Good day all,

Just wanted to pick your brains on an issue I have been having with my 2009 Cooper S.

I have been monitoring a slight issue with my coolant levels recently after receiving a few "engine too hot" warnings while driving. I have been filling my tank with coolant regularly and it seems to come back every month or every other month.

It even seems that once I fill the tank and even drive for about 5 minutes and check the tank again all the coolant is gone only to return to the tank later that day or whenever, but other times I can leave it alone for a week and the tank remains full so I'm alittle baffled here.

Recently I have been detecting a slick antifreeze burning smell when the engine is running and I can tell my radiator fan is working overtime sometimes in this Florida heat.

I have never detected or seen antifreeze pools or spots under my park int he garage or my work's parking lot.

Any ideas? Thanks!

 

Sounds like a trip the shop is needed. Sounds like your overheating might have blown a head gasket and hopefully you did not warp the head. Does it look like a milkshake in the expansion tank or in the oil?

 

No. Not at all. When the tank has liquid in it, it is as clear and good as when I put it in.

I haven't had any overheating alerts in a few months, I put a little coolant in every now and then now to avoid that.

 

Well it is going somewhere. Have a pressure and dye test done on it. That will help narrow down the problem.

 

Something is very wrong. Time to do the typical rounds of cooling system tests

 

The pool of coolant might be hiding on the transmission housing in a pool, from the thermostat housing . Then when the engine heats up an well as the transmission you are smelling the hot coolant. Look on the driver side under the thermostat houisng. You are losing coolant somewhere. If its not on the transmission or collecting anywhere else, I would then look towards an internal leak, like the head gasket.

Also check the coolant reservoir , I had a small crack on bottom of the coolant expansion tank and it was hard to see if it was leaking. I was not losing a whole lot its was a small drip that only turned up by driving.



The thermostat is on the driver side #4 , sometimes coolant can pool on top of the transmission housing and you will not see it. It nwill leak from this part, which will need replaced. Part number 11537534521KT3


http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/11537534521KT3/



#1 is the water pump and can leak down the driver side near the drive belts. Its located towards the rear of the end on the driver side.

Water Pump part number 11518604888


http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/11517550484/



Last but not least the coolant tank can develop a crack at the base and leak from there also. Its located up near the front driver side near the core support. Check for cracks & leaks at the bottom near the connection. These places are the most common for losing coolant.



Coolant Expansion Tank #1 in the diagram Part number 17137823626


http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/17137823626/ES2166017/



And the cap for the tank, #2 in the diagram part number 17132754264


http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/17132754264/ES38481/




We also stock the MINI coolant right here, mixed it 50/50 with distilled water. Coolant if factory MINI will be a blue color and you will see the residue if its leaking on the transmission or in other locations.

MINI Anti-Freeze / Coolant - 1 Gallon Part number 82140031133


http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSearch/82140031133/ES196253/



If you can get through those area of common leaks, then look to the internals.

Thanks

 

It could also be that your thermostat itself needs to be replaced.

Sent from my iPhone using NAMotoring

 

SO I took my baby into my cousin's repair shop and it was indeed the Thermostat Housing that got cracked and is being replaced.

It figures that since last month was my last car payment that I found get a flat tire and a 600.00 repair today haha.

/karma

 

coolant tanks split and leak. This has nothing to do with oil leaks however so it's likely your PS reservoir gasket. Modmini on youtube has videos to replace both. Rockauto has good pricing for OEM supplier coolant reservoirs