Pulled the cooper out of the garage this morning and found a small 2" puddle of coolant by the passenger side front wheel which stopped dripping once the engine got warmed up, Is this the water pump issue that people have suffered with or is the thermostat in the same area

 

The thermostat is on the driver side of the engine bay, if i remember correctly, so that shouldn't be the cause. Could be the water pump though, that's definitely on the passenger side.

I assume you already ruled it out, but you're sure it's coolant and not water from the AC? Thought it wouldn't hurt to ask, even though it sounds unlikely given the fact that it stops dripping when the car is warm.

 

Put a newspaper down there. If the drip is tinted blueish (smurf juice) and feels a little oily it's coolant.

 

If you need to research pumps, here's a handy application guide. Let us know what you find out regarding the leak.

http://new.minimania.com/Mini_Cooper...lication_Guide

Drive Hard. Drive Safe. Keep Grinning.

 

Could be either the water pump or the water pipe that runs from the waterpump housing to the thermostat housing. The water pumps fail on every one of these cars, and the water pipe gets brittle if you man handle the thermostat on removal. There is only a small ring land and o-ring that locks the water pipe into the water pump housing, so playing rough breaks the ring land and causes leaks that can be misconstrued as a water pump leak.

But... Yes, water pump or water pipe if you've verified it's coolant.

 

Probably the water pump. IF it is the water pipe might aswell change the water pump to the updated metal part if it isn't already on there. The plastic black water pump is a POS.

 

Seems to leak every now and then since I spotted the coolant on the garage floor nothing major. I have ordered the new water pump is it wise to replace the waterpipe between the pump and thermostat since I am in that area of the engine bay ?

 

I wouldn't if its not leaking.
You aren't really in the area since you would need to remove the thermostat to do the pipe and intake manifold if you want to make it easy on yourself. Both of which you dont remove for a water pump. Replace it if you do a thermostat which you might since MINI makes such a shitty thermostat.

 

Roger that , thanks

 

Sounds like water pump. If you have time and money change the thermostat and water pipe while you're in there. No need to remove the intake manifold but that will make it easier to get the pipe back in. They are two separate jobs but everything is made of plastic so once something goes, safe to say the rest aren't far behind :( might wanna get a friction wheel since you have to take it out anyway.