Mini Cooper heating problems

[Mark2525]

Have a 2002 1.6 petrol mini has not been used for 4 weeks but a lot of water in the oil but dose not over heat .heater in car comes out cold as well

[Loyly]

Knackered head gasket, coolant has leaked out and ended up in the oil under pressure. There isn't enough coolant left in the circuit to heat the cabin.

[Mark2525]

Do you have a hays manal on it please

[Rockster]

Mark2525 said:

Do you have a hays manal on it please

You don't need a manual on the car you need a shovel. Bury that sucker. 4 weeks sitting with an intermix problem? Running the engine with coolant in the oil?

This ain't good. If the block is cast iron the anti-freeze compounds can develop a glaze on the iron cylinder walls and that ain't good.

The cylinders would at least need to be honed to remove the glaze.

The water in the coolant can have rust spots on various things like the crank, rods, valve springs. Every rust spot on one of these highly stressed/loaded components is a potential starting point for a stress fracture.

You might be able to save the engine. One way would be to drain all the coolant from the cooling system. Drain the engine oil. Remove and replace the filter. Refill the engine with fresh oil. Start and run the engine for a brief time. Not even a minute. Then drain the oil and change the filter again. Refill with fresh oil and after the engine has cooled down start and run the engine again.

This "flushes" the oil contaminated with coolant from the engine.

Then you need to find and fix the source of the intermix problem. With the intermix problem fixed and the engine cooling system refilled then you can start and run the engine. If the engine runs ok, sounds ok, get it up to temperature then do another oil/filter change.

At this point you have removed all the contaminated oil from the engine. You have fixed the intermix problem. Road test the car and if the engine behaves you have apparently dodged a bullet.

If the engine manifests any signs of any untoward behavior shut off the engine as soon as it is safe to do so and get the car home or to a shop for more attention.

[steve-5snwi]

is the system pressurising ? Have you had it pressure tested or a sniff test carried out ? whats the coolant tank look like, oil level etc

[Mark2525]

Oil ok water rusty

[Rockster]

The original diagnosis was: "a lot of water in the oil."

Now you say there isn't any?

Well, I'm sorry but I don't have a lot of confidence in your diagnosis.

I have to stress it is so important to be very sure of one's diagnosis as this the determines pretty much what one does next. You want to do the right thing next.

Drain the oil into a clean oil drain pan. Check for water in the oil. Should be on the bottom of the oil drain pan. Catch some oil mid drain and have it analyzed for (among other things) water content and for any anti-freeze compounds in the oil. ('course, if the water rusty this suggests the "coolant" may not have had any anti-freeze.)

Drain the coolant into a clean drain pan. Look for any signs of oil in the coolant. The oil -- could be just a few droplets -- will be on top of the coolant.

You have to be sure there is no intermix problem. If there is then you have to go after this.

If no intermix sign, then be sure to put in the correct amount of fresh and proper oil. Replace the filter. Refill the cooling system with a proper mix (probably 50/50) of the right anti-freeze and distilled water.

[steve-5snwi]

If not changed or is neat water then it will go rusty. Get the coolant checked for strength, i wouldn't be surprised if the lack of heat is the thermostat.