My car has been over heating so i checked the coolant and i was very low, then i checked the oil and it was very low also. I took off the oil cap and it had a layer of a milky substance on it. Any help would be appreciated!

Thank you,
Austen

 

it is an 03 MCs with 80,000 i use mobile one full synthetic

 

Any smoke from the exhaust? White maybe? Sounds like a cracked head.

 

Just heard about when my pulley was installed. I think it means you have coolant leaking into your engine somewhere. Get thee to a mechanic.

 

Whatever it is it is likely to be bad, this has many of the common symptoms of a blown head gasket or damaged head.

 

it is getting in the shop soon
any suggestions on after market heads or gaskets?

 

and any one have an idea on cost?

 

Ouch.....I hope that this wasn't all the result of a fan problem. Sounds a lot like a blown head gasket or a cracked head. The fact that the oil is creamy means that there is antifreeze mixed in it...more than likely. That means that bearings, etc are all going to be suspect. Talk to a good MINI specialist...and if you need a motor I think Wayland at WayMotorWorks down in Atlanta had one....he has some beautful heads also....might be worth talking to him.

 

Is the oil on the dip stick "milky"? Is the coolant also "milky"? If so then the comments about head/ gasket may be correct. If the oil in the pan (dipstick) and coolant is not milky, then you may be alright. It is common in areas w/ a colder climate to get a milky residue on the underside of the oil cap. Especially when the car doesn't get up to operating temps for long. I know I see that w/ mine in the winter sometimes.

If its more than that, I agree - take it to a good Mini specialist.

Nik

 

Normally if it is a head Gasket you will see plenty of white smoke when you start the car. You also may smell antifreeze.

 

Do you have an oil catch can installed?

 

no white smoke, no oil catch can, coolant is not milky its just loosing coolent, and the oil cap is the only thing milky

 

Is there a build up of coolant on the heat shield under the expansion tank?

My 03 MCS was losing coolant by dripping on the heat shield. Thinking it was the hose clamp on the underside of the tank, I changed it out but I still kept loosing coolant.
I then removed the tank and inspected it, and found that the horizontal seam was leaking on the firewall side of the tank. I changed out the tank and have not had any problems since.

Hope it helps.

 

^ I think zeus just nailed it. I think your oil cap "residue" is normal, I wouldn't worry about it. Check the coolant tank, there was a recall on the 03's, if yours is white then it needs to be replaced, the newer one is kind of grey. I had mine replaced back when I was in warranty, and the new one leaked too. I ended up getting a stainless steel one. The other thing to check is the coolant cap, mine died about a year ago. It would just loose a litte coolant at a time - so it was hard to notice unless you checked it regularly. You would see a little coolant on top of the tank (just under the cap) if you checked it just after driving it.

Good luck - I still don't think you have any head damage.

Nik

 

just did the head rebuild because of a blown head gasket....expensive it was and i did all the labor. about a grand plus labor. I went for bigger valves while i was at it. mine was only over heating when i went up hill or raced around,no smoke, no oil in rad or water in oil. so get ready !

 

so the mechanic told me today it was the water pump and that i would also need a new thermostat, he also said my rear control arms were cracked and they need to be replaced and that its not safe to drive...

 

It is a mechanic with mini experance right?
Sometimes the overheating can be due to excessive wear on the gears where the waterpump+supercharger connect. If he is saying it is the waterpump...is it because the pump-seal is bad and it is weeping? Doing a new thermostat at the sametime is a good thing. As for the low oil....had it been a while since you checked it? Or was it sudden? If it is just the waterpump.....what happened to the oil? Maybe you did burn a bit....is there evidance of a leak? I' m not doubting you mechanic, just making sure you ask the right questions so it gets fixed the first time.
PS... If it is the waterpump/supercharger gears....you can get a rebuild, including those gears from a few vendors, incuding supercharger tech...in old town fl....seem to be the cheapest way to go...about $500.

