use of coolant
Discussion
help.. arrghhh!
baSkey said:
I have a 2005 MINI cooperS (ooh missus)that's done 21k miles.
with my previous cars they've never used much coolant (i.e. always fine between services).
now i have done a few 0.95 lepton 3 hourish journeys during the summer and i have possibly been a touch remiss at keeping an eye on the collant. oil fine, tyres fine... anyway got to grandmother's on saturday and it began to smell a bit warm through the vents. let it sit for a while checked the coolant level on a bit of a slope and it was on the min. left it. shuffled the car in the morning and the intercooler smelt like someone had been doing the ironing (i.e. steamy!). so i topped up the reservoir with clean water drove it slowly (i.e. speed limit!
) to the inlaws yesterday checked it and the coolant had seemed to have mixed back in with the water the levels were fine ran fine all the way from there to home (another 2 hours in fast and stopped traffic) check the levels again and it was fine.
at no point had the temperature level gone above midway (phew).
so could there be anything wrong? or was it just a case of me not fully adjusting to the levels of coolant a briskly driven supercharged car can get through in the summer..?
most importantly MUST I NOW TOP UP WITH ACTUAL COOLANT (rather than water)? I am obviously keen not to let the 'ratios' of the mix to get too 'out'. it's another 6k miles til the service when i'll obviously be getting a 'clean out'...
and the top up was with boiled and then cooled water.with my previous cars they've never used much coolant (i.e. always fine between services).
now i have done a few 0.95 lepton 3 hourish journeys during the summer and i have possibly been a touch remiss at keeping an eye on the collant. oil fine, tyres fine... anyway got to grandmother's on saturday and it began to smell a bit warm through the vents. let it sit for a while checked the coolant level on a bit of a slope and it was on the min. left it. shuffled the car in the morning and the intercooler smelt like someone had been doing the ironing (i.e. steamy!). so i topped up the reservoir with clean water drove it slowly (i.e. speed limit!
) to the inlaws yesterday checked it and the coolant had seemed to have mixed back in with the water the levels were fine ran fine all the way from there to home (another 2 hours in fast and stopped traffic) check the levels again and it was fine.at no point had the temperature level gone above midway (phew).
so could there be anything wrong? or was it just a case of me not fully adjusting to the levels of coolant a briskly driven supercharged car can get through in the summer..?
most importantly MUST I NOW TOP UP WITH ACTUAL COOLANT (rather than water)? I am obviously keen not to let the 'ratios' of the mix to get too 'out'. it's another 6k miles til the service when i'll obviously be getting a 'clean out'...
Earlier BMW Minis (should be ok on 2005 but don't quote me!) had problems with coolant bottles (sits in middle of eng compartment at back) splitting at mid seam (well, our S and others I knew suffered this problem).
Gets very hot so hard to spot the leaking as it evaporates - look for tell tale leak signs on rubber hose at bottom.
Bottle of Bars Leaks solved ours for a few months then got a new coolant bottle, before selling car! Latest Cooper no problem here at all.
Gets very hot so hard to spot the leaking as it evaporates - look for tell tale leak signs on rubber hose at bottom.
Bottle of Bars Leaks solved ours for a few months then got a new coolant bottle, before selling car! Latest Cooper no problem here at all.
well it's a few months later...
..it's nagging me now.. bit a drip under car... so with warranty up in mayish i have booked it in for next week.
i'd rather risk £55
for half an hours labour than have it lunch its engine in june..!
i really thought the problem would have developed quicker..but i haven't really mega hoofed it for a while.. i hate being in situations like this when you're not really sure if it's a problem or not...
..it's nagging me now.. bit a drip under car... so with warranty up in mayish i have booked it in for next week.
i'd rather risk £55
for half an hours labour than have it lunch its engine in june..!i really thought the problem would have developed quicker..but i haven't really mega hoofed it for a while.. i hate being in situations like this when you're not really sure if it's a problem or not...
right so that wasn't a problem.
the odd 'steam' turned out to be water collecting between rad and air conditioning rad when doing short journeys then being heated on a log journey then dripping...
...however.. i know have an oil leak..! i think it's from the gearbox or slippery diff...
the odd 'steam' turned out to be water collecting between rad and air conditioning rad when doing short journeys then being heated on a log journey then dripping...
...however.. i know have an oil leak..! i think it's from the gearbox or slippery diff...
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