Thanks for the info. Hardware kit does make it easier. MINI recommends replacing those clamps for the ease of things.

Glad you got it fixed in Italy, Naples can be a busy city.

 

I've been using Evan's Waterless Coolant in my cars/scooters/motorcycles/generators for a decade now and I've not replaced a heater core/radiator for corrosion since. It has no water, and water being the corroding element, the corrosion is eliminated.

 

When these heater cores fail, is there a corresponding overheat situation? I have not cabin heat, and too much in the system, getting an overheat...

 

I didn't have an overheating issue when the heater core needed to be replaced.

 

Thanks for chiming-in bee1000n.

Seems that I have a couple different issues... Just removed the SC and water pump. The drive gears, disintegrated. The reason for the overheat. Installing an electric pump, among other things...

 

Not seen overheat on these. Just no heat in cabin, that is after making sure the cabin filter is not clogged, the fan is working, and the flaps for the air blending are working and of course the heat is turned on and all the way up on the climate control display.

 

Just wanted report back that the water pump failed, and was the reason for no cabin heat.

I installed an EWP instead and did several other projects, including an A/C delete...

On the plastic cover for the heater radiator, what type of screws are used to secure it? One of my kids mixed-up all of my nuts, bolts and screws! Damn...

I think it might be some (3) goldish colored Torx screws...

 

I just purchased a 2002 Mini Cooper S (R53) and found one of the problems was the heater did not work, well the smallest amount of warm air would only steam up the windows on a cold morning and would not warm the car! It seems to be a common problem reading other threads.
I found a high quality replacement from http://www.motoradsonline.co.uk/ cost £50
Changing is relatively easy except for reaching the T20 cover screw top/ back and getting the clips back on the heater. I re used the O rings and clamps without any issues.
You need to work the pipe and o ring into the heater ports firmly by hand as any gap will not allow the clamp to pull the pipes together. I used a longer M4 screw to pull the clamps together and then replaced it with the original screw, check the clamp with a mirror to make sure it's fitted on both sides correctly.

Once fitted Start the engine and turn the heater dial to hot to allow the coolant to fill the heater
Allow the engine to run for a few minutes until the temperature gauge reaches normal operating tempature
In the engine bay, Open the coolant tank slowly, using a rag
Fill with new coolant to max level
Replace the cap securely
Bleed the air out of the coolant system using the bleed valve on the top left side hose with the engine still running.
Check your work, make sure the pipe joint does not leak.
Turn off the engine and refit the heater cover
Job done, now the car heats immediately and no steamed up windows.
A couple of great YouTube videos show the procedure

 

We have the parts here for people in the US.

The heater core does have an install kit that is separate form the heater core itself , it was mentioned above a little bit. You can check out the picture below.

Heater core:


http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/64111497527/



And don't forget the heater core kit:



http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/64116910914/ES176630/




Recommend the MINI OEM coolant and mix with distilled water.



http://www.ecstuning.com/Search/82140031133/ES196253/

 

Looks like I'm in store for this replacement. I loved the videos Madison75. Picture to words. Looks pretty straightforward.

What vendor should I go with? Stick with BMW, or someone else for the heater core and hardware kit replacement parts?

The PO told me he changed the antifreeze not too long ago, but didn't mention what brand he used. It might be a good opportunity to do a flush/fill after making sure the core isn't leaking. I need to do a search on antifreeze brands next

 

Both are good linked above and the hardware kit is just through MINI. Get the MINI coolant linked and mix it 50/50 with distilled water. If you are doing a full flush I would pick up 2 bottles just to be sure you have enough.

 

I ended up ordering this heater core via Amazon, the Spectra Premium 99358 Heater. It shows that it has hardware with it, and is hard to beat for $54.45 shipped (prime). Of course, that assumes it fits and doesn't leak. haha

 

Looks like it might be the same , but with all MINI parts on amazon aftermarket its trial and error on the correct part. If you need anything else let me know.

