On a whim I decided to check my coolant level. I was looking at the engine bay, and I couldn't figure out where the reservoir was. I looked in the manual, and it seems I'd been looking right at it all along, but didn't recognize it, as the fluid within was brown! Not totally brown, like a greenish brown. Does this mean the coolant is dirty and has never been flushed? Can I flush it myself?

 

How many miles on the car... Some of the new coolants are red/brown in color. They are organic based and can last for 100K miles.. Find out what mini recommends... It might be fine.
You can flush your own system .. Its not difficult. But its takes more than just draining the radiator to do it right...

 

The days of greenish coolant are past. It's still out there, but as mikem says, there are red and rust colored coolants out there.

 

The coolant turns a murky brown in some of the cars. There have been posts on it since late 2002.

I had mine flushed and checked in November 2002 and was told that it was a reaction with the hoses or castings in the engine and does not affect anything but the color.
Mine turned brown a second time, and I have just left it since, I plan on changing it at 4 years as stated in the manual (haven't noticed any ill effects so far).

 

This isn't like the old days where you can just loosen up the petcock at the bottom of the radiator and drain it ... NO ... MINI has to make it a PAIN. You have to get under and loosen a hose and it flows everywhere (I watched it being done).

What ever happened to simple? Oh, and BTW, once you unclamp a hose, those clamps are one-time use only so you better have bought some spares

 

That figures!!! I guess I can't just take it to any garage to have it done then?

I am glad to hear the color is not so unusual though. The car has about 55,000 miles. The car is fours years old now, though, and if MINI recommends an interval of four years, I was just thinking that it may never have been changed. What I'm really wondering is, if it needs changed, is this something I can do at my leisure, or is it something that can really hurt the car and should be changed right away?