11 replies to this topic

[Astral]

~~~~~Please delete this text before posting the topic~~~~~~
Please give your topic a title that quickly describes your problem. Just putting 'Help my Mini doesn't work' is useless to anyone trying to help.
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Model: Mini cooper
Year: 1995
Description of problem (please be as in depth as possible):

Meet Gubby
http://www.flickr.co...ton/3518021081/


Gubby has a little issue. Whomever the previous owner was ran her with no anti freeze in the radiator….for a long….long time….so after replacing the thermostat (Which could no longer even be called a thermostat as it was a corroded rusty ball) the water pump, the pipes, bleeding and flushing the radiator (Lucky the radiator was even salvageable) the last teeny little issue she has is the electric fan is not kicking in as it should do. (How they didn’t blow the head gasket I don’t know…)

I think this is due to a faulty temp sender, and a blown fuse (At least this is what I’m praying) as I tried to test the fan and nothing happened… Could one of you kind mini machanics let me know

A: where they’ve hidden the fuse box on a 1995 model mini cooper
B: Where they’ve hidden the temp sender

Regards

Astra

Any non-standard parts that might be involved with the problem?

Nope all normal

[andatche]

Your '95 Cooper should be a single point injection (SPi/TBi) model, so in answer to your questions:

A) The glass fuses are fitted in a row in a small fuse holder mounted to the bulkhead in the engine bay, just behind the air box assembly.

B) The electric fan on the SPI is controlled by a seperate temp sensor to the one used by the ECU, guages etc. This is located in the bottom of the radiator itself at the front. It is held in place by the rubber seal and can simply be pulled out to replace (careful, coolant it going to come out everywhere!). The easiest way to check if your problem lies with the sensor is to remove the two connectors and touch them together, if the fan kicks in then the sensor is probably broken, if not it's probably the relay.

Also, nice paint job!

Edited by andatche, 19 August 2009 - 12:11 PM.

[Astral]

Diamond!

I knew it would be there (As I have just flushed and re-fitted the radiator and filled it up with nice clean coolent) Makes perfect sense that I'd have to take the whole bloody lot out again.

[Astral]

Just had a small worrying thought.

If the electic fan runs off a seperate temp sender to the one that runs the dash guage....The I might have found another issue... The dash temp guage is also not registering anything...

Am I about to find out I need to buy a new electric fan and fix a broken guage?

Edited by Astral, 19 August 2009 - 12:20 PM.

[andatche]

Diamond!

I knew it would be there (As I have just flushed and re-fitted the radiator and filled it up with nice clean coolent) Makes perfect sense that I'd have to take the whole bloody lot out again.

You don't need to remove the radiator to get to it, it's quite easily accessible if you remove the grill. I changed mine a couple of weeks ago, it was only a 10 minute job.

Just had a small worrying thought.

If the electic fan runs off a seperate temp sender to the one that runs the dash guage....The I might have found another issue... The dash temp guage is also not registering anything...

Am I about to find out I need to buy a new electric fan and fix a broken guage?

The dash temp gauge gets its signal from the ECU which uses the coolant temp sensor under the inlet manifold. The reading from the CTS has a major effect on fueling and if it isn't working correctly would cause quite noticeable running issues. If you're not having any running issues, this would suggest the gauge isn't working or the wiring between the ECU and the gauge is damaged. The gauges are renowned for having issues.

EDIT: Also, if after testing, the sensor isn't the problem then it's more likely to be the fan relay or wiring than the motor itself. The relay is located on the nearside of the engine bay, mounted to the bulkhead next to the PTC heater relay.

Edited by andatche, 19 August 2009 - 12:36 PM.

[Astral]

I hope I don't sound too much like a complete idiot but....

Please explain this to me as if you were asking a 10 year old to do it. (A 10 year old with very little car knowledge)

Last month I didn't even know what a thermostat was, now I am reading the haynes manual before bed time!

[Astral]

The only running issue I can report is when I put my foot on the clutch for too long everything would cut out. (Whole car swtitch off) I thought this was due to the engine over heating hence my discovery of all these problems.

[Astral]

Oh and that only happened after the car had been running a little while hence the reason I thought it may be overheating

[andatche]

If you remove the front grille from the car and have a look at the bottom of the radiator on the nearside (right hand side as you look from the front of the car) you should be able to see the temp sensor for the electric fan, it's about the diameter of a pound coin. The sensor should have two wires connected two it, if you remove these and touch them together (with the ignition on) then the fan should kick in. If it doesn't kick in, see if you can hear the relay clicking. The relay is one of the two yellow ones on the bulkhead on the nearside, I can't remember which off the top of my head.

[Astral]

Okay so all going well. If I replace the fuse (Incase its shot) re-test the fan and it kicks in, its defo the sender thats gone? Get that all fixed up and dandy,

How would I then go about testing to see if it is the gauge thats broken? and does my previously mentioned problem (Car cutting out as it dosen't seem to be idling just revs dropping to zero when foots on clutch for more than 30-50 seconds) have anything to do withc watch you said

The dash temp gauge gets its signal from the ECU which uses the coolant temp sensor under the inlet manifold. The reading from the CTS has a major effect on fueling and if it isn't working correctly would cause quite noticeable running issues. If you're not having any running issues, this would suggest the gauge isn't working or the wiring between the ECU and the gauge is damaged. The gauges are renowned for having issues.

sorry for the million questions I just want to get my baby back on the road!

[Cooperman]

You shouldn't sit with your foot on the clutch for even 10 seconds unless you really can't help it. When you press the clutch down the clutch load goes into the crankshaft thrust bearings which are fitted at the centre main bearing. After a while these thrust bearings wear and the engine has to come out to correct the excessive crankshaft end float. Also, never start a Mini with the clutch pushed down as then those same thrust bearings are running with load applied, but without any oil feed until the oil pressure builds up.
If your electric fan is a problem, just wire it through a manual switch ans turn it on when the temp rises. Ideally you then need a capilliary (i.e. an accurate) temp gauge, which is no bad idea on any Mini anyway.

[Astral]

I don't sit there with my foot on the clutch in normal day to day driving. I noticed the revs dipping when i changed gear, then pushed my foot down to see if they drop to zero, which they did. It also did it with nowt pressed down sat in nuetral...