6 replies to this topic

[HansGruber]

John Cooper 40 LE:
1999:
Hi there

I have recently spent alot of money having the rear valance and rear half of the boot floor replaced and i have nervously been keeping the car under cover in fear of the dredded rust coming back but due to its inactivity the battery had run flat when i tried to start it today, but to my horror when i took it out to charge it i noticed that the battery box was full of water like a little mini swimming pool. The water looked a bit soapey and we did have to reattach the bottle properly as the garage hadnt put it on right and there seems to be a few tiny specs of surface rust where the water pool was. I noticed that the 3 holes in the battery box have had some kind of rubber matt glued on covering them up. Are the 3 holes supposed to be drainage holes and would that make the garage responsible?:


Thanks for any help.

[Dan]

All the drain holes in the floor of the car are there only to allow the E-coat and primer to drain out of the shell when it is dipped at manufacture. They should all be plugged during assembly.

[mk=john]

All the drain holes in the floor of the car are there only to allow the E-coat and primer to drain out of the shell when it is dipped at manufacture. They should all be plugged during assembly.

I was told that the holes in the battery box should not be covered so the battery can `vent'

[AVV IT]

i have nervously been keeping the car under cover in fear of the dredded rust coming back

The vast majority of corrosion/rust does not occur as a result of the car being stationary. It is as a result of water & salt being sprayed up into the various rust traps underneath the car and small stones chipping & scratching away the protective paint/under seal underneath the car and exposing the vulnerable metal. Whilst the car is stationary it is mainly only exposed to rain water from above and is therefore fairly well protected by the cars paintwork, keeping the car undercover will not therefore prevent corrosion significantly. Your best course of action would be to fully treat & rust proof the vulnerable areas of your mini regularly and also consider fitting a set of plastic wheel arch liners under the front wings.

Edited by AVV IT, 02 November 2010 - 06:15 AM.

[Dan]

I was told that the holes in the battery box should not be covered so the battery can `vent'

Hydrogen is lighter than air, it doesn't vent downwards. The holes might let replacement air in but you can't exactly say the rest of the boot is air tight! The battery itself covers the holes anyway.

[wardyxxx]

If you've got a car cover, seriously consider a garage. Because, no matter how good your cover is, any water in the car will just sweat. My cover accelerated the rusting process.

[HansGruber]

Thanks for your replies. I do keep the car in a garage for the most part and try my best not to drive it in the rain which i must say is making the whole mini ownership quite miserable as i am so worried about it. Funny thing is the garage i rent doesnt look like it was designed for cars as no other car bigger than a mini can fit in them
I think the large quantity of water came from the screen wash tank.