Hello, Everyone.


A few questions to satisfy my OCD for you experts on our recently acquired S Hardtop.


While putting on the Battery Tender today, I noticed a few things -


1. Looking straight down into the bottom of the engine bay right behind the radiator support and in front of the turbo, the hose in the picture seems like it should be attached to something for support?
Where the red arrow is pointing, there is a large rubber 'grommet' that almost looks like it has notches on it to snap into something. Couldn't get a more focused picture because of all of the items in there and the lighting.


2. Do the R56 S Hardtops have a front undertray to protect the engine compartment? I am used to seeing these on my VW/Audi cars. While looking at the hose mentioned above, I noticed I could see the garage floor.


3. My coolant level in the expansion tank was maybe a 1/4 inch below the min mark. This was looked at when the car was cold. Should I be concerned?


This is a very well cared for, one-owner 33k car with a service history all at one Mini dealer. It was a trade at a BMW dealer. After the purchase, we also took it to our local dealer (70 miles away, unfortunately) a few months ago for an oil change and general once-over and they found no issues.

Thanks for any help! -Shawn

 

Yup. It's a round plastic clamp that has a little **** sticking out the gets pushed into a hole in TBE plastic. It holds it up close.

 

The hose you see is a radiator hose. The clamps that hold the hose just clip together and can come loose.

There is no under tray under the engine, except for the GP2. You can buy that under tray and installation hardware from Way Motors in Atlanta. I have one on my 2013 JCW Hardtop 6 speed manual. Also on my wife's 2011 Clubman S auto. Some trimming is required for the auto. The install is pretty straight forward after you get the car on a lift. The hard part is installing the inserts in the frame for the locking screws in the tray. I used about 3 " off the end of an old broom handle as a punch. They popped right in. The tray is worth the price. If nothing else it keeps the engine compartment clean, and protects that lower hose from road damage.

 

Thanks for the replies! I'll crawl under and take a look and see if I can get the hose secured. -Shawn

 

Others have done a good job answer, I will elaborate on a few things...

This is the lower radiator hose.
It always comes loose (attachment point is weak), so the last time I pushed it back in, I also tip-tied mine to the plastic shroud of the electrical fan.

Coolant may drop a bit during winter months when the heater kicks in and residual air the heater core finally finds itself to the top of the expansion tank. Top it off, and keep an eye on it.

If the level drops again, it may be sign of one of the following known coolant system weak points:
- cracked expansion tank (look for tell tale signs of dripping coolant) under the tank
- dying thermostat (look for signs of dripping coolant on the transmission housing on the driver side of the engine)
- dying water pump (look for signs of dripping coolant on the passenger side of the engine).

HTH,
a