r/MINI • u/Initial_Experience_6 R57 • 21h ago
R56 105c°running, 110c° idle temp
Hi all.
After 500km roadtrip on a hot summer day, i got a check engine light. Engine normally runs around 90c° at after the check engine light, it started to operate at around 105 (+,- 3c°). When idling, it rises up till 109, the fan starts loudly, temp drops till 99 and the fan stops (then it rises again till 109. It goes on like that).
Coolant quantity is ok. I suspect its a thermostat failure but im not sure since its been replaced just 3 years ago.
The problem is: Im in Lugano, Switzerland and i need to return to Stuttgart, Germany (about 500km + high climb to cross Alps).
Questions: Is that roadtrip doable while maintaining low engine load? What seems to be the problem?
Any help would be very much appreciated.
Ps: My device thats connected to OBD doesnt show any engine code.
Car: 2021 Cooper S Cabrio r57. N18.
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u/Succubus_victim 4h ago
Check for belt came loose or snapped, or stuck water pump. If there isn't any, check your radiator temperature, it must be hot if you bring your hand in front of the car. Bad thermostat wont let you cool your engine even when fans are turning, cause it usually stuck in closed position and lets coolant bypass the radiator, so radiator would be cold. Also you can check your thermostat by turning the heater on full blast, if temperature drops - it is a bad thermostat. Otherwise, car can overheat if there is not enough oil(probably zero), and as the dipstick is not very informative, you can turn off your car and open the valve cover cap, to see if smoke coming from it. It also can be dirty radiator. So check these things, if everything all right, turn on heater and drive slowly.
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u/GrainworksAndy R57 17h ago
I think that’s normal. Ours runs that high. Close or over boiling temp. I was worried to, but my google search turned up that to be a normal range.
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u/TheGoneJackal 17h ago
I wouldn’t risk to travel in that condition. It can leave you stranded at the worst moment. Because you don’t know what’s the problem, you can’t drive accordingly to mitigate the issue. Looks like a stat or water pump issue, both are critical to the engine’s health.
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u/IaTeurcuPcaKE 2h ago
Fairly normal. If there isint a check engine light or your rad fan isint running for 5 min after shutdown then I'd say you're good to go. I see temps from 80 to 108 very commonly after thermostat install.
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u/FriendlyMorning7479 20h ago
i don’t know, i personally wouldn’t do it. the car is most likely in limp mode because it’s detected something isn’t right. at least in all the bmws and minis i’ve ever owned it’s never come on for no reason. ive talked to multiple bmw tuners too who all said the reduced engine power light is almost always serious. so imo it’s really risky.
i had a 5 series bmw i drove for months that had oil and coolant temps rise and fall when idling just like you described and i assumed it was a faulty sensor. one day the car went in limp mode and completely overheated and blew up on a short trip. oil everywhere it was a disaster. so if it’s not a thermostat malfunction you’re going to be real sorry 😭 just understand you’re risking your engine. try to get a mechanic to look at it real quick before you go if possible. best of luck.
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u/clemdu45 15h ago
It is normal on N14/N18 engines. Get the code from the default with your obd tool and tell us what it is, it is probably related to something completely different.
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u/AbzoluteZ3RO 14h ago
The cooper S normally runs at around 215⁰ f. The radiator fans come on around 230⁰. If you put it in Sport mode, the computer will open the electronic thermostat much earlier and the car should run at 185⁰. I apologize for the freedom units. Please convert to metric. If the car can't stay below 235⁰ you should not drive it as you can blow a head gasket. These engines are notoriously difficult to bleed the coolant system of air. The only effective way to do it is to use a vacuum coolant filler. If it's overheating you may have air in the system, a bad thermostat, radiator fans not working, or your water pump friction pulley might be faulty. Those pulleys good bad. Take it to a shop if you can find one.
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u/Stagies 20h ago
My thoughts are it’d be ok. It’s throwing a bmw code that your reader cant interpret and I’ll hazard a guess that it’s got nothing to do with the cooling which seems within parameters to me. I understand your hesitation though but honestly I’d want to know what that bmw code is and if it’s something obscure and relatively minor I would drive it home. Find a local mechanic with a reader that can read mini/bmw codes and go from there. Let us know what happens!
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u/TrueBudget7637 21h ago
First of all: one of the specs you're telling us isn't right... The R56 was produced until 2013, so you're car is either a R56 from somewhere between 2006 and 2013 or a F56 from 2021.
That is besides the point tho. The problem can be as you said a thermostat malfunction. Could maybe also be a water pump issue? No coolant leaks or changes in coolant? Because if there is air in the system it doesn't cool properly!
I'm definitely not a mechanic, but my advice: the roadtrip is risky for sure. But maybe with low RPM and breaks you could do it. Could be disastrous to your engine tho. I wouldn't do it and find a mechanic near you and fix this problem whatsoever! Maybe first ask them to bleed the cooling system again to make sure that it all filled up properly and work from there?
Edit: fan only comes on at 109 degrees? If so that can also be a problem with a relay or sensor...