20 replies to this topic

[jime17]

I'm sure stranger things have been done before.

Seriously though. Thanks for your help.

Edited by jime17, 18 September 2013 - 10:47 AM.

[1984mini25]

 Having had a stuck open heater valve on a boiling hot summers day, I found that it turns the classic mini sauna into even more of an oven, (even with blower off and the windows open). But I suppose you could always remove the valve and see how you got on, and then fit an inline valve at a later stage if required.

On the plus side, having no heater valve does mean a constant year round flow of coolant through the matrix, meaning your matrix is less likely to collect debris from your cooling system and then corrode/leak over the summer months.

 

I bought a mini years back were the heater cable had seized with the heater tap valve stuck in the full on position, as you say it was like a sauna (at least I new the heater worked) in the summer until I replaced the cable.

 

so far I haven't has any problems with the £2 second hand genuine tap from the autojumbles, as I prefer most of the time to have the heater tap somewhere between hot and cold, to keep some flow through the heater.

[tiger99]

Are the valves failing because the system pressure is too high, because of a very simple problem, the wrong radiator cap being fitted?

 

If it is not that, I guess we have just found yet another useless, badly made counterfeit part from a certain far eastern country. This is getting very tedious, to say the least, but at least it does not have the safety implications of another recent one, wheel bearings.

[AVV IT]

I'm pretty sure that it's a case of a batch of low quality parts, as opposed to a symptom of an underlying problem, dodgy heater taps seem to be a bit of a common theme here of late.

[1984mini25]

Are the valves failing because the system pressure is too high, because of a very simple problem, the wrong radiator cap being fitted?

 

If it is not that, I guess we have just found yet another useless, badly made counterfeit part from a certain far eastern country. This is getting very tedious, to say the least, but at least it does not have the safety implications of another recent one, wheel bearings.

 

I have known of some radiator caps, although being the correct 15psi for a mini (and most other cars) that fit too tightly onto the radiator to be able to release any excess pressures, but it does appear to be a batch of faulty heater valves.

[ucchockey]

My radiator cap is rather old and has been fine for years but I guess it could be duff. The two failed valves were both new. I have ordered a take off with no valve to eradicate the problem. I never use the'cold' option anyway. I'm just going to find a novel and amusing use for the spare knob in the car. Could have a secret compartment that opens when you pull it or a little flip up message in the window or something. Lol