8 replies to this topic

[Mr Duck]

It's been a while since I went for a drive in Paddy, so I thought I'd go down some of the local country lanes. Must have been driving around for about an hour or so, came back home, parked the car up in front of the garage and left it sitting there (on a slight incline) just ticking over as tidied a few things up for no longer than 2mins.

Got back in the car and noticed that the temp gauge was right up in the top end of the scale! Poo'd myself and drove it into the garage and turned the car off.

From here, it all went Pete Tong.

As soon as I turned off steam started being ejected from the bonnet, most of it from the left hand side as you sit in the car. Some started coming into the cabin area, at which point I looked under the car to find a veritable lake on the garage floor. I prised open the radiator bottle and high pressure steam started being forced out from underneath the cap. After a lot of hissing, I had a look in the bottle to find it pretty empty (duh, it's all over the garage floor...).

What I'd like to know, is would anything have come loose? Have I done any long term damage to the engine? And can anyone recommend some radiator coolent for Minis?

[miniboy1971]

Sounds a bit like what happened to mine when the water pump failed a few years ago......

[Minitrio]

Well first of all you need is to get a new expansion cap, flush the cooling system throughly and then refill with a decent anti-freeze 50/50 mix.

Then check round for any leaks on all water connections, then disconnect the brown wired plug on the thermostat housing (puts the ECU into 'get you home mode'), fire up the engine and the radiator fan should kick in straightaway. If the fan kicks in, you know its working, switch off and reconnect the brown plug. If not you know the problem.

Now if the fan is working, fire back up and monitor the temp gauge and squeeze the top and bottom hose to expel any potential airlocks. Check expansion tank for coolant level and top up as appropriate with 50/50 anti-freeze mix. Recheck for any water leaks again around all connections.

Now turn your attention to both temp gauge and expansion tank. Check that the temp gauge is not rise to high, but also keep a close eye on the expansion tank for bubbling and signs of boiling. Should you see sign's of bubbling, then disconnect the brown plug and let the fan cool the system before switching off to stop a repeat of steam and water dump.

Hopefully all being well, the fan should kick in as normal and problem solved. If not you need to start looking at thermostat, waterpump and worse case scenario head gasket.

Good luck

[Mr Duck]

Minitrio - thanks for the big post with lots of helpful stuff! However, I think I know what caused all these issues...

In short, the radiator fan motor seized up causing the fuse to blow. Needed replacing, did so. Broke alternator while refitting it. Fixed that. Mini laid up for a while. Fixed exhaust, went for drive, blew up the cooling system. Why did it break?

Because I forgot to replace the blown fuse. For flips sake.

Would it worry anyone to say that I fix Chinooks for the RAF?!

[Minitrio]

Would it worry anyone to say that I fix Chinooks for the RAF?!

Doh!! Don't worry i had a leak from the water pump, ordered a new one and continued to drive my mpi, just topped up the 1/2 litre a day of coolant i was loosing. Unfortunately i used plain old water and not antifreeze mix. It froze one night and i fired the MPI in the morning and popped the core plugs out due to the engine freezing! Ouch what an expensive lesson that was!

You don't fix the Chinooks, that fly over my house from RAF Benson by any chance??

[Mr Duck]

You don't fix the Chinooks, that fly over my house from RAF Benson by any chance??

Er, sounds about right - yes.

[Saxo-Fiesta-Mini]

hahahah lol sounds like me mine was over heating so i got a new rad cap, then did the head gasket to make sure wasnt that, then realised the rad was shot got a new on of ebay, then realised the pullly on the water pump was going round like a nutter got a new water pump, then filled with new anti freeze and my friend noticed the bottom hose was leaking, took it off and fitted new clips and instant gasketed it to then the other jubilie clip was seaping

so fixed that

got in this morning fired it up and then 2 seonds later the heater matrix absolutly *drunk* pink coolant alll over my foot AHHHHHHHH

so bridge the connetion from the heater tap to the bottom rad hose and all day ive had a wet pink foot

and know my white DC are now stained PINK


ahhhhh and i had to put the old rad cap on as i dropped the new one when i found the leak this morning

[Minitrio]

You don't fix the Chinooks, that fly over my house from RAF Benson by any chance??

Er, sounds about right - yes.

Anyone know a good estate agent?? Need to move out of RAF Benson's flight path!! LOL!

[jamesmpi]

Anyone know a good estate agent?? Need to move out of RAF Benson's flight path!! LOL!
[/quote]

Come over to Brize Norton and upgrade from helicopters to C17 Globemasters and fighter jets lol