Just a quick note, make sure you're using BMW/MINI coolant or Zerex G-05 mixed with distilled water. Other coolants will leave precipitates (bad chunks) in the cooling system and clog the heater core, radiator, and engine water passages. The MINI coolant is about $20 a jug, and Zerex G-05 can be found for $15.
Page 1 of 2
-
BThayer23 Well-Known Member
-
You may have air in your system. Open the vent screw and see if antifreeze comes out. If not, with the vent screw off add antifreeze till some comes out the vent screw hole. Once it does replace the vent screw.
The heater is on the same side of the thermostat that the engine is on. So if the thermostat is not opening causing the engine to get hot the heater would still get hot, very hot. This is why if your engine is starting to get hot you can turn the heater on hi to help slow the overheating. This won't prevent it.
The other possibility is that you don't have the correct antifreeze mix. This can allow ice to form in the system restricting flow. But if this was the case once the temp got high and melted the blockage everything would work.
Hope this helps-
Like x 1
- List
-
-
I know when I recently did my thermostat it took about 3/4 of a bottle of premix to fill it back up if that helps. I only made the turkey baster suggestion because that way your not throwing the mix off drastically but you might introduce enough antifreeze to keep it from freezing. kind of a quick fix method until you can flush it and get the proper amount in there. seeing how cold it is there that's probably what I would do. less time in the cold more time in the warmth for beer :beer
-
Like x 1
- List
-
-
DneprDave Well-Known MemberSupporting Member
-
Steve AdministratorStaff Member Articles Moderator
So, in 10+ years of ownership and forum trolling I've somehow not noticed this particular engine coolant concern. Did a quick search and it looks like if there's a problem with coolants it's because of the aluminum radiator. Some coolants include compounds (phosphates? silicates?) that are reactive and create the solids mentioned above. Might be time for my MINI to have a power flush and a fluid change.....better late than never.
-
Like x 1
- List
-
-
DneprDave Well-Known MemberSupporting Member
Maybe your thermostat is failing.
Dave -
panaphobic Club Coordinator
I replaced the thermostat about 3 years ago. I looked at the housing on it this morning and it's not leaking like it did last time when it was bad. I will obviously keep that in mind though.
-
My mini hits 220 in traffic before the fans turn on. It quick drops back down to 195. my cruising temp is right at 188. I wouldn't be too concerned with the temperature. the one time I over heated my mini (when the damper pulley failed) i hit 235 and the high speed fans came on. at that point the factory dummy gauge had just hit the 3/4 mark. it could be possible you have an air pocket in the system I would try bleeding it and see what happens from there.
next time it does this I would let it run till 220 to see if your fans come on. that can narrow down if your engine is truly overheating. -
ScottinBend Space CowboySupporting Member
Yea....200 is not overheating. In fact the low speed fan doesn't come on til I think 200.
BUT, if you are not getting any heat then there is something wrong. Check the thermostat and the water pump. Both could be the cause. -
I got this off the mini mania website
Cooling Fan
Radiator Fan is a nine bladed fan measuring 400mm in diameter, driven by a 350 watt motor controlled by the EMS2000.
Low speed is switched on at 105°C (221° F) coolant temp and off when the temperature drops to 101°C (214° F).
High speed is switched on at 112° C (234° F) and remains on until the system coolant temperature drops by 4° C (39° F) at which point the system will revert to Low Speed.
The cooling fan will also operate on Low Speed when the Air Conditioning is switched on and system pressure reaches 8 bar (116 psi). Should the Air Conditioning system pressure rise to 18 bar (261 psi), the fan will automatically run on the High Speed. -
ScottinBend Space CowboySupporting Member
That doesn't seem right as my Scangauge will get to about 205° and immediately drop down to below 200° while running on the street.
-
panaphobic Club Coordinator
Thanks for the info guys!
Yeah the fan never even kicked on from what I could tell. It was brutally cold out this morning, hovering about 7ºF while I was driving. I'm thinking there might be something going on due to it being so cold. Last time the heat wasn't working, it was about this cold out. Unfortunately, it's going to be this cold all week and weekend and I don't have a garage to work in so it's not going to be fun.... -
eMINIparts Well-Known MemberMotoring Alliance Sponsor
- Mar 13, 2012
- 1,087
- MINI Parts Advisor
- Ratings:
- +1,090 / 0 / -0
Crazy stuff happens when the temp drops as low as it has been the last few days here in New England.....
-
panaphobic Club Coordinator
From what I have noticed, my running temp is usually 193ºF during the spring/summer/fall, and during the winter it will run anywhere from 180ºF - 193ºF depending on the outside temperature. Normally, the colder it is, the lower it runs at, but that would be expected due to the lower air temperature. It's just weird to me. Does the thermostat control the water flow to and from the heater core? If it doesn't, then I could probably rule that out. I am leaning towards it being caused be the water pump as it would seem more logical. I have high mileage (~150k) and I don't know if it had ever been replaced by the previous owner.
-
panaphobic Club Coordinator
-
panaphobic Club Coordinator
Thanks everyone for all the info! If you have anything else you think it could be, by all means let me know! -
ScottinBend Space CowboySupporting Member
I regularly drive in below freezing temps and have not seen this kind of thing and my heater works great....lol
-
Crashton Club Coordinator
I've been driving in those same conditions without issues. Although I don't have a scan gauge giving me coolant temps. I'm wondering if your heater valve is functioning. Your tempos sure would give you heat from the heater.
-
panaphobic Club Coordinator
I'm leaning toward a bad mixture like MCS02 stated. I think that would be a good place to start as this could easily cause the problem, and also check for air in the system. Then from there I will figure out if it could be the pump or the heater, and then possibly the thermostat. Hopefully a new batch of coolant and no air in the lines fixes it! I will definitely let your guys know!
-
panaphobic Club Coordinator
Just went out and check my MINI. It's a comfortable 20ºF out right now, check the motor to make sure it was completely cold, which it was, and the ScanGaugeII confirmed this as it read the intake air temp and water temp as also being at 20ºF. Fired her up and let her run for a few minute, got up to about 100ºF according to the ScanGaugeII and turned the heat on and it was working fine, well what it should be at that temperature. So I'm guessing it's just a bad coolant mixture being as it's only 13º warmer out and it didn't cause the coolant to freeze anywhere or cause any problems. So I guess I'll be changing out the coolant. How much coolant does the system take if it's empty? Jeffster06 told me to use a turkey baster to remove coolant from the reservoir and then add in unmixed coolant to offset what is currently in the system. I can't recall how much these cars take.
Page 1 of 2