Just showed up under the coolant reservoir location on the garage floor. The reservoir doesn't seem to have a leak, but a small puddle appears every night. What should I be looking for and where.

 

On an S, the resivour is a common leak...look for a whitish residue around the seam.....old ones (more leak prone) were kinda clear...newer ones (a bit better..but can still leak) are a milky yellow
The second most common place is the thermostat.....

 

Common problem - take it to the dealer and they should take care of it.

 

Since it seems to leak at night and the reservoir is not leaking, it is probably the thermostat housing/gasket.

 

The most common leak is the thermostat. Just make sure you get the new style that is kinda clear in color.

 

So, does that mean Mini is aware there's a problem and will fix it no charge? My mechanic buddy says all data says its's 1.7 hours of labor. How difficult a procedure is it? Do you need gaskets for all the piping, plenunums, etc. of the things you have to remove? Is there a link to a post w/ pictures and procedures that a Sunday mechanic can refer to?
Thanks.

 

Mini will fix the leak if your vehicle is still under warranty.

 

I am having the same issue in my 06 Justa. The Toyota dealership I bought it from should fix it for free. Is this a complicated fix that needs a MINI mechanic, or is it a pretty run of the mill problem?

 

Replacing the thermostat/housing is a pretty simple task. You just have to be prepared to spill a little coolant. It was the first major work I did on my MINI (aside from an oil change). It will take around the quoted time, as you need to remove the airbox, ecu, etc. in order to get to the housing.

 

Sorry, didn't really answer any questions there.

If you order the thermostat, it comes with a gasket (at least everywhere I looked). That's the only gasket that's necessary. It's a pretty run-of-the-mill problem in that I've seen/heard of it happening a lot around the site.

 

I had the same leak. It was the thermostat housing/gasket. Fixed under warranty.

 

It's not a hard fix, just make sure they get the OEM MINI thermostat
http://www.waymotorworks.com/thermos...t-r50-r53.html

The aftermarket thermostat gaskets aren't as good as the new updated MINI gasket.

 

Thanks for the replies everyone. A bit of an update.

I called the dealership where I purchased the car and they suggested I bring it in. I went in and went with the salesman to a nearby independent shop that does a lot of work for them. The mechanic there put my car up on the hoist and had a look, but couldn't find any leaks anywhere. He told me that since he wasn't well versed in European cars, being more of a Japanese import and domestic shop, that didn't mean there wasn't a problem, but there was nothing he could see.

I'm going to call MINI tomorrow and just have it looked at there. While I could press to get the issue done "free" by the dealership, it seems like it will be worthwhile to have it done by someone who knows the car rather than waste a lot of time at a shop that doesn't know MINIs. They wanted me to take an auto Matrix as a loaner for a few days initially.. blech :P

 

Had the same issue on our 06. It was the thermostat gasket. Not a bad fix at all. Picked up a new thermostat from the dealer and swapped it out. Mine was no longer under warranty so I just did it myself. on a scale of 1-10 with one being super easy and 10 and being a pain in the a$$.
Id say its a 3 at most.

 

When a coolant leak goes wrong.

Coolant Leak

 

Before ordering a new thermostat, what's the best way to diagnose the leak to be sure that it is the problem?

 

I thought I posted a follow-up here, but maybe I forgot! I took it to MINI and it was indeed the thermostat. Fixed under warranty, which I thought was expired. That was nice to find out!

 

look for antifreeze dripping down the backside of the engine. also look at the housing and you will notice it seeping.

 

Look at the area around the thermostat housing. I could see a little coolant puddled in a depression near the housing. I also could see a white residue near the housing, indicating dried coolant.

 

Well, i couldn't see anything leaking because there is so much plastic air box plumbing, brackets, wires, gremlins, old lucas wiring ghosts, etc. but i went ahead and got the t-stat and gasket. It took about 2 1/2 hours and that includes going to get a air filter before I buttoned all the plastic back up. Easy job, just a little time consuming cause you have to remove the entire air box which includes the computer and the plastic airbox "hoses" (for a lack of a better term) and all sorts of wiring to the coil pak, battery cables, sensor wiring, etc. etc. just to see the t-stat housing and bolts (all of which were not quite hand tight).

 

This is what I discovered on mine as well. Seems the old style gasket deteriorates with time and causes the looseness.

 

Hey Dannyhavok - I noticed you also bought yours used, and it actually has more miles than mine. Does that mean it's possible mine is still under warranty? That would make me very happy!

 

Liz, it's possible. My Service Advisor found out when I brought the car in that my warranty was good until Dec. 22, four years after the car was sold. Your dealer should be able to look it up for you if you give them your VIN number. I was able to get a few kinks worked out in those last few months of warranty, it was great. It's worth looking into for sure.