 

I wonder if there's any merit to replacing the supercharger with the water pump. Supposedly the superchargers last to around 100,000 miles so you've probably got a couple years left, but I expect there's a lot of labor involved and most of it would be done for the water pump. I think it's worth asking at least. (I'm curious about it anyway!)

You could consider getting some H-Sport adjustable control arms as long as you need to get replacements. Not sure what the stock pieces go for, but H-Sports are about $240/pair. If your car is lowered, you should have them anyway. If not, you'll be set for when you do lower it.

Also: Very sorry about your bad news!

 

I think he is talking about the front lower control arm bushing . almost everyone with 75k on their car who drives like i do ,has worn out lower control arm bushings .replaced it with a poly bushing and i love it ! I too rebuilt the supercharger ( changed the Oil and changed the fiber disk) and checked the water pump . My radiator guy told me it was the water pump and thermostat. changed the thermostat 3 times and took the supercharge off 4 times.It was a warped head and blown head gasket! should have just bought the 500 buck rebuilt head on ebay and called it good.

 

I think I'm having this issue. Anyone know how hard it is to replace the coolant tank?

 

^ - Very easy! Unbolt - disconnect hoses, put hoses on new one, bolt new one on - top off coolant.

 

Is anyone familiar with the OLD TSB regarding water pump seal(s) - which, when compromised, allowed coolant ingress into the engine/oil?

This seal issue was said to have been limited to a narrow band of build dates occurring in 2002. My car had the issue, but was outside of the build dates in the TSB - later build.

IIRC the failures were attributed to incorrect assembly procedure, which abraded the seal material.

FWIW My experience wasn't detectable until 30K+ miles, and even then it wasn't obvious. The problems that came later were.

IMO
This issue hasn't received much play. Most often I hear dealers and owners attribute frothy or cloudy oil to "moisture buildup" - due to short trips, etc. I'm certain that some, if not many of these instances of cloudy oil are just that... however one really can't be sure unless (and until) things go south in significant fashion. In my own case, oil analysis indicated a trend of water and wear. But it wasn't enough for the dealer to look into it... No one worried until (day after a 500 mile trip) my engine was making valve noise, oil pan low 2+ quarts, and the subsequent discovery the head full of 'custard'. (Oil analysis tested positive for glycol)

I wish I could furnish the TSB that exists/existed, but can't. I say 'existed' because the original TSB was updated... And as updated TSBs 'appear' the prior versions 'disappear'.

At one time ALL TSBs were available online - for free no less! I would love to know if anyone archived all of those original TSBs, OR if there's a tech somewhere who might still have copies, and would (anonymously) share.

If anyone knows of the TSB I'm speaking of, please post the number(s) original, and update(s).

Happy Thanksgiving,
minimc

 

I replaced the water pump, and thermostat...

got my car back the next day and it over heated again. there is 'custard' on top of the oil cap. and the coolant is low again. taking it back into the shop to see what can be done now.

 

Definitely sounds like a blown head gasket. I'm going through something similar with my project car except on mine, the coolant went into the oil. Oil was over-full and coolant was low. No signs of burning coolant or oil in the exhaust and no signs of it either when I pulled the head. There are several different symptoms of a blown head gasket depending on where it blew. You have coolant, oil, and combustion that can be mixed in any which way.

 

That is why I asked if was a mini guy. Those symtoms are almost never the result of a bad water pump and thermostat. Sounds like a shadetree guy, and if the parts were the cause, it would have been very apparent on swapping them out. It sounds like you have a parts changing monkey, that is costing you money, and I hope he did not just cost you a rebuit motor. Find someone who knows what they are doing...it is likely a headgasket, possibility a cracked head, but don't just throw parts at it. Find a local Mini club, and get a recommendation on a shop.
Good Luck.....things are bound to look up... And I love the LED mods you list that you have done on your car!! Must be cool at night!! sounds like it will be a sweet ride when it is running a-ok.