Slow coolant leak

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Jun 1, 2010 | 08:43 PM

gatorkid15

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Slow coolant leak

Hi everyone i just bought a 2004 mini cooper s. I am noticing that there is a slow coolant leak under what looks like the middle of the motor... i replaced the reservoir so i know its not that. I am wondering if there is a slow leak in a hose? The leak seems to be coming out more on the drivers side of the engine. If anyone may have an idea of what this could be and let me know that would be great! Thanks

Jun 2, 2010 | 05:14 AM

-=gRaY rAvEn=-

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From: Cape of Cod

Probably the thermostat housing gasket. There is an updated gasket now you can purchase from your MINI dealer. It is a known issue and plenty of info on that here.

Jun 2, 2010 | 01:04 PM

ZippyNH

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From: Southern NH

That is the most common leak on that side...
One more thing to check to save you trouble later on...look to see if the coolant tank is translucent white or a milky yellow....just like the thermostat where mini came out with a better, more durable parts due to leaks, there is an updated tank...it should be the yellowish one..it is less likely to leak around the seam like the older white ones...it is a simple $30 fix...you can do it in 5 minutes on own.
Welcome to NAM!!

Jun 2, 2010 | 02:48 PM

quikmni

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From: Orcutt, CA

+2 on the thermostat housing gasket.
If the housing is leaking you can probably see liquid or white residue near the thermostat housing.

Jun 2, 2010 | 04:29 PM

autoXmini

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I was just about to post with the same problem. But can you see the housing from the top of the motor. I can't find where it is leaking for the life of me. If that's what it is, is it a fairly easy fix I can do in my garage? I also had a mechanic look at it and he couldn't find it either.

Jun 2, 2010 | 09:34 PM

quikmni

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From: Orcutt, CA

On my GP I cannot really see the thermostat housing because there is a bracket (Item 9 in diagram) in the way. On other MCSs that do not have the bracket it is not so hard to see the housing. Here is a link to a diagram:
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...90&hg=11&fg=35
The housing is mounted on the side of the cylinder head below the oil fill cap side of the valve cover. You should be able to see the larger hoses going in and out of the housing. Even if you cannot see the housing look around the area for liquid or white residue. Even though I cannot see the housing, I can see white residue on the surrounding lines from when my housing leaked.