My mini ran hot and I had to put more antifreeze in. Do I need to be concerned about the thermostat ?
You need to be concerned about the entire cooling system. Why was it low on coolant?
How long did you run the engine when it overheated?
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As said above, Yes, but all the cooling system, T-stats are rarely the root cause of a vehicle overheating, but overheating can/will damage the bimetallic spring in the T-stat…
Coolant leaks are common for your vehicle, water pump, radiator and or hoses are the most common leaks…
You or a Pro Shop need to do a coolant pressure test and even a coolant block test…
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Concur w/DMP above, a shop cooling system pressure test is in order.
Beyond that, other common causes of engine overheating
- engine compartment cooling fans not working. they should be spinning like crazy during overheating incidents. are they? Is the overheating limited to slow speed driving and idling? Or does it occur on the freeway?
- thermostat, remove and test or replace
- coolant level too low
- incorrect coolant mixture
- engine problem; e.g. ignition timing
- faulty water pump
Coincidentally I watched the 1960’s movie “The Italian Job” just the other evening. Very fun, 3 UK Minis are among the plot’s heros.
Annoying, yes, but maybe it’s best to put this sort of problem in perspective. The classic car magazine Classic’s World purchased a used 2005 Bentley in order to explore that brand’s features, diagnosis and repair techniques, etc, used as a project car. It soon overheated showing 110 diagnostic codes! The seller – being an agreeable sort — agreed to take it back to their shop and try to fix the problems. Unfortunately no solution emerged even after replacing the thermostat & water pump. Giving up on he 2005, they have since apparently purchased a 2008.