Did you check if the limited warranty extension applied? I got mine done for 'free' . . .

 

+1 check your Vin first with MINI. Saves time and money, doing the work yourself. If you are outside the spec to cover then we got options,

 

Thank you for this info. I did not know this reimbursement program was available I just sent in my info. Money back for the parts used would be great!

 

I have an r55, 2011 clubman with no turbo. Started showing P0128 code. This happened to me previously, about 2.5 years ago while living in Texas. I replaced the sensor - no change. However, since I didn't have my garage and was stationed down there for military duties, I elected to get the full housing replacement done at the Dallas Mini dealership. They replaced the thermostat with a new factory one. Problem gone ... Until now. I tried just the sensor first. O'Reilly's had the only one in stock, and it is aftermarket. Just like in Texas, the new sensor did nothing. I replaced the whole thermostat with an aftermarket from Amazon that had good reviews. I elected to use the sensor I got from O'Reilly's rather than the one that came with the thermostat (for now). No luck. I reset the codes many times with my personal code scanner. Whether engine is running or just key in "on" position, resetting the codes won't clear that one. I took it to a local mechanic i trust, and they supposedly cleared it with their fancy $5000 snap on computer. I drive around for a bit, and the code is still there, "permanent". Note - when I have the car "on" but engine not running, and i reset the code then, even though the code stays, the fan will stop. The car heats up to normal temps. In fact, usually, the fan won't come on for the rest of the day, and the car runs normal. Usually, the next morning the fan comes on steady again though, before the car even has time to warm up. Any ideas? What secret magic did the dealership do to get it to work properly for the past 2.5 years? My VIN doesn't show any thermostat replacement assistance available.

 

Connection at the temp senor on the thermostat. Their is a 2 prong plug on the harness side and if the socket is worn you an get an on/off circuit. I have seen bad sensors from the factory, rare but in aftermarket it can happen.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...epairable.html

 

Thanks for your response! I checked the temp sensor connector and the other connector on the firewall side of the thermostat. Both connectors appear in really good shape and click into place firmly.

If I unplug the temp sensor connector and start the mini, it struggles to start and adds the P0118 code in addition to P0128.

If I plug that back in and reset, the P0118 disappears, but the P0128 remains. If I unplug the lower connector, the one that appears to go to the thermostat itself, it adds code P0597 in addition to P0128 (P0597 code says thermostat wide open). When I plug back in, it goes away after a few minutes of running.

The P0128 code always remains. The temp sensor and thermostat w/housing are all newly replaced. I'm wondering if I just got bad luck on a cheap one.

Temps go up and down as expected. It hits the 200 degree neighborhood and everything runs fine. Could it be it just doesn't like my budget Amazon thermostat? It looks nearly identical to the factory mini one they put in down in Texas.

 

I've replaced (even if only 2 or 3 times) my 2010 MINI thermostat and other cooling-related components more than any car I've owned. Therefore, I (probably several of us) feel pretty comfortable changing every element in the coolant stream with success. However, I once reversed the inlet and outlet hoses by mistake, and the aftermarket temp gauge read a low temp after higway driving. I didn't look for codes since my temp gauge alerted me of the problem. Switching hoses rarely occurs, but it is worth checking. If that pans out, a new thermostat may help, but it seems like you've done the due diligence by exchanging parts to troubleshoot.

 

I will double check the hoses again. No harm in that. I did check them against the diagram, and the YouTube videos I watched for guidance.

If the hoses were switched, would the coolant still heat up as expected, and the heater function normally? The car heats up to the normal operating range in the normal amount of time you'd expect, and the heater works just right. After resetting my CEL codes, the fan will actually stay off (like it should during winter) for the rest of that day. The next day, it comes on again, even when the car is cold, and stays on long after shutting the car off. The P0128 code never goes away, even with resetting and driving for many miles at highway speeds, with the car reporting a perfectly normal temperature through live data monitoring on my OBD scanner.

Could this simply be because I got a cheap Amazon thermostat? It looks almost identical to the Mini one i took out.

 

With all those references sought, you should be good to go regarding the plumbing. You present a curious case. Is it possible to back probe the voltage output range (from cold to hot engine) of the sensor? Wait, maybe voltage readings can be made from the OBDII reader without back probing to assess the operational voltage. I am grasping straws here. Alternatively, (I think you are already intuiting a replacement thermostat) an aftermarket Rein (instead of MINI branded) thermostat should do the trick.

 

For our MINI people on the forums we have some early release Aluminum Metal Water Pipes. Not too many in stock so they might go fast. We will have more coming in soon after that.

I have been running this on my personal car for almost over a year. Matches the factory design.

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-ecs-part.../048583la01~a/

 

Back in stock ^^

 

I think my leak is coming from where the thermostat connects to the water pump coolant pipe. Is there any way to figure out which part I need to replace?

 

Surprisingly for me, either my thermostat cracked (2 occurrences) along the seam or the water pump leaked (1 occurrence). These are the only coolant repairs I've encountered. The metal water pump fitted with Permatex sealant appears to be holding well for 5 years. The only time I needed to change the transfer pipe was when pulling it out of the water pump. It felt as if the transfer pipe cracked only because of the force I applied to free it from the pump. I applied assembly lube to the transfer pipe o-ring to help with future disassembly (hopefully never needed). If a commercial supplier provided replacement O-rings for either end of the aluminium transfer pipe, that would be ideal.

Bottom line: I think your thermostat housing is leaking through the seam near where it connects to the transfer pipe. I did a temporary fix ~8 year's ago to make it through a MINI rally using 2 part JB Weld putty wrapped with JB Weld fiberfix. That fix probably would have lasted an eternity, but I ended up replacing the thermostat, not because it leaked, but out of principle since I think the leaking water pump caused the thermostat to overheat and crack. With a functional pump for 6 years, the thermostat has behaved in kind.

 

You need to look at the thermostat. Most of the time its one or the pipe. Pipe leaks near the end connected to the water pump on the passenger side.

Driver side coolant pooling on transmission is most of the time the thermostat is cracked. When its the connection between the two, it might just be that o ring. You need to start the engine up and look where its leaks.

 

So yesterday I added some water to the correct level, and put a new coolant tank cap on, I was planning to make my own pressure tester with this new cap, its a URO brand. I figured I try this cap before I drill hole into it to put a schreder valve in because I read that sometimes a bad cap can cause too much pressure to build up and cause a leak. So today I checked the coolant tank and its completely filled to the top. I just sucked out water to the correct level and drove for 20 minutes. I see some water on the transmission but before it was dripping like crazy on the floor after the car was running for 10 minutes. So i guess I still have a leak but its not as bad with this new cap. Its pretty confusing. I'm going to see how the next few drives are with this new cap. I probably need a new thermostat. I wish this heatwave would go away, garage is so freaking hot past 2 months.

One thing I've noticed the past couple years is that the fan that runs when I turn the car off doesn't run while its off anymore.

 

I bought a rein thermostat and pipe, both have the correct part numbers but its not reaching. I pushed the pipe into the water pump first, then bolted the thermostat in. not sure which part is too short, I'll have to take everything out and compare, guess I should have done that before installing.

I wanted both parts to be from the same brand so this wouldn't happen lol.

UPDATE: looks like the rein pipe is almost 3/16" short