Filter housing leak
u While I like the MINI and do enjoy driving them, I am not impressed by the access to the engine and ancillaries. This 2007 MINI Cooper 1.6 petrol had come in with coolant leaks – the radiator was spotted to be leaking, but fortunately I had left the pressure tester in place while going off for a cuppa. When I came back I noticed that, as well as the drip from the radiator, there was a distinct coolant leak from behind the oil filter housing.
Because the front needs to be stripped off to replace the radiator it allowed me to get a better look at the oil filter housing, which could be seen to have the trail of residue coming from behind it – normally associated with a coolant leak.
To access the housing and replace the leaking gasket meant that the exhaust manifold and downpipe also needed to be removed. Quite a bit of work for a couple of small coolant leaks, but it was vital because these MINIS don’t like to run hot and all sorts of problems could have developed if things had been left as they were.
With the MINI all back together the owner could at least be confident that the coolant level was not going to need constantly topping-up as it had done.