I think the original problem may have been that your car didn't want to go through a carwash. I hope it all works out.

 

I'm thinking depending on where the oil filter housing was leaking, while it was running the oil under pressure had a place to go as it circulated through out the engine and it lost oil slowly thru the leak. The moment you turned it off the oil under pressure was trapped and there is quiet a bit that is held in the housing. The system was still under pressure as the drain back bypass valve is small so the oil found the path of least resistance and started to " pour " out onto your feet and floor. I'm guessing that you had oil in the car when running and it didn't run dry albeit very low. Not taking away from any thing said above about the ext warranty. If the engine cleans up and checks out ok after the repair the ext warranty would be the way to go. Just my .02


As far as kids and cars and going away to school. I had ( they graduated now ) 2 twins sharing 1 2003 jeep grand Cherokee with 100k at univ of Albany. 4 hrs away. I didn't buy that truck for them their dad did ( I'm the happy step dad ) they put 50 k on that beast going back and fourth on breaks and such. Every time it came back home did oil change looked it over did a set of brakes I recall. When they had an issue I got a call. For instance overheating. Had them take a picture of the leak and and diagnosed that way. Showed them how to refill coolant over the phone. And get a local shop to put in a water pump. It was all I could do. It's all any of us could have done being 4 hrs away. When they broke the mirror off twice. I had it on hand on their next trip back. They suffered without it. When the blower only worked on high they lived with it and I put in a resistor when they cam back. Moral of the story. You can only do so much remotely. You can only prepare so much in advance. I showed them every thing I could for fluids and checks and tire pressures etc. and I would remind them on phone calls as they wouldn't remember or care for that matter on their own. It's the nature of kids. At the time I didn't have the cash to get them a new car for school. When they graduated and they came back home we traded in that beast for 2 brand new mazda 3's ( leases) a few months apart. . And so far so go inn fact 1 went back already and we got another one she is now paying for that one. . The other one goes back in a little and if her job works out she'll be good to go for another one. They still live at home so now I take care of all car duties so nothing goes unchecked.

In your case a previous post was for you to drive it for a while and give it your blessing. I agree with that idea. If you get them a new car what's to say or guarantee that it won't have an issue ?

Good luck and keep us posted.

Ps yes they should give you that car back spotless if nothing else it would be easier to identify any residual leak or issue if everything is clean.

Sent from my iPad using NAMotoring

 

The dealer should definitely clean the engine after this mishap. It wasn't your fault, and they knew they had an issue.

 

No kidding. Worse than trying to bathe my dog. Seriously, I despise mechanical car washes because of paint swirls, etc. Black roofs and those swirling brushes don't get along. In any case, two flatbed rides totaling 240 miles and the car got a wash at the selling dealership in what I am sure is a mechanical car wash... Going to pick it up today unless the test drive last night proved it was not ready.

Paul

 

Paul
Thanks for keeping us apprised, we are concerned for a number of reasons.
Can you tell us the build date of you mini?

Our MCS was born 5/08/2014
we have less than 2000 miles.

 

It took a bit of pondering on my part about the big oil slick at the very end. What I didn't realize is that the shrouding under the vehicle must act like a catch pan. The shrouding had oil in it up to the very end. In fact when the flatbed driver pulled the car up, the angle caused more oil to leak off the shroud or from some other area. I would like to think the engine lost the last quart at the end, but it could have been lost prior to that but just not seized by the time the engine was shut off. The photo early in this thread shows the car as it was being loaded on the flatbed. The oil that was running out must be oil caught on the shroud because at that time the car had been sitting without running for almost 3 hours.

Paul

 

I think God needed us to be there on vacation visiting our daughter. We went because her birthday was a few days earlier, but two things occured that saturday. One was the meltdown of her Mini, which was trying for me to handle, and would have been very hard for an 18 year old to manage. Also, it melted down when she and I ran it to the carwash. Had events unfolded differently, where would she have been driving when the car failed? Secondly a friend of my daughter's experienced an unfortunate medical issue in the middle of that night. Had we not been there, there would have been no adult advocate for an 18 year old at 2 in the morning. I thank God, the higher power, random luck, or whatever YOU call it that I was on weekend get-away that weekend.

Here is a picture ( selfie never intended for the WWW so go easy ) of my daughter and I having left the hotel and midway to the car wash and happy as happy can be not knowing that the car was minutes away from meltdown.

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/v2knr5s2m...S_2m34Qt7KByfa

Paul

 

I look exactly the same whenever I drive my mini :-)

Based on what you've reported, I think your car will be just fine. Enjoy the ride.

 

New Mini Cooper S at age 18? Dad of the year award goes to you..

I'm 25 and been driving shitmobiles up until a year ago

 

Production date 4/15/2014.

Paul

 

Driving shitmobiles is good for your character. I did too when I was a young man.

Dad of the year? Thanks but I don't think so, although I wouldn't mind being my kid. Would beat the heck out of being me. Ask anyone.

