Hello,

I have a 2002 MC that has a leak under the car in the middle near the front bumper. I cannot tell where is coming from and it has be leaking over time and now is getting worse.

I checked the radiator hoses and I have checked the thermostat housing and I dont see any leak.

What part of the leak would come from if is was leaking in the middle under the car right up front near the bumper? Radiator?

Please see two attached images of the leak wet area.

 

Scott, did you check the coolant tank? That is the most common leak in the system. The coolant can fall on something and travel to a different location than directly below the tank. It's worth a look. Good luck.

 

Maybe something else is leaking and is traveling to the front part of the vehicle allowing the drip to appear in the front. Honestly, best thing to do is to get under the car and take a look. How many miles are on the car and the radiator? Maybe the radiator possibly is cracked? The most vulnerable components in the entire system are the radiator and the heater core, as they tend to be damaged by corrosion and electrolysis. Take a look at this DIY here. Has some good images of the engine bay as well.

 

Time to yank off the front bumper or get a flashlight out and look!!
Where the coolant ends up can say very little about where it starts....
Since it is a 2002, I am betting the end tanks on the radiator cracked...they get brittle and the plastic fails overtime. About $100 USD for a new aftermarket rad, exact fit, maybe 2-3 hours to put the car in service mode, and swap..maybe another hour to bleed right...on a car if that age, I would buy new hoses for another $50....and new clamps...

 

Check that radiator and the lower coolant line again. But since its near the middle front near the P/S grille scoop I would think its near one of the line going into the side of the engine on the driver side.


Is it an S or Cooper only ?

 

Thermostat gasket is also another common issue with the Gen 1's (cheap part and not all that difficult to replace yourself). The gasket wears out and starts leaking coolant; although when ours failed on our R53 it was pooling on the ground more towards the middle of the engine

 

I forgot to post this in the first message. There is no leak or crack from the coolant tank and looks clean.

Where did you see the aftermarket radiator for about $100 and is that with aluminum? My car is a R50.

Is a non S just a cooper with R50.

There is no leak from the Thermostat and it looks clean in the area where I checked it.

The car has a 161,000kms on it.


I have pulled the bumper. I inspected that the leak is coming from the radiator since I found where the area is wet in between the bottom of the radiator and the radiator plastic mount holds the radiator.

See attached three images.

Will have to look for a radiator now.

Thanks.

 

Thanks for the update , looks like that seam alright.

If you are doing the rad, check the main fan behind it and make sure its not rusted to peieces and spins freely, it a good time to maybe replace it since you are doing the rad. I had one rust and stick , then when it was hot out one day in the summer it stuck.

We have the little foam gaskets strips that go around the rad also. Some aftermarket rad don't come with them.

Raditor:
http://www.ecstuning.com/Mini-2002-Cooper-R50-Base-Coupe-L4_1.6L_W10B16A/Engine/Cooling/6


Main Fan:

http://www.ecstuning.com/Mini-2002-Cooper-R50-Base-Coupe-L4_1.6L_W10B16A/Engine/Cooling/Fan/

Good luck on the repair.

 

100,000 miles-ish and about 13 years, that's a good amount of time on a stock radiator. We have some good radiator options here, ranging from $118-$214. Check them out. Here is a great DIY to help with the replacement. If you have any questions, let me know. Good luck.

 

Rockauto.com....
Hate to undercut a vendor...but for some parts...they sell you the same stuff...even a few of the brands are the same...some parts a commodity parts....only difference is the seller...
And no..for that price it is a copy of the OEM. Was $95 last time I looked, and the 5% off coupon effectively makes shipping free...cheap eBay aluminum rads leak...they are thin, flex,corrode..not really an upgrade IMO.
Prices vary daily/hourly depending on the number of views....