Get the Best Priced Mini Cooper Head Gasket

The subcompact class is populated by vehicles that are easy to drive in congested city centers, earn great fuel economy, and go easy on the pocketbook. Fun, however, is often in short supply. The 2016 Mini Cooper hardtop wants to change all that.

Picking a Cooper means choosing one of three available engines. In prior years, the base engine was pretty weak, but the latest turbocharged three-cylinder is a peppy number. Nimble handling is another Cooper hallmark, while its list of available features and options is unrivaled. Step into the 2016 Mini Cooper and you'll find a cabin with materials of a higher quality than those in other subcompact cars. Soft-touch plastics cover the doors and dashboard, which can be customized with several different trim coverings.

The 2016 Mini Cooper's low center of gravity and light weight give it excellent handling characteristics, making it fun to drive no matter which engine powers it. Even just zipping around town, it feels playful and engaging, and parking in tight spots is as easy as sliding a hot dog into a bun. Along curvy roads, the Cooper feels taut and tenacious, clawing for grip with a rare enthusiasm. The trade-off for its exhilarating driving dynamics is a firm ride that gets harsher when the larger wheels option is chosen. All body styles are relatively quiet at highway speeds.

What is a head gasket?

It is the seal between the engine block and cylinder head. It seals the combustion gases within the engine and keeps out the coolant that is designed to cool the engine cylinder.

What are the signs of a blown head gasket?

That depends on the engine, where the gasket has blown through, and how big the blowout is. If the gasket blew through between a pair of cylinders with no water jacket between them, and the leak was small, you might not notice much apart from stumbling and misfire. If, on the other hand, the gasket blew through from the combustion chamber to an oil passage, coolant passage or both, you'll end up with leakage from any one of these to any of the others. One classic sign is white, coolant-smelling steam coming from the tailpipe, the result of coolant entering one or more of the cylinders. You may also get blue or gray smoke, which indicates the presence of oil in the cylinders, while black smoke warns you of one or more misfiring cylinders.

What is a compression test?

It is sometimes the only way to diagnose blow-outs between cylinders. Start by removing the fuel pump relay, and running the engine till it dies. Then unplug the fuel injectors, or disconnect the carburetor fuel line and drain the carburetor fuel bowl. Next remove the spark plugs. Check them as you do. If you see one or two that look suspiciously cleaner or newer than the rest, it's likely because they've been steam-cleaned by coolant going into that cylinder. This is a definite sign of a blown head gasket.

What is the Mini Cooper Head Gasket replacement cost?

When shopping for a head gasket set, make sure the set actually includes head gaskets. One that does is the Elring head gasket set for the Mini Cooper, which sells at PartsGeek for $124.48.