1st Gen R53 Cooper S Overheating problem?

Discussion in '1st Generation: 2002–06 R50, R53 & 2004–08 R52' started by ScottinBend, Mar 11, 2011.

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  1. ScottinBend

    ScottinBend Space Cowboy
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    #1 ScottinBend, Mar 11, 2011
    Ok, so I am on my way back home after work and I decide to take my "fun" 20 min drive. It has a nice stretch of road where I can stretch out my legs a bit. After hitting just north of triple digits I slow down to a more respectable speed and a minute or so later I stop for a bit. As soon as I come to a stop steam starts coming up from the hood. I pop the hood and the coolant tank is wet and the heat shield underneath it is frying away the last little bit of coolant on it.

    Now I am running a scangaugeII and noticed no increase in temps. It was reading 198. I was able to pop off the coolant tank lid with little to no pressure released. There didn't appear to be any coolant missing. Was close to the top of the tank, above the max level. Now I haven't added any coolant to the tank since my summer service, and that was just a bit to get it up to the min line and I have taken this same drive several times since.

    I had about 5 miles left to go to get home so I decided to drive it while watching the temps on the scangauge. Got home just fine and the temps never got above 199 or below 192 and actually fluctuated nicely while driving.

    Checked the coolant level at home and it was the same as before. Never had anything like this happen before.

    Could this have been a case of the coolant level being to high or is it indicative of something worse?
     
  2. k-huevo

    k-huevo Club Coordinator

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    #2 k-huevo, Mar 11, 2011
    First perform a bleed tonight, adjust the expansion tank fluid level after the engine is completely cold, then install a new cap when you get the chance. If it occurs again, we'll go from there.
     
  3. mini_racer

    mini_racer Well-Known Member

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    #3 mini_racer, Mar 11, 2011
    Make sure to bleed at both locations.
    Also, what kind of rpms were you running in your spirited driving? Is it possible to over spin the water pump due to really high rpms and a redux pulley? I get this or at least the same effect on my car. The temps seem to be fine regardless of the ambient, but if I keep the rpms too high for too long(i.e. seconds), the coolant burps out of the cap and makes a little mess.

    What is your rpm limit?
     
  4. ScottinBend

    ScottinBend Space Cowboy
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    #4 ScottinBend, Mar 11, 2011
    Thanks K....will do in the am.

    I was only running to about 7K in 2 gears. I have not ever seen this happen, even with the track days I have done.
     
  5. Jason Montague

    Jason Montague New Member
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    #5 Jason Montague, Mar 12, 2011
    :cornut:My story(08 R56 MCS/JCW 45kmi still under warranty) is some what similar(including Scan Gauge II saying normal 200-220F temps) but she didn't blow out coolant until engine turned off in drive way. Then coolant tinged with oil(really)would bubble up into over flow tank and out onto drive way. Along with 2 small "drip/drip" oil leaks.Mini of Dallas(good people)found/fixed/are fixing:
    1.blown right front axle seal
    2.oil filter housing to block gasket/seal(not filter cover to housing gasket)
    3.blown head gasket
    4.are now checking for head warpage
    I'll know more on Mon 14Mar11. Any way......that's what's going on with Mini Margi. Hope that the info helps.:Thumbsup:

    Jason:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:
     
  6. ScottinBend

    ScottinBend Space Cowboy
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    #6 ScottinBend, Mar 12, 2011
    I think it may have been as simple as i stopped and shut down the car too soon after the high speed run. It didn't get the usual "cool down lap".

    I am going out in a bit to do the check and will report back when done.
     
  7. ScottinBend

    ScottinBend Space Cowboy
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    #7 ScottinBend, Mar 12, 2011
    OK......checked the pressure capacity of the tank and it held pressure just fine (used my brake fluid pressure bleeder). Checked it up to almost 20psi. No access to a MINI tank cap, will a BMW one work?

    Checked top bleeder valve and only got fluid from it. So I decided to start it up and see what happens. Well I got the temp up to about 198 under idle (as per the scangauge) at which time the upper hose finally got hot. But I was unable to really see any coolant flowing around in the tank. I could squeeze the upper rad hose and see the resultant fluid surge in the tank. The temps never got above 198 and in fact they hovered right around 194. The fan never came on, although I didn't expected it to at the temps I was seeing.

    Next I guess it is time for a short drive and see what happens?
     
  8. Jason Montague

    Jason Montague New Member
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    #8 Jason Montague, Mar 12, 2011
    :Thumbsup:good idea............waiting to hear...........:popcorn::popcorn:

    Jason
     
  9. mini_racer

    mini_racer Well-Known Member

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    #9 mini_racer, Mar 12, 2011
    Checking if the tank can hold pressure is useful if a tank leak is suspected, I thought the issue here was the cap spewing, so you need to check if the cap can hold pressure.
    From RealOEM, retails for...
    No.__Description ____________Supplement_Qty_Part Number__Price
    01__Cooling water expansion tank______1____17137529273___$34.35
    02__Cover lid_______________________1____17107515499____$9.03

    If, in fact you need a new one.

