engender

I always prepare myself to have to spend $1,000 when I take my MINI into the dealer for an unknown issue. According to that NAM thread, lots of people were getting dealer quotes at $650 for the work. All in all, I find that Passport has reasonable rates compared to other dealer prices as reported on NAM.

Hello all! It was the engine thermostat housing. Passport MINI replaced it today at a cost of approximately $530. My advisor agreed that the Pentosin was not a bad purchase. Not as good as the MINI coolant, but better than other options. I purchased an extra bottle of MINI coolant/antifreeze. So, if anyone else is in a bind and needs some, hit me up at charlesmichaelfulton { at } me { dot } com! Should I purchase another bottle and leave it with the damn salespeople at Passport?

Okay, I've decided just to add the Pentosin. So, I filled up the near-empty reserve tank with Pentosin. I'm waiting until tomorrow to start the car. I'll check the reserve tank before starting the car, and if it's not nearly full, then there is a leak in/around the reserve tank. Thanks for your offer, CarlB! I plan to purchase and extra bottle of MINI antifreeze/coolant tomorrow to take home so that I can help someone who is in this situation in the future. I'll leave my name and contact info with the bloody sales staff at Passport, so they can pass it along to any poor SOB that calls them in desperation like I did today!

Whew. That's a thirty minute drive. I have distilled water now . . . . My choices are 1) top off with the Pentosin and do not drive it until I drive it about 15 minutes to Passport Mini or 2) drive 30 minutes with nothing but distilled water and whatever MINI coolant is left to get some MINI coolant from CarlB. Thoughts? Interestingly, coolant expansion tank fastener is missing from my coolant expansion tank. I am hoping that this little screw-like thing merely worked it's way loose and then the expansion tank started moving around, leading to a loosening of the coolant hose and loss of coolant. Either that or it's the engine thermostat housing. Anything but a cracked engine block or head gasket at 66K miles!

I'm going to walk to an Autozone and pick up a couple of bottles of Pentofrost NF: http://www.pentosin.net/specsheets/Pentofrost_NF.pdf Does anyone have any experience with this stuff? It claims to be OE for BMW/MINI coolant . . . so I'm thinking about using it to top off the coolant rez for the drive to the dealer tomorrow. Thoughts?

Hello all, It's labor day and the parts departments are closed. Yesterday, I got a yellow "engine temperature" warning light. I made an appointment with Passport for tomorrow, but I went this morning and my coolant reservoir looks empty. I looked online, and the consensus seems to be to only use the MINI/BMW coolant to top off. So, I called Passport, and they tell me that they cannot sell me any coolant today. Does anyone have any coolant I could buy from them today? I'd sure love to take care of this, and I could take a cab to you. I'd be willing to pay like $30 cash for the coolant, which I think is over market. I'll be checking this thread neurotically, so please let me know and we'll work it out!

How often does on have to empty the catch cans? How do you dispose of the gunk caught by the can? Here is a link to the BSH catch can. Is that something that someone who is not mechanically inclined could install himself? In the alternative, cmcveay, we could meet at a public parking lot. The only public parking areas I can think of at the moment are in parks, and that doesn't seem to be the best place to release a bunch of smoke. Let me think about possible locations (and review Commonwealth laws about doing automotive work on public property) and see if I can come up with something.

To clarify, then, you think the cause is likely the carbon build up? I seem to be going through my share of oil as well. So, it could be that Napoleon has more oil through the intake than most. I would also like to learn more about the catch-can mentioned earlier in the thread—or any other modifications that could ameliorate the problem. I appreciate the pep talk in the first response, but I would really like another person to walk me through the process in person. My condo complex isn't the ideal place to smoke out, but if I can drive while the seafoam burns off, no problem. The cans were on sale at Autozone on Sunday, so I bought two. I will give the second can to whomever helps me out as an extra incentive!

Hello, I am a brand new member, and I was wondering if anyone was available to teach me how to do the Seafoam treatment for my 09 MCS. On Friday morning, during the monsoon, my MINI had several cylinder misfires on ignition. I know this because it threw the related CEL codes (I have an ODB reader left over from my days owning a 98 Saab 900SE). I made an appointment with Passport on Monday, but after researching the issue, I cancelled the appointment as I had the shell cleaning at Passport around four months ago. I've decided to try the Seafoam treatment to see if it is an alternative to a $600 payment to Passport every six months. I've seen the videos and reviewed the thread on NAM, but I am very queasy about pulling a hose out of my engine while it is running and then pouring Seafoam inside. I would really like someone with experience to help me ensure that 1) I choose the right hose and 2) I reconnect the hose properly after the treatment. I live in Arlington, near Shirlington village (at the corner of King Street/Leesburg Pike and South Walter Reed), so if it is convenient for anyone, we could meet in my condo complex parking lot. Or, I could come to you. Obviously, I'd like to give this a shot as soon as possible. I'm available this afternoon or on Monday and Tuesday of this week. Thanks in advance for your help and I look forward to meeting you!