Mini One 2003 1.6 - getting hot problem

[PugRory]

My girlfriends mini is getting really really hot, temp gauge goes to the top, fan kicks in and sounds like a jet taking off, interior blowers are only blowing cold air, Radiators not warming up with the engine to suggest the thermostat isn't opening or closing, coolant keeps disappearing but there's no sign of water mixing with the oil in the engine on the dipstick or oil filler cap so it doesn't sound like the head's gone to me and also there's no visible leaks on the back of the block or even under the car as she drives it forward, it's pointing towards the thermostat in my opinion and/or waterpump and airlocks in the system.

Anyone else have any ideas? 

Garage this morning said it'll be the head gasket but I mentioned what I think it might be and they weren't happy with me sort of knowing what I was talking about as if the pound signs were wiped from their eyes.

Any help is appreciated!

[powerandtorque]

Perfectly possible to have HG failure and not have oil/water mixing.

Is the cooling system excessively pressurising? If so, I'd say it's more than likely HG failure and certainly the other symptoms would fit.

I don't know about Mini's particularly, but generally speaking even if the thermostat is jammed closed you should still get coolant flow to the heater matrix. That you haven't suggests that either there's no coolant flow (possible waterpump) or that it's air locking, which together with losing coolant without any evidence of leaking would point towards HG.

To be honest, even if it wasn't a HG failure originally if you've cooked it badly enough that the temperature gauge maxed out then there's a reasonable likelihood that it has warped the head now!

[Piggy]

No heaters is due to not enough coolant flowing...IE pipes are empty.
Sounds like typical HG to me...

Where else is the water going to be going!?

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Is the cooling system pressurising or bubbling when running in the expansion bottle?

[PugRory]

Cheers guys, Was trying to convince myself it wasn't the head gasket thats gone haha!
One can hope! ...Because this may be expensive

[Iaitoo]

Sure its not just a split hose? Just had the same symptoms on a m8's car. All the coolant was spewing out a little hole in a hose But if it was that, you would probably have seen coolant on the ground after the car has been parked for a while.

[PugRory]

Sure its not just a split hose? Just had the same symptoms on a m8's car. All the coolant was spewing out a little hole in a hose But if it was that, you would probably have seen coolant on the ground after the car has been parked for a while.

Mini's engine bays are pretty cramped so i'm not ruling out there's a leak somewhere, if there is it's just not visible, Cheers!

[Jake]

The other halfs did this and it was because of a coolant leak. Made some horrible knocking sounds too when the water levels got too low. The car was pretty cooked and the Head still didnt blow, they can be tough little engines.

[PugRory]

Picking her back up tonight, and the problem was... Air in the system. Just needed bleeding a couple of times apparently, if the garage had rang me and told me this i'd of said ''Ok thanks, leave it where it is and I'll come pick it up'' Could've done that myself and saved my girlfriend the labour costs.

[Piggy]

Yeah...

There is air in the system because the coolant dropped and drew air in....

Air doesnt just enter the cooling system by itself unless something is wrong

[Toms306]

Female driver...probably hasn't checked the level since buying it...

Bought a 1.8 from a lady that had driven it a couple of miles a day for 4 years... I drove it 15 miles home and noticed the fans on...no water visible at all. Filled it up, turned out to be no leaks or anything...