Hi all, I seem to be loosing antifreeze from my '05 MCS. I bought a new reserve tank cap, and that helped a tiny bit, but still have to add fluid much too often. Nothing appears to be leaking when I'm parked and don't see anything coming out when I park. Where else should I look?

 

Tail pipe. Is it smoking at all? does it have a smell?

If there's no leak and everything is sealed, then its burning antifreeze, which most likely means a new headgasket.

 

Nope, no smoke or smell. Dang! Sounds like a spend fix if it's a head gasket! How much am I looking at?

 

I would also check your interior ... look and feel and smell for coolant around the center console under the carpet and so forth.

You are checking for leaks from your Heater Core. This is always a possibility.


A quick check for coolant in the oil is pull the oil filler cap and check to see if there is something that looks like ice cream in and around the cap and valve area. (This is also an indicator of a blown head gasket)

last place to check, is under the intercooler, by the water pump... coolant could be leaking out of the weep hole, and or from the thermostat housing. Coolant could be seeping out and pooling in that area where it will sit and pool, and evaporate from the heat of the engine and never really show signs of leaking by pooling under the car.

Best of luck.

Motor on!

 

Thanks! I'm not even close to a motor head, so where is the water pump? Thermostat housing? I can rebuild a Steinway grand, but have no clue under the hood! I check and top off oil all the time as per the usual Mini issues, and haven't noticed any residue at all on the oil filler cap.

 

Looking at the engine from the front of the car, thermostat should be on the right side of the block about halfway down (or whereabouts :P).

 

Here is the Parts Image...

Item 1 is the water pump...

Item 4 is the thermostat housing and the thermostat is Item 5...

You can follow the lines back to the engine block to see where they are located.

Motor on!

 

Thanks folks. It was too rainy yesterday to peek in there, but today is beautiful and sunny! I'll take a look. I've heard these tend to leak over time, so I'm hoping this is the problem. Pretty sure it's not the head gasket issue from your hints. Motor on!

 

Those are the items to check linked above, also your in the Countryman Forums.
No problem. You need to just post here in the future.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...lems-issues-9/


If you need any parts , we have them here:

http://www.ecstuning.com/Mini-2005-Cooper-R53-S-Coupe-L4_1.6L_W11B16A/


Thanks