BMW acquired the Mini company in the early 70s, but the only real indicator of a change was in the names of some vehicles. The Mini Clubman, for instance, was originally called “Traveller” or “Countryman.” The 2008 model of the Clubman continues on in the prestigious tradition of its forefathers, and features a few technical upgrades alongside of its classic aesthetic. Some Clubman owners experience a strange fluid leakage by the rear wheel.
Your car runs the way it does (of the way it should) in part because of a variety of liquids and fluids running through its metal body. There’s the fuel to ignite and make it drive, there’s the oil to make sure all the parts fit together smoothly, and there’s the coolant to make sure that nothing gets too hot. When you begin finding pools of liquid underneath your car, there’s a good chance that some fluid or other is leaking, and this could put your vehicle in potential danger.
Two good indications of what fluid is leaking are color and smell. Coolant, for instance, has a syrupy-sweet odor and is often brightly colored. Another good indicator is where the liquid is actually pooling/leaking from. A common place for Mini Clubman leaks is at the rear end of the vehicle, with the fluid itself being a dark orange or black color. In this case, you might very well be looking at a fuel additive that the Mini uses to make the car run more smoothly. There is a reservoir of this fluid in the back of the car, and occasionally, due to heavy wear, the pump that injects this fluid into the fuel fails, resulting in a leak.
As indicated, any loss of fuel is dangerous to the operation of your Clubman. Therefore, take the leak as an indicator that you need to get your car to a specialized Mini Cooper repair expert as soon as you possibly can.
Search for a local, independent Mini Cooper repair shop with Mini Cooper mechanics that have dealer-level expertise at a fraction of the expense.