ACtion Magazine - March 2014 - (Page 31)

Mini Cooper overheating By Jacques Gordon 2002-06 R-53 Mini Cooper S, W-11 engine The W-11 engine in the first-generation Mini Cooper S has an Eaton M-45 supercharger. It's driven by the same belt that drives the A/C compressor and alternator. The engine's water pump is mounted on the outlet end of the supercharger and is driven by a shaft from a power take-off (PTO) gear in the supercharger housing. The drive gears and the PTO gears are both in sealed gear cases and lubricated by special oil that is also permanently sealed in the cases: there is no oil flow through the gear cases. Supercharger maintenance is not mentioned in the owner's manual or any maintenance schedules, and while the M-45 is known to be reliable, Mini enthusiasts report that the oil seal in the PTO gear case starts leaking at about 100,000 miles. When that seal leaks, oil is slowly sucked out of the case and into the engine. The first clue to this is a whining/ growling noise from the supercharger when the gears finally run dry, but many owners won't notice. There may also be a rattling noise as the pump drive wears, and eventually the gears strip and the water pump stops turning. That's when the engine begins overheating, often the owner's first clue to the problem. The fix is to rebuild the supercharger, hopefully before the gears and water pump drive are destroyed. Kits may still be available, but the PTO gears are no longer made by Eaton. There is at least one shop, AutoXCooper near Chicago (www.autoxcooper.com), that rebuilds the M-45 using upgraded seals and bearings, and they have contracted a machine shop to make new gears. They can also repair the water pump drive. ❆ AutoXCooper photo 2005-08 R-52 Mini Cooper S Convertible, W-11 engine Damaged water pump drive gears You have enough on your mind, so let us take the worry out of your air conditioning needs. Global Parts Distributors is a full line, quality automotive air conditioning supplier. We can help streamline your inventory, suggest the right mix and take the worry out of having an A/C line. With seven warehouses across the country and a customer service team open from 7am to 8pm EST, we are here to service your needs. We make A/C simple for you. We are "your simple A/C solution" 1-800-722-5089 www.globalpartsdist.com Like us on Facebook / Follow us on Twitter twitter.com/globalpartsdist Reader Reply March 2014 * ACtion 31 http://www.globalpartsdist.com http://www.autoxcooper.com http://www.globalpartsdist.com http://www.macsw.org/imis15/MACS/Publications/ACtion_Reader_Reply/MACS/Publications/ACTION/ACtion_Reader_Reply.aspx?hkey=ac24bddb-c045-442a-813c-cbf05f88ac4d

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ACtion Magazine - March 2014

Coolant pump replacement
Computer controls for Air conditioning replacement
Outlook
Freeze Frame
Leonard's Law
Virtual View
Service Port
Last Watch
By the Numbers
Cooling Corner
Industry News
Association News
New Products

ACtion Magazine - March 2014