R53W11 posted this on Roadfly.
http://forums.roadfly.org/mini/forum...419&page=1

Sorry if this has been posted before. Seems like there's a service bulletin and a replacement part already

 

Question. Do you check the coolent level at normal operating temp or cold? When cold the level is well below the "min", at normal operating temp slightly above "min". What does this mean? I think I have a leak as I have noted a fine residue around the seam of the tank.

Also I thought the coolant looked "odd" colored the other day, I made an appt with Mini. I have since driven the car waited for operating temp to come down, looked again and +/- sediment. I drew some up in a syringe and noted nice light blue color. Perhaps what I was seeing went away? redistributed? What the heck? any thoughts?


His, Chile Red all over / Hers, EB UJ on top

 

Light blue is OK...check when cold.
Builds after 1/03 have the new coolant
tank...I think. 2 twos...isn't MCOL lucky!!!!

 

If I'm not mistaken, you have to check the coolant level when the engine is cold.

I have a 07/02 build MCS, haven't had any coolant leak at all fortunately. However, the color of my cooland did change to a murky brown. I'm taking it in on Monday to get it looked at.

There's a whole thread (the one below this one)
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...c=2174&111

devoted to the topic of coolant color change.

 

Took Lola into Ferman in Palm Harbor, Florida on Wednesday morning 3/12, they replaced the expansion tank, antifreeze, thermostat and o-ring that morning and she was ready to be picked up that night. No more leaks, and she is no longer overheating in idle. I was very happy with the service and hope that I don't have to visit them again for a long while.


>>I purchased my 2002 Mini Cooper S in September (I love her--- her name is Lola) Lola has gone 5700 so far. Two weeks ago while stopping to talk to a friend about my Cooper (I was actually idling). My car overheated in a matter of 5-10 minutes. The indicator went to red and fortunately I was able to turn off the engine immediately. The coolant level was low, so after filling it to the full mark I just decided to watch it closely. Yesterday I experienced the second occurrence, same thing, while idling the car overheated. We tested the car today, took it out for a spin, and then put it in idle. Again the indicator was moving to the hot mark... but this time my boyfriend had the bonnet up, and was waiting to see if the fan would come on if the car started getting hot, it did not, so it looks like I may have a problem. Also, I definitely have a small leak in the coolant tank as I noticed a couple drops of coolant on the garage floor. looks like it is leaking around the seam. I am calling the dealership on Monday. Fermin in Palm Harbor Florida. I will chronicle what they find, and what they do to fix her.

 

where did you get the cooper s lettering on your door,, cheers

 

same symptom @ 1600 miles. I had slight coolant loss and also odor of coolant in cockpit. Dealer without question replaced water pump leading me to believe that this was a problem they were familiar with. Problem solved. BTW I can't believe all the petty problems I've had with this car.
2003 MCS

 

its not the water pump thats leaking, its the o-ring between the water pump and the mounting collar. its a cold water leak. so your dealer cant check it with a pressure device. it only leaks after the pressure is relieved. i believe they have solved the problem with the 03 models as i have yet to see the newer ones come in for coolant leaks. miniusa does not know why the color of the coolant has changed but the integrity of the coolant has not been affected. so, they can change the coolant all day long but it will go right back to the brown color. and its not affecting your protection.

 

Ok so I have 9000 miles on my '02 MCS and just yesterday I noticed a smell of coolant in the cockpit . I have checked the overflow tank and it does not seem to be leaking ,but the temp guage is going past the normal mark on the guage and giving a high reading. The coolant level is low ,but I am wondering where the coolant might be going . I think I will call the dealer ,but it doesn't hurt to be knowledgable about the situation before I make the call .
On another note , what about that annoying rattle from the hatch? It is absolutley driving me nuts!!! Do they have a fix for that? Thanks one and all for any insight! null

 

Well it has finally happened, 4k miles and the dreaded coolant tank has gone south. White residue all over the heat shield. Time to call Mini and schedule an appointment.

 

Just got my coolant tank replace a couple days ago and the mechanic there told me it was a new type of coolant tank that they were putting in for me....lets hope it doesn't leak.......the coolant tank actually doesn't look different from the old one except it is brown in colour ......maybe they are trying to hide the fact that the coolant are turning brown....???

 

Just got mine back from Mini of Universal with a new tank. It's does have a little beige color to it but I wouldn't call it brown. It is the same shape tank but made from a new material. They also replaced the rear strut lower bolts as part of a recall. I was pleasantly surprised with the service at Universal. They took me the next day and had it finished in half the time they said it would take.

 

The coolant was low in my MC so I took it to Assael to have them take a look. The service guy said it was ok and to just add water when the engine is cold. Is that right? Do I just add water? I tought it was half coolant half water or something? He said the coolant "just evaporated" thats why it was low, he could of just told me he was a lazy bum and to go away. Assael Mini doesnt seem to care about anyone. What is this recall I read about?