 

Just wanted to add to all the good tips previously given:
Mine went out after cooling system issue; signs were the tell-tale inside windshield fogging.
I also did not disconnect the firewall hoses, but instead did combination of the vacuum coolant reservoir tip posted somewhere here at NAM. Basically vacuum as much coolant out as you can thru the reservoir tank (it helps if you alternatively open & close the bleeder screw as well), and the covered the floor with plastic bags & rugs, and pulled out the heater core while holding the vacuum to suck up as spills. I hardly got anything on my carpet.
As others have mentioned, the top/back screw is a major Pain! Have a small lighted mirror handy; it really help to be able to see where you are going.
When you are all done, you did the heater core & coolant flush.

 

Glad you got it done, getting cold up north here and you have to have the heater going.

 

Had to go with an oem After experiencing two different aftermarket parts that did not fit. Needed a third hand but had no space to work with. Came up with an idea to use a 5 inch C clamp. I wrap the pipes with electrical tape and then put a clamp on it very gently. Then I put the C-clamp one in on the heater core and attached it to the clamp on the pipes. Worked like a a charm. Just be gentle it'll be alright. Keeping my fingers crossed that is. But I was able to have my hands-free to attach the clamps or the installation kit as they call it. Trust me the aftermarket heater cores do not fit as they should. At least mine did not. Good luck

 

Never heard of the aftermarket ones we have not fitting, which brand was it?

 

I *think* I've narrowed down my lack-of-heat problem to the heater core, but just wanted to see if anyone had any other suggestions of things to check:

-Barely getting lukewarm air on the driver side, passenger side is cold.
-New coolant hoses (one of mine was old and cracked), thermostat, and coolant a couple years ago at the shop.
-Bled from both bleed screws more times than I can count (car warmed up, temp on high, low fan, high fan, on flat ground, again with the front raised, tried it all)
-Temp gauge stays right in the middle and engine fan seems to come on and off normally.
-Replaced cabin air filter (needed it anyway, but didn't change any HVAC behavior)
-Checked the blend actuator arm by the glovebox, and it is definitely moving when I dial from low temp to high. I can't see or feel what it's connected to so I can't definitely confirm that it's moving the blend door, but it does seem to change the temp to the very tiny amount of warm air that I do get. Setting temp back to low, the arm moves back and it feels like cool ambient air again.
-Turning fan up blows plenty of air.
-I have *not* noticed any smells or damp carpet.
-Took off the heater core cover panel (damn third screw is completely blind!) to feel the tubes, and without actual temperature readings I'd say the lower (incoming?) tube is impossibly hot to touch and the upper (return?) tube is uncomfortably hot but I could leave my hand on it for several seconds. Not sure if that means much though since some people have had both pipes hot and still had a clogged heater core.

Is there anything else that is simple to check? Any way to get to blend doors/flaps or check for any blocked ducts? I've tried all the free stuff I can find so it might be time to just buy a heater core and see what happens

 

I have heat again! Just in time for summer

I never had any leaks or windshield fogging, seems that the heater core was just old and clogged. It had a lot of brown crusty crap in it.

I love the Bentley manual on this one: "Installation is the reverse of removal. Be sure to: -Seat heater core correctly. -Seat sealing rings and clamps correctly." Good suggestion! At least it has a picture showing the ridiculously hidden upper rear third screw on the cover.

 

Blast that heat bro! WOOHOO!

How many miles on that badboy? You ever flush the cooling system?

 

144k, it was flushed a couple years ago when I had some coolant hoses replaced and I just flushed a couple weeks ago to do the heater core and thermostat. What came out of the radiator hose didn't look bad, so I'm thinking (or hoping!) that most of the junk had settled down low in the heater core.

 

Ridiculously hidden upper rear third screw is an understatement. That screw was a total pain in the butt to get to and to get back in that I never even replaced the cover

 

I wonder if other's have found so much crud in their heater cores. I guess the lesson here is that if your gonna do a coolant flush, you should back flush the heater core via the coolant lines in the engine bay with a garden hose. Wish I had though to do that when I put my new engine in 2 years ago.

 

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