BMW Mini Overheating

BSPOKE20

My 2001 BMW Mini One tempreature gauge is flashing and pointing to overheating position after short spins, I have put coolant in the clear plastic resevoir at rear of engine bay up to max level, but is this just an overflow tank for the radiator, as car is still overheating. Should coolant be going straight to into black radiator cap in middle of the engine - the manual is no help at all!!! The fan is constantly coming on after 3-4 mins of driving - HELP??

Avns1s

Sounds like the thermostat is stuck closed. Get it replaced.

crosstownk

You may have a thermostat problem. Is the engine loosing coolant regularly or is it just that it's overheating?

Run_to_da_hills

BSPOKE20 wrote: »

My 2001 BMW Mini One tempreature gauge is flashing and pointing to overheating position after short spins, I have put coolant in the clear plastic resevoir at rear of engine bay up to max level, but is this just an overflow tank for the radiator, as car is still overheating. Should coolant be going straight to into black radiator cap in middle of the engine - the manual is no help at all!!! The fan is constantly coming on after 3-4 mins of driving - HELP??

Sounds like a thermostat or worse scenario a head gasket (You would know this if you saw bubbles rising in the expansion water bottle or milky grey lube oil from the dipstick) Best bring it to a competant mechanic. Old Leyland Minis had a serious problem of blowing radiator bypass hoses and overheating!

DublinDilbert

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Sounds like a thermostat or worse scenario a head gasket (You would know this if you saw bubbles rising in the expansion water bottle or milky grey lube oil from the dipstick) Best bring it to a competant mechanic. Old Leyland Minis had a serious problem of blowing radiator bypass hoses and overheating!

Does your internal heater still work?? Even if the thermostat is stuck the heater should still work, once the water pump is moving water.

If you leave the car idling does it over heat? or just when you drive? I've seen water pumps that pump water at idle, but when the engine rev's up the impeller will slip on the shaft of the water pump.

BSPOKE20

Internal heater does still work but is very slow to heat up...

MercMad

Not much help to you but yes the expansion bottle is where you top up, the black one in the middle of the engine sounds like the oil cap to me !

I would get it checked out quickly before it blows the head gasket !

DublinDilbert

BSPOKE20 wrote: »

Internal heater does still work but is very slow to heat up...

When does the internal heater start to work?? ie When the temperature gauge reaches the middle?? before or after this??

If there thermostat was stuck closed, you should have a very good internal heater in the car...

As the poster above says, definitely get it checked out, and don't drive the car.

mvpr

Is the car actually overheating, or just saying that it is? Could just be a temperature guage problem...

When the temperature guage indicates that the engine is overheating, is there steam coming out from under the bonnet?

BSPOKE20

Took it to mechanic and he found leak in the cooling system, thankfully not the head gasket - phew!!, thanks everyone for your help!!