2nd Gen R56 Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: Whats going on?

Did you check the coolant level?

 

Time to check the coolant level and stick the old head under the engine/tranny and look for "stuff" dripping.

If it was an '06 I'd say check the thermostat housing.

You need the 2nd Gen owners to chime in here with their (if any) coolant issues.

Let us know what you find.

....Les

 

There haven't really been any water leakage issues with the 2nd gen cars, so I'd definitely check for a leak somewhere....and top it off before you blow the headgasket.

 

Tim,

I had the heat exchanger go out on mine which was causing a coolant leak. It was very hard to detect as the coolant was dripping onto the exhaust and would evaporate instead of hitting the ground. Granted, the location of the liquid you've identified looks like it would be from something else.

fwiw, the coolant liquid itself did not seem to have any odor to me either (I'm used to the syrup smell) and really was borderline colorless on the few occasions when it managed to drip to the ground.

If the overflow tank is low, you've definitely lost some (but that could be normal). I don't think it should be as low as what you describe.

If you need to top off the coolant (and I'm assuming you don't have a bottle of the stuff from the MINI dealer laying around), you should be safe using coolant that is free of all additives (phosphates, nitrates, etc.). Look for something safe for aluminum radiators. I've read several people say Zerex G5 is good if you can find it, but you may have to use another brand. From what I found in my research, the color does not matter - it is just some coloring and doesn't really mean anything (there is no industry standard or requirements about color).

Keep us posted!

 

Is it true that R56s have two thermostats?

 

Cool. Thanks for asking. I was wondering how they tackled replacing the two units, but that makes sense.

Glad everything got sorted out and fixed!

 

It's a two-stage unit. It allows different flow levels depending on various factors. Normal setting is for it to have the temp at 220. But, if it's a very hot day, or you're pushing the car pretty hard (say a track day) or you turn on "Max A/C" it will kick in the second stage and drop the temp down to about 180.

 

#4 is the thermostat assy, I'll bet it's an expensive bugger to replace out of warranty!

My understanding is that the engine normally runs at 220* or so, unless it's really hot and/or the car is under heavy load, when the second portion of the thermostat opens sending the temps down to around 185-190*

 

(11) Looks like one of those mechanical hearts.