Being generous with your kids can teach them not to work for their own things and cause them to not to respect what they have. Time will tell if I screwed up my own kids, but if you knew them you probably wouldn't think so. I know them pretty well and the fact that they don't behave like they deserve things is exactly why I am happy to provide them. They both know that they are expected to finish school and stand on their own two feet and are on track to do just that.

Our motto here is "No Boomerangs." Once I throw them out, they aren't coming back.


Paul

 

Friday AM update. Went to dealership, glad it's in Irvine, not where they originally wanted the car to be serviced. The car has a problem with "sweating" a little oil. I am not familiar with the term, but found out. When the car heats up, oil that is scattered around the engine heats up and smells. To prove if the oil is from the failure of the part or new oil leaking from somewhere, they put a dye into the oil and after the car has been operation they will look for dye. No dye = car is sweating out the oil from the failure. Dye = car is leaking fresh oil after the repair. Will find out later today hopefully.

I have to compliment the young guy that Irvine Mini has running their service department. Freddy. Pleasant and seems forthright and honest. I just don't feel any hint of duplicity in my dealings with him. Hope the dealership keeps him around.

Paul

 

Either way doesn't sound good to me.

 

Paul I'm pulling for you. Best of luck with Mini we're all behind you. Thanks for keeping us in the loop.

 

That is truly a travesty! Sorry for your problems with your new toy, Melor! On the bright side, at least it's still under warranty!

 

I would think they can steam clean the engine to get rid of all that splattered oil. Otherwise your engine will smell like oil for a very long time as it gradually burns off from heat.

 

Ask Freddy to do you a friendly favor and drive the car off the cliff "by accident". Promise no hard feeling as long as they give you a brand new one.

 

Paul
We haven't had a recent up-date.
How are things?

 

I think "sweating" is probably the wrong term to use but the explanation is correct. There is probably a fair amount of oil all over things in there. As someone else pointed out, they really need to de-grease and steam-clean the engine bay. In fact, I'm surprised they did not do this right away. It makes identifying actual leaks a lot easier but oh, well. At the very least, I would not accept my car back from the dealership with an engine bay covered in oil (which will attract everything and get caked-up in no time at all).

Thanks for the updates and hope this works out for the best. I'm in the "not a problem in the long run but they need to give you an extended warranty or something like that" camp, by the way.

 

Going to pick up car after work. Word is it is likely to take several hundred miles to get rid of the oil scattered about the engine. When I drove it last Friday, the car didn't smoke, but it smelled like hot burning oil. Not happy about that and also am worried about the dirt and grime that will get caught in the oil laden parts. I haven't seen the car from below so maybe it isn't all that bad under there, but will see. The entire process has not been a happy one. I think I have been well treated by everyone involved, but am not sure what Mini will do about the damage to my vehicle.


Paul

 

I've been in the "give them a chance to fix the car" camp.

But, if the car smells like oil at operating temperature for any more than a day or two, I would be in the screaming camp. First, you shouldn't have to put up with that, they can detail the engine to get most of the oil out of there. More importantly, if there's always an oil smell, how are you supposed to tell if there's a new issue, and how long is this going to last / are you expected to put up with this?

Let's hope that between Friday and tomorrow they did more engine compartment cleaning.

If not, I'm getting in the "buy the car back and/or give me a new one" or we'll have to get a lawyer involved.

 

I'm in the "get Mini to buy it back or give me a new one" camp. Living with a car that smells of burning oil is unacceptable. Mini should man up.

 

Car is home. I met the mechanic who did the repairs. He lifted the car and removed the cover under the motor. The engine is clean, but I can see how oil has seeped into the wire loom and in the nooks and crannies. He said the oil was under the car all the way back to the rear bumper. Most of the undersides were clean enough to eat off of.

The car warmed up a bit on the ride home and when in a closed garage, it stunk of oil, also got a quick wiff of it at a stoplight on the way. That will get old fast if it doesn't burn off.

Not crazy about trusting the car with my daughter in it away at college. Hopefully Mini will get me out of it so I can pick up a new one that hasn't been operated without lubricant.

Will post the final results. Has been a long and crazy journey since the problem occurred.

Thanks for your friendly advice and support.

Paul

 

I wouldn't put up with it. Why expose yourself to the odors every time you get in the car? Either MINI should make it right or they should buy it back. Use that contact I gave you...

 

The oil smell will go away quickly, I had a similar incident and it wasn't around more than a day or two.

People in the midwest PAY for an underside oil bath like your car got If you look on the (somewhat odd) bright side, the car is now more corrosion proof from the salt air than ever before.

If you continue to be worried about your daughter's safety (who wouldn't), maybe the Mini isn't the right car. It sounds like you've had a lot of bad experiences with certain marques and that you are a very patient man. We've been a Toyota family for many years using the "fun" vehicles only as fair weather cars. I've logged probably close to a half million miles behind either a "T" or "L" on the steering wheel and have honestly never had any major issues whatsoever.

Maybe you can really win Dad of the year and get her a Corolla S or Scion tC as her primary car and you can keep the Mini for weekends