 

Has anyone fitted an aftermarket coolant expansion tank? This might be a nice way to correct the problem and improve the look of the engine bay at the same time. Any obvious problems with that approach?

 

Just got back from my MINI dealer, after my coolant tank started to leak. The tank was replaced with a newer one. He stated that MINI has now gone with a different manufacturer of the tanks, and using a different material. The tank itself appears to looks stronger in the seam area. It's also beige in color. So it appears as though the problem solving is in the works. So now whether or not these new tanks will hold up, will be told in time. Just thought I'd share some new info on the matter, if it hasn't been shared already.
Cheers,

 

I've been keeping an eye on my coolant tank ever since I heard of this problem. Today after I drove in to work, I popped open the bonnet to take a closer look, and go figure, I could see traces of coolant along the seam.

 

hey L.A. area people.. MINI of Universal couldn't guarantee that they could fix my coolant tank on Monday since they're backed up.

However, Assael MINI is taking me in on Monday at 7:30am. Spoke with a dude named Kevin. Was very helpful, and said they could do it while I wait.

 

>>My S loses enough coolant in 300 or so miles to leave the fill tank dry (or almost). The dealer says that they cannot find anything wrong because it doesn't do it for them. The car only has about 3000 miles on it. Has anyone else had this problem?
I noticed my S was leaving coolent stains on the garage floor, the car has 4400 miles on it. I took it into the dealer, they had a difficult time finding the problem because there was no visible leak. After a day of searching for the problem they zeored in on the water pump. The problem was actually a rubber seal inside the water pump, in fact, they wound up replacing it twice. When it sat over night waiting for me to pick it up the next day, the original problem came back, so they had to put in a second one! After two days the problem was solved, so have your dealer check out the water pump. Its running like a champ now!

 

I lost enough coolant today to cause my temp gage to max. Before I lost the coolant my air conditioner was acting up (warm air when my automatic air conditioning was set to LO). Coolant leaked from somewhere onto the engine and smoked bellowed from under the hood. I stopped and checked my coolant and had lost only a little more than what was in the over flow tank. I suspect that a thermostat may be the cause. had car picked up to be delivered to my dealer Hank Arron MINI for repair.

Will let all know what my dealer has to say

 

i'll be posting pictures of the new coolant tank tonight. Not sure if they're been posted before, but i figure people would like to see it.

 

After my two previous postings, I must confess that I am getting used to checking the coolant level periodically. I used the heater for the first time since taking delivery of the vehicle a few months ago, and after a few days, found the coolant tank completely empty, whereas previous problems related to the tank overflowing, I was stunned!

Something must've happened because the coolant level is behaving quite normally now, moving up and down in the expansion tank but always resting just below the max mark when cold, which is where I filled it to. I have since travelled approximately 2000kms with 'normal' behaviour, using the heater and the airconditioner from time to time.

I'll continue to watch it and report back... perhaps there is more 60s technology under the hood that I first thought

Drive safely - Faruk

 

Just picked up my new MCS 6/6/2003 and I have about 400 miles on it. I smelled coolant as soon as I drove the car from the dealer and just thought it was some that was spilled during prep. I saw some residue on the heatshield and exhaust and hosed it off and topped off the tank. It still smells like coolant everytime I drive the car and still has a residue on the heatshield even after repeated cleanings. My build date was 4/18 so I would assume that I have the "updated" part. Well boys I guess it's back to the drawing board for another redesign. I am a little reluctant to take it to the dealer since I will probably get the same poorly designed tank. Does anyone know of an aftermarket tank.....polished aluminum would look nice.

Dave in Austin

 

There's an aftermarket tank made by Forge motorsport. It looks pretty slick in semi-polished alum too. There was a recent thread on this in the "Beneath the Bonnett" forum--under "coolant loss no more" or something like that.

sorry to hear the problem hasn't been fully fixed.

 

Unfortunately I may have a leak as well. The tank is at the normal level but I found runoff marks and a small brown spot on the heat shield. The odd thing is that the liquid on the heat shield is very oily feeling. Maybe the antifreeze feels that way, I don't know.

I was just checking on the level and that is when I noticed the spot on the heat shield. I also noticed something floating in the antifreeze. I managed to get it out and to best desribe it, it feels like vasaline. My build date was April 11th and I have 1800 miles so I have the new version tank also. I'm guessing I may need a new tank. I'll call tomorrow and see what they recommend and see if they want me to drive it 100 miles to their location.

dang.

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SB:
Actually you are not in such a bad spot. As you can see this has been a problem for many of us and all the people before you really didn't know the heck was going on. Now you can respond based on the knowledge that everyone else has supplied.
Its a quick and easy fix and covered under warranty, no sweat!