Yes, I'm new to the site. Unfortunately, I come with problems. My daughter has a beautiful 2006 Mini Cooper S and she has had a blast driving it. Unfortunately, she's a busy lady and tends to let things slide -- like the rising temperature gauge. Sure, she topped off the coolant but she did not go the next step to find out where or why it was losing coolant. Jumping to the end, the last time it overheated she was stuck in beach traffic and tried to make it to the next exit. She did, but the car lost power just as she did. Attempts by the mechanic to pressurize the system and find the leak failed, that is, I think it is losing pressure so fast that it must be a badly blown head gasket or possibly worse. So now the question is whether to 1) ask the dealer to disassemble, diagnose, and attempt to repair, 2) find a used engine and swap out, or 3) find a re-manufactured engine and swap it out. I guess it is a tradeoff of money vs. the risk of not getting it fully fixed. For option (1) to begin the dealer needs the go ahead to spend a $1,000. Then he says that if it is only a head gasket it will still end up being $3,000 after testing the head and so forth. I guess Minis engines are not easy to disassemble and re-assemble. If the head is warped or cracked then a bunch more ($2,000?) is added in because of the cost of a new head and all the labor in installing the valves, guides, etc. And you still don't know if the lower part of the engine is sound... Option 2) involves the risk of not really knowing what the condition of the engine is before buying and installing. The sellers say they have started up the engines but is that enough? A used 2006 engine can be had for about $3,500 but I don't know what the cost of removing and replacing the engine is or whether it can be done by a non-Mini specialist. Again the Mini is more complicated than the average car. Option 3) gives you an essentially new engine and I found one for about $5,000. Again, I don't know how many hours of labor are involved in removing and installing it. I'm a complete nubie to Minis so I would really appreciate your comments and thoughts and if you can fill in any of the blanks that would be super. All of this because an engine was losing coolant and overheating! If your engine is beginning to overheat, PULL OVER!
If you give us your whereabouts, we can probably recommend a MINI mechanic that can diagnose and probably offer a much more reasonable price. My thoughts: 1) Probably blown head gasket, but would be wary of warped head. 2) Do not go to dealer unless its your last alternative. 3) Replacing complete engine is probably overkill, get a diagnosis from a MINI mechanic and go from there. Good luck!
I agree with Doggybags that if the engine isn't siezed, it will be much cheaper to fix it than replace it. It's not just that the engine or that MINIs are more complicated than other cars, but more that they've crammed so much in such a small place that it's a lot of work (read - hours = $$$$ labor) Chances are it's blown the head gasket, and I wouldn't be too surprised to find someone here on M/A that has replaced their perfectly good head with a higher performance one and might have a good used one to sell, if you need it. Bottom line, get it to a good independent mechanic who knows the ins and outs of the MINI and she'll be motoring again in no time, and with as little financial pain as possible. BTW, it may have been the thernostat housing that was leaking - 2006's are notorious for this - easy to fix while they have it apart. If you tell us where you are located, we might have a suggestion for a friendly tech in your area.....
If at all possible, find a shop that specializes in the MINIs b/c a foul-up by a non-pro can really cause more issues down the road for ya. Helix is only 150 miles away from you, definitely worth the trip and have it done right by a MINI Pro. Knowing Eric, he will not sell you on anything that's not NEEDED. cheers.
i like Helix and they support this site, but another closer option is:Behe Performance. Don knows his way around a MINI very well too.
To be blunt... the dealer is trying to rip you off with those quoted prices. If it's a head gasket without warping, then you're looking at less than a grand all fixed. If the head is warped, you'll be able to put a good aftermarket head on the car for less than the cost that the dealer is asking for a gasket replacement! Anyway, for the difference in price between a good MINI shop, you could have the car trailered to the shop, and still have enough left over for some good go fast goodies..... Or an "automotive maintenance class" for the little lady.... Matt
Thanks, guys, for your help. Anyone have experience with the folks at Mach V Motorsports. They are the closest shop to me. I'm certainly open to making the trip to Philly and Helix. The car is not drive-able, so I am looking into renting vehicle towing equipment from U-Haul and borrowing my friend's pickup truck. Or I may simply rent a truck from U-Haul also. In the scheme of things the cost is small. By the way, U-Haul rents a "tow dolly" that is lighter but lifts only two wheels off the ground and a full-on vehicle trailer. Is it OK to tow the Mini 150 miles with the rear wheels on the ground?
Yes, it's OK. If the MINI has stock suspension it's not a problem, you may need to fabricate ramps to help get it on the trailer without scuffing. Lowered MINIs and those equipped with front splitters will need the bumper cover (and/or splitter) removed.
I seem to recall that the owner's manual advised against anything but a flat bed, but that might be because of the car's size and stability issues when being towed by the front wheels only.
If you go to our wonderful library, look for the owner's manual for your year. They warn against the sling type method. But it's OK if you use a wheel lift method which are the type rented by U-haul. The best is the carrier method, where the entire vehicle on the flat bed of the hauler.
Other than the issue of a low front lip that Keith already mentioned, I can't think of a single reason why one shouldn't tow a MINI with the rear wheels running on the ground. The only reason I'd ever heard for not towing a car that way was for older auto trans cars where the transmission fluid pump was driven from the input shaft. Since this would be stationary, the bearing at the back of the tranny wouldn't be lubricated properly (when I was younger, you fixed this by taking out the driveshaft). But a FWD car? The front drive mechanism is in fact just pulling the rear end around just like it will be by the trailer! matt
Overheated in Phoenix Ladies and Gents, First time posting on this site, thank you for being here. I recently overheated and blew my head gasket. Does anyone have a referral to a reputable Mini independent out here in the Valley of the Sun? Thanks and Cheers Mick