My mini car keeps overheating. It very easily overheats.
I put new coolant and oil in for a cruise yesterday, but it still heated up too much. I have had enough of the car. Some mini people had a listen to it yesterday, im not sure exactly what they said but 'its in the bottom end', was flung around a lot. They said that is not an easy or cheap thing to fix if the problem is what they suspect. The clutch also feels buggered now.
So after less than 8,000 miles after a full rebuild where everything was new, after being reasonably friendly to the car, from very first reports i could be up for a bill that i will not be able to afford for quite a while.
It gives me the shits and i hate it.

Still, despite the problems, I had a fantastic drive in the hills of Sheffield yesterday, did almost 500km yesterday, with minimal backtracking and most of it in a radius of 30km of Sheffield - driving some of the most stunning, tight and twisty roads i have seen. It was superb .

I came across some cows walking across the road at the 'Promised Land', which is just down the road from 'Nowhere Else'.

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Sir Namibian CAMEL of MONGOLIA !!!
Vrilen Snyson Racing: Finding us all a Vrilen
Asparagus: Experience the versatility

Dodgey engine builders

Take it back to them; demand answers.

Wait a minute !!! Dont go back demanding answers until you have some proper information about your cars problem. Especially dont be goaded by a 19 yo with a non threatening appearance who doesn't himself have a good record of demands.

Bow - just because its overheating does not mean its an engine problem per se. It could be if its driven into the ground while its overheating. What makes your friends so sure its a "bottom end problem" ????

Minis over heat unless the cooling system is spot on - It only needs a 10% loss of cooling efficiency and you have a overheating problem. Mostly this simply relates to the circulating volume of coolant. That is : the radiator level is low, the radiator is paritally clogged, there is a radiator leak, the thermostat is faulty and last, the water pump has become corroded around the impellor and is not pumping coolant around the system.

Check these above things out first - over things will cause overheating but check the obvious before stamping feet in front of engines builders.

I will happily answer and advise on any areas you have concerns about but lets start at the begining.

and did they put the fan back on the right way

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"Show me the Mini!"

Try this and let me know if it works:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltalBgsjXtc

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

When i bought my car it had just had a new radiator and headgasket fitted due to the previous owner having the fan on backwards. The thing kept overheating til it blew the headgasket and then it was finally taken to a mechanic who quickly spotted the problem. Cool as a crispy cucumber ever since.

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- Simon -

I like that expression

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Contrary to popular opinion a fan fitted backwards DOES NOT push the air the wrong way. It is just less efficient at pushing it the right way.

Have a good look at one & think about the way the engine turns.

M

you just like crispy cucumbers

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did I tell you that I won a trophy?

I'm not going to go storming in demanding answers to the mechanics. I will ask them why it has taken a turn for not good so soon after a rebuild.

The guys that told me they thought it was a bottom end, i assume have been and worked around minis ever since they were invented, and they said the problem was resonably obvious to them - without being 100%. So they would know a bit.

The car has never lost any coolant at all, and is always full in the radiator. The temperature gauge always rises heaps when going up hills - even if it is a gentle stroll up at 30km/h. But always sits higher than it used to.

I would like to get help on the internet, but i dont know enough to descibe everything i hear or see. So that doesnt work so well.

I've been told my first step should be to get an oil pressure gauge, and see what that tells me. So, as a start, i will.

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Sir Namibian CAMEL of MONGOLIA !!!
Vrilen Snyson Racing: Finding us all a Vrilen
Asparagus: Experience the versatility

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud-75gggqsw

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Camel

Basically the "bottom end" refers to the "bigend" bearings that are at the bottom of the conrods and encircle the crankshaft and the "main" bearings the encircle the crankshaft and the caps that are bolted to the engine block to hold the crankshaft in place.

They are semi circular "shells" of a soft white metal and oil under pressure keeps the white metal lubricated and separated from the crankshaft.

As the bearings wear the ga[p between the bearings and the crankshaft increases and the more oil is reguired to keep them separated and the increasing gap alows this pressurised oil to escape into the sump. As the prseeure continues to drop the rate of bearing wear increases.

However, The only way you can tell a "bottom end" problem is by a diagnostically characteric low oil pressure or noises coming from the engine.

Bigend bearings are diagnosed by making a characteristic noise like tapping hollow cocconut shells under a load and to do that you sit in the car with the engine running, pu the car in gear, use a heel and toe to increase the revs while letting the clutch out WHILE the other foot is holding down the footbrake. You should hear the "tapping hollow cocconut" noise if the bearing s are worn.

Main bearings have a characteristc deep rumble noise at the same time as the bigend bearing noise. In addition oil pressure drops as the engine is being put under load.

Assuming that there is sufficent oil in the sump to circulated to begin with, the above is the only ways you can diagnose a bottom end problem without stripping the engine and physically looking at the crank and bearings.

An engine with bearing and oil pressure problems will overheat sure, but unless you have the things I have described above, I seriously doubt anyones ability to stand with their hands on their hips claiming "its the bottom end mate"

Now, camel, tell us why they says its a bottom end problem - what they say is irrelevant, I am interested in the why.

I have taken the time to type this because I dont like niaive people having their chains rattled or been taken for a ride. I am actually on your side.