8 replies to this topic

[lewBlew]

OK this is confuzzling me. Every few weeks or so I walk out to my Mini and notice a very small puddle of water on the floor, next to the drop of oil from the clutch housing

I check the coolant and lo and behold it's lost about a cupful, actually probably less. I replace it, and drive around happily for another few weeks before it happens again. I check the levels weekly and it holds the coolant, so I assume the problem is gone. No overheating, no drips, drives perfectly. It's done this about 3 times since the end of summer. Temp gauge doesn't get near halfway in this weather, when it's hotter just under halfway.

What's going on?! Wouldn't have thought it'd be head gasket - none of the usual symptoms. Cuoldn't be water pump either could it because the engine doesn't boil.

P.S. Thought I'd add I had the radiator and water pump out last year to upgrade the bypass hose and replace the rad bottom hose. Also removed and cabin heater and replaced the matrix, the heater isn't as hot as it used to be but still produces heat. Air lock?

Edited by lewBlew, 15 January 2013 - 12:41 PM.

[sonikk4]

You say the head gasket is fine, has it been changed recently and not been re torqued?? Have a look at the heater valve to see if there is a leak from that.

[lewBlew]

You say the head gasket is fine, has it been changed recently and not been re torqued?? Have a look at the heater valve to see if there is a leak from that.

Thanks will do. No, headgasket not been changed recently as far as I'm aware.

[sweetytp]

On the clutch side? Well the water passage on that side are the two hoses for your heater radiator. You could get some die to pore into your radiator, just to see exactly where the leak starts. It can be as easy as a loose collar, or a leaking heater valve which leaks every time you push it on and off.

[freshairmini]

I had one of the metal spiggot things on the main hose on my mini peel away from the rubber, for agis I couldnt figure out why it was loosing coolant/water. It was spraying a fine mist of it out when driving so didnt really show any water leak marks.

Might be worth checking that.

[lewBlew]

OK I've checked again and the only place I can see a leak is from the overflow pipe, but it's very slight, possibly even just steam. It's collecting on the front subframe under the radiator and dripping onto the floor from there when the engine is running and for a short while after.

Any ideas why it's doing this? Could I have overfilled it? Again - the engine runs fine and temp rarely gets to the halfway point on the dial. Coolant temp sensor replaced last year as it wasn't registering anything at all.

[lewBlew]

I'm going for either slightly overfilling it, or needing a new radiator cap. The top of the radiator looks like it might be dented too which isn't helping the seal.

[Dan]

It's not a sealed system, if there is a little too much and you park up while it is hot and it keeps on heat soaking, then it will overflow a little. When it does this, don't top it up unless the level has got lower than the top of the cores in the rad. In most cases what it's blowing out it doesn't need. A dented rad neck will stop the cap sealing properly yes which could make it overflow sooner, so if it becomes a more serious problem then fix the neck. Just see whether keeping the level a little lower helps first. It's meant to be no more than an inch higher than the top of the cores in the rad, and as I said it isn't really low until there is no water visible in the top tank at all.

[lewBlew]

Sure, thanks. Each time I notice a little puddle on the floor it's literally just gone under the top of the cores. Perhaps half a cupful. I'll keep an eye on it