Has anyone ever witnessed your Cooper S steaming profusely in the winter months, out the bonnet scoop, right after you have had it washed??? It is really kinda funny when this happens at a small town self serve car wash and steams billowing out everybody gives you this real funny look. Has this ever happened to anybody, and if it hasn't do u think there's something wrong with my car??

Thanks in Advance... Hopefully
"Chili" AkA Mikey

 

Happened to me just after driving it on a cold day. No water involved.

 

If it's cold out and you get your car washed and its cold out, when the water hits the intercooler, the temperature difference makes it steam. Kinda like when you breathe when its cold out. You should see it on our EVO.

If it's really a steamin' you might get it checked out though

 

This is classic MCS winter behavior! When the conditions are right, your MINI is like a little fire-breathing dragon!


Clover

 

This must be be a MCS thing.I wash my MC at -25F all the time.No steam.And he looks great

 

How in the world do you wash your car at -25F? My limit is +35F.

At -25F the water has got to freeze the second it hits the metal.

 

well, if your MINI is in the sun, water will no freeze until a lower temp.(<32 deg) Just this week i washed it at 20deg and just flipped the side in the sun for 5-10 min

 

Hello. I dont get the steam out of the scoop as I dont have one on my Cooper. But it generally does come off the hood near radiator when its cold and rainy out.

 

The "snorting nostril" is awesome!

A Quick How-To:
[while engine running and hot]

1) spray water in intercooler
2) wait for it to be heat soaked
3) enjoy water steaming out of bonnet scoop
4) fun for everyone - ok it might freak out passerby's, but that's part of the allure anyway

 

exactly my thoughts. If it was 25F under the sun water might melt, but
-25F... no way.

 

I do it indoors,at a wandwash

 

steaming nostrils looks like some sort of low flow nitrous purge. Use ryephiles suggestion or alta intercooler nozzles in mind for the dragon run snort-snort

 

no way!!!

 

Mikey,

It happened to me the second day I had my car! I washed it and drove over to a friends house to show her off, they were like, NICE CAR! But why is there steam coming out of the engine?

Happens every time I wash when it is cool out and I live in CA!

 

Yea the funny thing is that it happend to me in the first 20 min I had my car. The dealer washed it then put it in a semi-cool room so not all the water could evaporate, drove it to the fashion mall in Indy, where my mom was, and got in the parking lot and it started steaming slighty, but my dad who was i the passenger seat was freakin' out, but we later thought that maybe it was just from the wash.

 

Just one more unique thing about our cars! :smile: