Help, My MINI is overheating. I replaced the thermostat and put the Alta radiator hoses on. I had fluid in the hoses and had blead out the air. Ran the car, let cooldown, and checked the bleed screw again. MINI is almost empty now and I am thinking either hoses to heater core, heater core, or the water pump. Any insight? Need help Qucikly. WIll probably take to a Dealership this weekend.

Oh, and when it did overheat, hit the heat on and it dropped, but heard this weird "flopping sound" that sounds like gremlins were loose in the dash.

 

Yo Phillip!!!!

There are TWO bleed screws - you have to bleed both in the right sequence, or you will still have air in the system... the "flopping" sound is almost certainly air in the system.

Read this thread - has good photos and bleed instructions:
http://nemini.org/index.php/topic,8066.0.html

 

How does the sequence go? Where is the other screw located? I know one is in front of the intercooler and the other is on the rear drivers corner of the block somewhere?

 

I edited the first post with a link

 

Thanks

 

When my 03S started to overheat, their was a very small crack in the radiator overflow container.

Good Luck

 

that was a common problem on the older models. they updated the tank on the newer units.

to the OP....when you say the car is now empty after running it what do you mean? is there a fluid leak? did you not put enough fluid in?

you def need to open up both bleeders. ons on the frt hose and the other is on the pipe running off the t-stat housing


some help if you didnt figure it out yet.

Coolant System Drain and Refill

1. Remove pressure cap.
2. Remove lower hose from radiator, and heater hose at bulkhead. Use caution when coolant is hot.
3. Reinstall hoses after coolant has drained.
4. Open the coolant bleed screws in the upper hose and the heater return hose ( near the themorstat ).
5. Fill engine with coolant (50/50 mix) through thermostat housing (expansion tank in COOPER S).

1. Continue to fill through thermostat housing (or expansion tank).
2. Fill expansion tank to "MAX".
3. Start engine and run at idle. Top up coolant as necessary.
4. Turn off engine and install pressure cap.

 

Does this "gremlin" sound that you are referring to sound like water rushing through the dash? I have this issue along with losing antifreeze. It's my expansion tank that's seeping...

 

is the seam on your tank seeping or the cap leaking b/c it wasnt tightened down enough?

 

The seam. It looks like bronze when it oxidizes I'm currently searching for a part number for the expansion tank. Anyone know what it is by any chance?

 

Looks like NEMINI's hosting company got hacked, and didn't have backups. Anybody know of another good set of photos/bleed instructions? (Other than the photos, did those instructions differ at all from the 9-step list I've seen on a couple threads on NAM?)

 

 

Wow, that's excellent, thanks!