip button again and again. Like before, it will scroll through the numbers. Stop at '7.0'. This is coolant temp.

 

​​​​​​Sounds great. I appreciate it.

 

More in the mix flap / door: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...t-working.html

this is for the auto system, so yours will be slightly diff, operated by a cable but the idea is the same