Hello, I have 2003 MCS.
Yesterday I made short trip to market in my town.
Came back to home and just about to park my car in garage then I see temp gauge showing all the way up.
Hear fan is running really high with loud noise. Good thing it didn't blow any hoses, temp came down in few min.
Later I checked the radiator level is o.k. No warning lights in dashboard either.

Can this be bad thermostat? If thermo goes bad does engine check light show up?
If it looks to be thermo problem, where is thermostat located? Easy to replace?
Please help me out on this. I afraid to start my car now.
Thanks.

 

A stuck thermostat will result in an overheating condition with the radiator fan running, but if you feel the air temperature coming from the fan it would not feel very hot at all, meaning the hot water inside the engine is not making it to the radiator. Since the fan was running, it would appear that the cooling system electrical section is working normally. The thermostat is mounted on the right side of the head (facing the engine) near the air filter housing. It's not a difficult job, though it requires draining the coolant and disconnecting hoses from the thermostat housing in order to remove it.

 

http://nemini.org/issues-and-resolut...msg169025/#new

 

Thanks for info.
Is there plug for draining radiator?
Also should I just get the stock thermostat?
I read some thermostat for 180F isn't good choice for low temp.(I live in NJ)

 

There is no plug, sadly, you have to unclamp and loosen the lower radiator hose instead. Done carefully, you should not have a huge spray all over the place.

As for the 180 t-stat, in colder temps some people have had issues with the ECU throwing a code for insufficient engine temp in colder climates. If you dont mind an occasional reset session, you can sometimes get a small increase in power depending on driving conditions. If it were me, I'd stick with the stock thermostat temp. In colder climates, the additional temp goes a long way to prevent sludge buildup in the engine.

 

Before you get too far, make sure your water pump is being turned by the SC. Do you hear any funny noises from the driver's side of the SC? If the water pump is not being turned fast enough or not at all, you will overheat..

How many miles do you have? Ever check the SC rear lube chamber?

YD

 

I've actually been having a similar problem with my 2005 MCS. When I'm idled (such as at a light), and only then occasionally since a couple days ago, I've noticed my tempature gauge spiking all the way up. As soon as I'm moving again it immediately returns to it's normal position. It's been worrying me but I can't get it checked by a technician for a week. I've heard from a few people that it could be a bad thermostat. Probably that then, do you guys think?

 

Jazz042, have you checked to see if your cooling fan is coming on? Could be as simple as a blown fuse, or a bad fan switch.

 

Greatbear, I haven't had this problem (knock wood), so haven't investigated yet, but on most cars I've worked on the fan is controlled by a thermostatic switch in the radiator. Is the MINI different? In the case of switch-in-radiator, the fan will not come on, as the coolant temp never gets high enough to kick it.

 

In my haste I forgot to mention that, actually the fan does come on, sometimes up to a minute after I shut off the car when I park.

 

there are two different speeds for the fan? are both of them working?

 

1. Make sure the water pump is turning.
2. Remove the thermostat and run engine. Same? Then you have larger problems. OK? Then it is the thermostat. You can drive around with it out for a week until you get a new one to install.

 

The MINI uses the engine temp sensor for everything. The ECU uses data from it to control fuel delivery and trigger warning lights/gauges as well as turn on the fan. Many cars with electric fans (esp in some earlier year domestics, VWs and some Japanese) use a separate subsystem just for the radiator fans. These days things are getting more and more integrated and tied into one another at the subsystem level.

 

Excellent question, how would one determine that?

 

Low speed will usually start up when the A/C is turned on. When it clicks over to high, you'll know...it's pretty loud from outside the car.

 

Well the high speed definitely is, that's what I hear when after I park the car. It's somewhat academic now, I had it towed into the dealership yesterday. Hopefully I'll hear something soon, but I'm not hoping for much since Braman is notorious for being backed up continually (BMW, Porsche, MINI, and Bentley). I miss my easy going, never busy MINI of Charleston dealer.

 

After a suprisingly quick repair, my MINI is back. My service advisor called and it turned out to be a faulty thermostat. It's great to have it back. The only downside was my 60 GB iPod was stolen in the process. Granted, it's almost entirely my fault for leaving it in the glovebox, it's still frustrating knowing that items aren't safe even at the dealership.

 

I'm with MINI USA. I've passed this message on to a MINI National Customer Relations Representative who will be in touch with you soon.

 

Ooooh, comedic timing!