lately, the fan keeps turning on after a drive. i know this is usual, but it's been turning on for extended periods even after really short drives. tonight, after a 15 min. drive, i noticed the temp. gauge was all the way up in the red. i pulled over, shut the car off, and popped the hood so the car could cool down. after 5-8 minutes of the fan running, it shut off and i turned on the car and the gauge was reading normal (about the halfway mark). long story short, i'm confused as to what the problem could be? car didn't appear to be leaking any fluids, but could it be from lack of coolant? any help/suggestions would be appreciated!

 

It could be from lack of coolant. Is there any coolant in your expansion tank? Have you noticed any puddles under the car when you park it? What year is your MINI? 06 models seem to have a problem with warped thermostat housings which would cause a leak. Sometimes the leak is so small it is not enough to leave a puddle but over time will empty the expansion tank. Remove the oil filler cap and notice the color of the oil on the inside of the cap. What color is it? Any smoke coming out of the exhaust?

 

It's probably the low speed fan resistor. The cooling fan kicks on at low speed when the coolant temp reaches 195 degrees (numbers may not be 100% accurate) and the high speed at 213 degrees. What you are experiencing is the result of the low speed fan resistor failure. The fan can't come on until the coolant hits the higher temp. and stays on until the temp. drops to 205 - even if the car is shut off. this resistor is not really replaceable (there is a whole thread on this https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-solution.html) so the whole fan unit has to be swapped out. Luckily there are aftermarket fans with lifetime warranties available.

I know all this because it just happened to me

 

Both good thoughts. First check coolant, then check to see if your low speed fan kicks on when you turn on the AC. If it isn't, the car may be running hot, especially around town and stop and go.

 

+2 - Same was happening to my R53 as well until a new TYC brand fan assembly went in...( has a lifetime warranty too )