    Hope you come back clean after the drive. Good Luck.
     
  10. ScottinBend

    ScottinBend Space Cowboy
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    #10 ScottinBend, Mar 12, 2011
    I wasn't sure it was the cap or the tank, thus the test. Was hard to tell as everything was wet last night.
     
  11. mini_racer

    mini_racer Well-Known Member

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    #11 mini_racer, Mar 12, 2011
    Got it. Well, the tank test certainly couldn't hurt, and now you know it is good. I have seen many posts about how crappy the tank is and how it always leaks, etc, etc. Mine is 5+ now and has yellowed a bit, but I am still waiting for it to fail. They can't be that bad.

    Actually, I occasionally experience the same symptoms. Sometimes it spits upon the track, or on the street, and sometimes not. For me when it happens it seems to make a big mess, but the fluid level doesn't really seem to change, I dunno. It does not seem to be temperature related, and so I just trying to consider more crazy ideas like rpm.

    I might just order a new cap, not really an expensive part replacement.

    Hope you get yours resolved.
     
  12. ScottinBend

    ScottinBend Space Cowboy
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    #12 ScottinBend, Mar 12, 2011
    Well just got back from a nice sedate 20 min drive and all seems well. Temps never got above a 200 spike and fluctuated between 192 and 198 the whole time with no coolant leaks. Got plenty of hot air from the heater so the pump seems to be working fine.

    Looks like it was much ado about nothing (but with my financial situation as it is I really didn't need for this to be a big problem.......:D)

    Although looks like I am due for another coolant change. Only been about 15k since the last one.....:(

    Still thinking about the Evans stuff...think I will need to talk to my local BWM/MINI/Race car guy about it.
     
  13. BThayer23

    BThayer23 Well-Known Member

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    #13 BThayer23, Mar 14, 2011
    What criteria do you use to evaluate this? Color? Voltage conductivity? Curious...
     
  14. ScottinBend

    ScottinBend Space Cowboy
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    #14 ScottinBend, Mar 14, 2011
    Basically the color and the fact that it has been about 2 yrs since last flush.
     
  15. BThayer23

    BThayer23 Well-Known Member

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    #15 BThayer23, Mar 14, 2011
    Here's another method for testing the age of the coolant:

    from Doug's Domain :: BMW E36 Coolant Flush DIY

     
  16. ScottinBend

    ScottinBend Space Cowboy
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    #16 ScottinBend, Mar 14, 2011
    Last edited: Mar 14, 2011
    Yep, knew that. Thanks.

    Well it seems my low speed fan has stopped working and this is what caused my coolant to vent. The temps here have been in the 40's so with the car moving the fan was never req'd for the short times I was stopped. So today I decided to get the car hot and then let it sit in the garage and watch the temps. Slooooowly they climbed from the initial 195 to 215 and no fan came on. Didn't want to push it further to check the high speed fan so I went for a cool down drive.

    Dam......will need to wait till end of summer before I can afford to get it replaced. Should be back to full time by then.

    edit.......ok, just reread the Mynes post about stock parameters that can be adjusted with their software and it shows the stock temp limit for the low speed fan to be about 223F. Oh well, looks like I need to do some more checking. :D
     
  17. Jason Montague

    Jason Montague New Member
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    #17 Jason Montague, Mar 14, 2011
    Last edited: Mar 14, 2011
    :nonod: I get Mini Margi(08 R56 MCS/JCW) back tomorrow from the dealer. Fixed under warranty(@45kmi). What you are describing are the exact same symptoms that Margi had with a blown head gasket.She also had other things that the tech caught and fixed incidentally. But the symptoms of not over heating while driving(Scan Gauge II showed 190-205),back to the drive way,turn engine off. Then,in the drive way, no cooling fan comes on but she vomits coolant on the drive way, 8oz or so, not much. Head gasket(at least in Margi it was). Hope yours is a mere glitch but I doubt it.
    (run it by k-huevo and see what he thinks,couldn't hurt)

    Jason
     
  18. CHKMINI

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    #18 CHKMINI, Mar 14, 2011
    Jason, my '09 JCW runs at 220 degrees most of the time, which I am told is normal for an '09. Scan Gauge II also.
     
  19. Jason Montague

    Jason Montague New Member
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    #19 Jason Montague, Mar 14, 2011
    :cornut:Yes. The point was that it was NOT over heating while running but still vomited coolant after shutting the engine down because engine exhaust over pressurized the cooling system through the blown head gasket.:Thumbsup:

    Jason
     
  20. Jason Montague

    Jason Montague New Member
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    #20 Jason Montague, Mar 19, 2011
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2011
    Overheating

    :cornut: Scottinbend, I hope that your overheating problem is solved. Mine is. Margi is back and motors like before/no problem. After discussions with the tech, the blown head gasket released high pressure cylinder gas into the coolant system which for some reason caused her to lose her coolant after the engine was turned off and sat for a few minutes. I don't quite understand the logic there(Boyle's law, hot gas more volumious than cooling gas) but they replaced the head gasket and problem solved.Good Luck!:Thumbsup:

    Jason:popcorn::popcorn:
     
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