Ways to Fix Water Pump & Thermostat Leaks in a MINI
by europewpadmin February 11, 2020The water pump of your vehicle is a critical component of your MINI. Its purpose is to prevent engine overheating by circulating coolant throughout the engine’s internal cavity. Since the engine is powered by a bunch of small explosions (e.g., combustion), if it is not functioning properly, the risk of overheating is quite high and can lead to significant damages. Hence, the role of the water pump is essential to maintaining standard functionality of your MINI.
The water pump is an engine component that needs to be replaced as soon as you notice any problem with it because of its criticality to engine health. Neglecting to treat this issue can lead to devastating and expensive issues, and may even result in a loss of engine functionality in total. If you notice any of the symptoms we mention here, it is recommended that you contact an expert mechanic as soon as possible to prevent any further damage.
Common Signs of Water Pump Failure in MINI
One of the most reliable signs that there is an issue with your water pump is an overheated engine. This will be indicated by the illumination of the engine temperature light or generally elevated engine temperature reading on the dash.
Another sure way to detect an issue with your MINI’s water pump is by observation of any steam coming from the radiator. This can occur while the vehicle is either moving or stopped. It stems from the coolant’s inability to properly circulate through the radiator, causing the coolant to simply evaporate. If you notice this steam while driving, you must pull over as soon as possible, as driving with an engine overheated to this point can cause irreversible damage.
An engine that is emitting strange noises such as whining, buzzing, or squealing can mean many things, one of them being a potentially-damaged or otherwise-compromised water pump. This can happen when an accessory belt is too tight or if worn out bearings find their way into the water pump. Such incidents will require the water pump to be replaced completely. Since this particular sign can be indicative of more than one problem, you should have this diagnosed by a licensed mechanic as soon as possible to make sure your MINI receives the proper repair.
Symptoms of a Thermostat Leak
The job of the engine thermostat is to regulate the amount and speed of coolant that passes through the radiator and into and throughout the engine. When the thermostat closes, it prevents the flow of water into the engine when it needs to warm up to standard operating temperature. In order to keep the engine cool and maintain appropriate coolant flow, the thermostat must remain open.
If the thermostat freezes up somehow or is jammed, it can cause a significant rise in internal pressure and temperature, causing the thermostat gasket to blow off. This would require the gasket to be replaced. Luckily, this is not an issue that requires too invasive or expensive of a repair.
Have Your MINI Repaired at European Auto Tech
Since these 2 issues can be easily confused, not only with each other but a plethora of many other potential engine problems, 
it is critical that you have your MINI’s symptoms diagnosed by a licensed professional. Misdiagnosing and consequential mis-repair of your MINI’s engine problems are almost guaranteed to cause further issues and may leave your vehicle worse off than where it began.
The mechanics of European Auto Tech are here to do the job correctly. We have decades of experience specializing in repair and standard maintenance of European brands. We offer complete services for vehicles including Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Lexus, Mercedes, MINI, and more. Our mechanics utilize the latest techniques and cutting-edge technology, so we also back all of our parts and labor with a 90-day/4000-mile guarantee.
There are lots of DIY instructional videos and guides floating throughout the internet, some of which are reliable but many are not. We strongly urge you not to take on such a repair yourself, especially if you have no prior experience in vehicle repair or maintenance. Leave this to the experts. Call today to schedule your appointment, or visit us at any of the following Texas locations:
- Allen
- Dallas
- Flower Mound
- Frisco
- Highland Park
- McKinney
- Park Cities
- Richardson
- Southlake
- University Park
- Plano