How to add anti-freeze
to your Mini's cooling system
without draining it first


From: The Law Family
Subject: RE: DIY tips
First you must remove the tube from the valve that leads to the heater, then pull the heat control right out (closing valve) and start the engine, then get a friend to hold a container under the valve, whilst you put the revs of the engine up to about 2-3 krpm and slowly open the heater valve then about 2 liters of water will come out.

When the water stops flowing stop the engine and reconnect the heater pipe and top up the radiator with fresh antifreeze. This is NOT enough for REALLY cold places, but is enough for places where you don't get much below freezing (south of UK for instance). But as most Minis leak everything anyway, you just have to make sure that when you top up the water you do it with anti-freeze.


Collected from the Mini mailing list on December 1996