Someone put half a gallon of windshield washer fluid into the coolant expansion tank instead of the reservoir.

Am I in trouble?

 

Get the hose and start syphoning it out.

 

*ahem, cough, cough*

SOMEONE?

Time to drain the system and start over.

 

Drain, flush, refill.
Alcohol is NOT a good lubricant for the water pump, and has quite a low boiling point.

 

No. You are not in trouble. Drain and flush. Then refill. Remember to use the correct coolant. An exmple is Zerex G-05.

 

woah woah. that SUCKS. but like everyone says. drain and flush.
but talkin about window washer fluid..i used all of mine within 3 weeks or so.
refilled it yesterday. stupid wet roads with salt all over em. xO

 

Does it reallly matter Hugh did it...ahem, cough, cough...I mean who did it?

Anyway, a quick scan through the owners manual reveals no instructions on how to drain or flush...besides I've already demonstrated I am technically challenged.

Is it safe to drive around 25 miles to the dealer? Option would be to take it to a local shop without MINI experience.

 

I am draining some beer from a resevoir right now, flushing comes later...these things happen...

 

OK a real answer now...

It looks like the only way to drain the resevoir is to disconnect the lower radiator hose. Or to siphon it out. I have not done it, just looked it up in the Bently manual.

Personally I would just go to a local quick change place that does a coolent flush and just ask them to replace the fluid.

I am sure it will be 1/2 or 1/3 the price of the MINI dealer.

 

I haven't laughed this hard in awhile! I hate those "someone" guys! They're always doing stuff like that to me.

Far as as the draining etc. I think a pint or so of windshield washer fluid in the cooling system won't hurt anything. Any more than that though, you might want to have it changed out at a local shop. After all this is rocket science you know!

 

Someone needs to take it and have the coolant replaced, no big deal, someone didn't kill the Mini....

 

As said above, remove lower radiator hose.
If you've got more dollars than sense , just take it to a shop. Any shop should be able to do a flush 'n fill.
If you've got even more dollars than that, head to the dealer - 25 miles won't hurt anything. Unless it explodes, and then I'll edit this post to say I told you so.

 

*PRAISE THESE WORDS* the city of new york tends to overdose on how much salt they put down and im getting my baby hand washed three times a week just to fight it

 

How did this work out for you, Hugh ? Did "someone" take it to a shop and get it fixed ? How's it running now ? No problems, I hope !!

 

And pick up some new hose clamps. I had changed out my OEM hoses for better silicone hoses. The OEM hose clamps are made for one -time use (or I would told that by the mechanic).

 

Was it the Prestone De-Icer brand. I always worried about the possibility of confusion with that.

 

Thanks to everyone for the sound advice. I sucked out the offending fluid with my wet vac, drove it to the dealer, had it checked out, and all is well.

Thanks again!!

 

that could have been bad

 

by HighSchoolzminiSlightly off topic, but I'd have my Mini washed three times a week, too, especially if done by cute high school chearleaders.

Hugh, we all appreciate the humor in your WHOOPS! help predicament.

 

Glad that was windshield washer fluid and not something flammable like gasoline - now THAT would've been fun to suck out with a wet vac (no matter WHAT Mythbusters said, I don't want gas fumes around my vacuum cleaner!)

Glad it worked out.

 

If Mythbusters indicated that vacuuming gasoline with a shop vac is OK, they were wrong... I have an acquaintance that did that from the bilge of his boat, and the vac blew up, catching the boat on fire. He's damn lucky he didn't lose it, or burn down the marina!

Glad to hear all is well Hugh!