i think the stock one is like a polyurethane or something

 

Would you happen to know where it is moving this air. Is there any negative effects from running the radiator fan of off the battery. Will it shorten the battery life.

I don't think there is anything funny about this situation. I don't have my Mini yet, but this issue is already a concern to me.

Are you a real doctor, or is it just an internet thing you use?

 

I had this same problem. The dealer ordered a replacement 3 weeks ago and I am waiting for it to come back from paint. If it happens again (I suspect that it will) I am going to try for the carbon one (painted to match the car).

 

thanks for your post.....on a side note, it is actually a bit funny that the scoop on your car which is supposed to "cool" down things melts....and since im the op, and the one wiht the problem, theres no need to get *on the Dr's case....even if he isnt qualified to use a scalpel....

 

also, be prepared for little problems like this if you are gonna be owning a mini lot c

 

I apologize. I am new to the forum (as you can tell) and don't have the grasp of its dynamics quiet yet. Do you really consider this to be a little problem? I mean, parts of a car melting does not seem ideal to me. I did order the JCW Carbon Fiber hood scoop, so hopefully it will not melt.

So from your previous post it would seem that the Dr Obxs guy really is not a doctor?

 

Sigh. I have this issue too, just noticed it. I don't want a carbon fiber hood scoop, but I guess they could paint it to match.

 

Bah, who cares who is a doctor or not? MINIs are owned by rich and poor, and their professional qualifications should not prevent them from posting humour of any time in a public forum.

Anyway, carbon fiber has a higher melting point than polyurethane IIRC, and besides, newer MINIs have quite a few holes in the scoop. I don't think you have anything to be worried about, especially since you ordered the carbon fiber.

 

The ECU upgrade justs runs the radiator fan for a while (30 sec or so) to get the peak heat out from under the hood. I'd just by guessing as to what the long term effects are, but remember now no car is always off and there's a bit of a current drain all the time. It would take a lot of testing to know if the running of the fan and moving the air is worse long term than cooking everything under the hood is on cars that didn't get the ECU tweak. I'd guess that the ECU tweak is better overall for the long term. Sure is better for the scoops!

But this isn't a new issue. It came up with the very first of the R56 MCSs delivered. There's tons of info about it here and on other Mini boards, if only the search function was good enough to find it!

I don't mean to joke about it. Even litterally, the hood temps on some cars WAS high enough to cook eggs! high enough to boil water. It was high enough to cause 2nd degree burns.

When the fan is running, the air just moves around under the hood, and eventually exits under the car.... Only place for it to go cause the hood is pretty close to sealed.

Yes, I'm a real Dr., just not a medical one. I've got a PhD in Applied Physics from Stanford. FWIW, I write technical articles for MC Squared as well.

If you're new here and come across more of my posts, I think you'll find that I"m pretty data driven.

Matt

 

In regards to the carbon scoop, does anyone have a close up of it. I just wanted to see how black it was, to see if it would match bonnet stripes.

 

i don't have one but I found this: Does this work for you?

 

 

dang mellow you beat me to it lol

 

its pretty badass, there is not ONE picture that does cf any justice...in person is the only way to truly see its beauty imo

 

hehe. after seeing your thread I've been thinking about getting a CF hood scoop as well, so I knew exactly where to find a pic of one

 

lol, yeah ive been eyein the whole cf setup from scoop to mirrors, wing and diffuser, i guess this melted scoop will be the "spark" to get the rest of the set lol

 

Lot C - Dr Obnxs is a Doctor of MINI's (which makes him an MD of sorts )on the side. Treat him well: his posts are something you'll learn to hunt down when you want answers.
And, no, I'm not the Captain of the Boat.

 

I will give him the benefit of a doubt. For now. If it is as he says and the scoops have been melting since the beginning, why hasn't BMW come up with a better solution than running a fan for a few seconds?

 

probably because the cost would be too high, and theyd rather replace the 300 or so scoops that get complaints since as of right now, the only problem that bmw can see, is aesthetics...when it starts doing anything to the engine or something, they might seek to resolve the problem....bmw's current solution...replace the scoops till we get a better solution lol

 

the problem comes from the turbo being so high up and in front of the motor. It gets really, really hot. When the car stops, that heat has to go somewhere. Your choices are few with what to do....
1) Insulate the sucker so that the heat comes out more slowly.
2) Insulate what gets exposed to the heat so that it heats up more slowly.
3) Actively cool the sucker so that there's less peak heat to deal with.

They voted for number 3 because it takes no extra parts, and should work. Change the ECU settings, et voila, you have the peak underhood temps under control.

Matt

 

Welcome to NAM LotC! One thing you'll learn here is that when someone posts about a problem, it often is something that will never affect your MINI. We get into pretty esoteric things here and people are looking for answers. This board gets so much traffic that lots of statements get made about pretty unusual items. That's the good news. More good news is that BMW does a pretty good job of standing behind these cars and taking care of things. And even better news is that when you have cars that are this much fun, you get a lot of fun people, which means a lot of jokes.

MINIs may not be trouble free. They are very good, very reliable cars. But they are so much fun, you won't be too bothered when they cause you a problem. Get ready to turn into a kid again. Congrats on your MINI.

 

I have a build week 26 MCS... here are the hood scope openings (looking from the inside out)>>>


And I am installing the M7 Turbo Shield today>>>



I have been monitoring (using a Raytek MT6 laser reader) the turbo/under bonnet temps right after driving... of course on the exhaust side of the turbo I am getting temps in the 370-450 deg F range... but air side of the turbo 135-160 deg F and the bonnet/scoop under side 118-124 deg F... so really nothing out of the ordinary (qualifier: still breaking engine in so not really hammering it which of course get higher temps). BTW.. the 02 sensor base at the turbo... 475-515 deg F ... stay away from that thing when engine has just been turned off...

Michael

 

I just checked my 2008 build week 19 MCS and the scoop grill is the same as Michaels above.

 

After installing the heat shield I made and open the rest of the holes in the scoop it dropped the out side hood temp 20 to 30 degs after 10 to 20 mins after the car is shut off. That seems to be when the hood gets the hottest

 

My MINI hasn't even arrived yet and i'm already thinking about installing that carbon fiber scoop. It looks awesome... and will match great with the DS/B paint job!

Hmmm... if only my stock scoop would magically melt in transit and the dealer offers up the carbon scoop for free