Hello,


My son's 2004 MINI S keeps leaving a small puddle on the floor. Believe it or not, it happens overnight, after the car has been sitting for a while.


Right now, I have it up on jack stands and have looked EVERYWHERE I can but can see NO evidence of where the coolant is coming from.


I started the car, let it run for quite some time, shut it off and NOTHING.... no drip, steam, NOTHING.

 

The dripping looks to be towards the front of the car. If so, leaking coolant may be collecting in the splash shield, then overflow during idle time. Remove the splash shield, then look above, where the leak could be as simple as one of the radiator hoses, the radiator itself, or the water pump.

 

Thanks. Got the shields off and I added some leak die to the coolant......

 

I guess I'm gonna have to take it for a longer ride........... no coolant on the floor.............yet

 

Thermostat Housing... The gasket gets brittle and the housing warps .. Mine would come and go

 

 

Not sure why there is a short piece of hose with a coupler, but, that's where it's leaking.......

 

Dangit! Got it all cleaned up, tightened, testdrove it, and now, there's coolant running down the front of the engine just about in the middle.

I removed the thermostat housing but before I did I used the die light and saw no evidence of the die........

Coolant pump?

I'm replacing the housing and thermostat regardless.

 

I suspect with your hose replacement you caused another big leak somewhere.
I would still suspect the Thermostat Housing/Gasket as a small leak and causing the initial puddle you saw in the morning after the car sat in the evening. That is the classic evidence of the thermostat housing leak.
It is hard to detect the thermostat housing/gasket leak because it drips and evaporates on the hot engine. Is there any puddling of coolant or white residue below the thermostat housing? If so, it is leaking. I would replace the thermostat housing and the gasket.

 

Thanks for the reply. I totally agree with you.

Thw new thermostat and housing should be here tomorrow.

 

As a note: When you go to install the new thermostat be sure to not use any sealant. As long as the mating surfaces are clean and straight, there is NO reason the use sealant here. You risk 'squeezing' the sealant inside the housing, which then could break off and clog other parts of the cooling system. If there is sealant on yours, clean the sealing surface with a razor blade. We go over all of this and more in our DIY, which may be useful to you for your project. If you need anything be sure to let me know.

 

Did you get the thermostat kit or a new aluminum version ?

 

The coolant is leaking from the middle of the front of the engine, the puddle migrated to the right in the picture due to uneven floor.

While the thermostat is a notorious leak, the location of the puddle dictates that it is a water pump or O-ring. Hoses aren't a real suspect leak with these cars unless they are improperly installed or something is rubbing it.

I have never seen a failed thermostat housing, it is always the gasket. Save the money and don't buy a housing unless it is truly a problem.

If you are buying a water pump remember to get the second water pump o-ring that fits between the engine block and the water pump flange.

 

The aluminum one. I installed it and she stopped leaking.

I wonder why I can't see anything on the old one to indicate a leak.

Also, the thermostat you guys sent is colder than the one that came out.

..........

 

Now I'm getting a code telling me the car is running cooler then the thermostat is rated? Did I get yhe wrong one with the kit?

 

Using a 180* thermostat has always caused issues like this, you need a 190* thermostat, we have the correct thermostat on our website..

http://www.detroittuned.com/mini-thermostat-w-gasket-gen-1/

 

Will running the cooler thermostat hurt anything?

 

SES light will be on, fuel economy will depreciate, there's no real reason to run the 180* over the 190*, everyone who has experience with these cars has stopped using them/ selling them.

 

Did I receive the wrong thermostat with my aluminum housing or, is the 180 degree thermostat supplied as standard?


There were no bolts with my kit as shown in the picture as well.

 

The Genuine thermostat is 90.5 deg. C as you can see here. The M7 Speed performance thermostat is 180F (82C) Thermostat, which you can see at that link as well. There are some good, but older, threads on NAM about the discussion between 190 and 180 degree thermostats here and here.

 

Hello

Should have came with the 91 Celsius thermostat ( ~195 f ). If it did not please PM me asap and we can take care of it, possible they sent the wrong cooler thermostat with the housing. It will be marked on the side of the thermostat itself, seen in pic. Also there are two kits, one with the bolts and one without.

 

Update, The CE light has not returned but, the engine temps are still staying lower.

Thanks to Mike at ECS Tuning for keeping in contact with me to help resolve the problem which may be as simple as trapped air in the system.

Mike (ECS) I'll bleed it this weekend and let you know if that solves the problem.

 

Well, I replaced the housing, the lower hose, tightens the clamps and she was doing good for a few days. The, she left a puddle on the driveway again.


Same spot as before, I think......


Do the water pumps leak when they fail? Would it leak all of the time? Wouldn't it be making a nasty noise?


I'm at a loss at this point.

 

Yes, water pumps leak when they fail. My 2003 R50 Mini was just brought into the shop because the heat stopped working. The problem was low coolant, and the cause of the low coolant was a leaking water pump. The mechanic showed me the old pump after it was replaced, and there's a small hole maybe 1/4 inch diameter or less where the coolant was leaking out.

Additionally, the water pump was the cause of a noise like a bad bearing. The noise was more apparent in cold weather than warm weather for some reason, but it was definitely noticeable.

The cost to fix mine was:

$279 water pump
$5.50 water outlet o-ring
$37 coolant
$450 labor (5 hours @ $90/hour)

total $772

After the fix, the grinding bearing noise is gone, the heat works, and there is no more leaking coolant.

 

Well, mine will cost the same (minus the labor).


Funny you mention the bearing noise. I don't hear anything when I put my ear close to the pump, but, the other day, I had the cooler for the turbo off of the car and when I started it, a nasty growling noise was heard.


I wonder if THAT was the pump?