My gf drives a 2012 R56 base model. Her car has a history of coolant leak problems. Over the past 2 years she took her car into MINI about 5-6 times because the coolant temp light came on . At Least I think they changed her waterpump since it appears to be the metal one.

Anyways her car has been leaking coolant for a while and is slowly getting worse. Since her car is just out of warranty I thought I'd be able to help and do it for her. I have done involved work in the cramped engine bay of the 300zx so I'm pretty confident I can work on her mini.

After every drive there seems to some coolant loss. However, I partly think this is because we never bleed the system and the air is just finding its way into the reservoir. So she just keeps a jug of coolant to fill as often as necessary.

Leaving the car parked overnight results in a puddle (~6 inch from wheel to wheel/ ~3 inch from front to back) under the exhaust manifold towards the back


the top is the exhaust heat shield, the bottom is the radiator fan

I read about how often the thermostat housing fails so I took off the plastic intake tubing to look for any signs of coolant but the thermostat housing looked pretty clean. I searched around and sure enough a small amount of coolant crystals built up in the waffle traps of the transmission. Then I put the car on jacks to get a look from underneath. There was a small amount of dried coolant on the bottom of the transmission as well



I looked at what's happening above the transmission



Seems like coolant is being sprayed?

Finally the oil pan,



Im guessing the leak is coming from somewhere in the front of the engine and dripping down and splashing the oil pan as the car is driving. There is some directionality that the dried coolant has coming from the corner of the oil pan.

I would love to hear some of your opinions of where this leak(s) is coming from. I also read that the oil filter gasket can leak coolant but I have a hard time believing a leak there would reach the oil pan. Are there any other possible sources where a leak can happen??

Please help! My gf loves her car but is starting to lose faith in her mini.

 

I think the easiest way to get started would be cleaning the area good so there is no trace of old coolant. Then, do your normal routine that day and once parked, jack it up and see where it is wet. Also, make sure the cap is tight and the o ring isnt pushed back in the cap.

 

"Spraying from the front" sounds like a leaky radiator, probably near the top based on your other indications. Maybe she got hit with a rock or something. There's also hose connections at the radiator that could be loose, or connecting a hose that's collapsing when hot.

I gotta agree with MiniToBe tho --- clean it up then look for fresh wet spots.

The "oil filter gasket" theory is referring to the gasket between the oil filter base unit and the block, not the filter "cap" that's unscrewed to access the filter.

 

Thanks for the replys.
I dont think it is spraying over from the radiator. the radiator itself looks clean compared to the parts I have pictures of.

I think something happened to the pic when it was resized by the mod. Ill post a resized version. You can see the coolant looks like it is originating at the top corner then dripping down and outward from there.

 

I think its a great idea to give it a cleaning and go from there. I will try that out.

The cap's o-rings are fine. If opened when the engine is warm some fluid will rush into the reservoir.

I understand the gasket is between the block and the oil filter adapter. Its just one of the more common places I have read coolant leaks occur. Besides the radiator any other spots I may have overlooked?

 

If you're having trouble tracking down the source of your leak, pressure testing your MINI R56 cooling system is the best way to find leaks. We do have a pretty helpful cooling system leak test tech article on our site here: http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti..._Leak_Test.htm. It goes over how to pressure test the system with detailed info and images. R56 models can develop coolant leaks toward the front of the engine, in places like the radiator reservoir, auxiliary water pump and thermostat (this leak typically will pool on top of the transmission). Let us know what you find out.

If you need a pressure tester - http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/...254-detail.htm

 

I have my 2007 on jack stands since I just bought it. Working through some diagnosis on engine noise too. But today, I noticed two fresh drips coming off the oil pan. Nothing like what you post here though. Did you find what it was?

 

Drips of...coolant? Towards the front, back, side...where? Any pix?

 

Could be something dripping down so I'd suggest pressure testing the system if you can. If you don't have the means to do so, look at figure #5 in this article: http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti..._Leak_Test.htm.