So I had the cold start rattle about 3 months. I have already had the timing chain and tensioner replaced once, so when my engine was making the rattle again I thought that was what it was again.

Turns out I was 3 quarts low!!!!!

I checked the oil before a drive from L.A. to Sacremento only 3 weeks ago and it seemed fine. How the hell did I lose that much oil in 3 weeks?

There is no oil leaking anywhere and the last time it went in for the scheduled oil change they didn't mention low oil then (5000 miles since the last change)

I really wish there was a low level warning light or something when it gets at the most 2 quarts down. Even with 1 quart in there, there was never a low oil pressure warning light and the engine rattle was pretty loud.

So either I suck at reading the dipstick, or there is something suss going on in the old prince.

Would an oil pressure gauge help to diagnose low oil before it gets too low?

I just hope it didn't do any damage.

 

No, even if you have no oil, you pressure can still read right as long as the oil lift is enough to fill the tiny holes it flows through. By the time the gauge said you lost pressure it would be much to late.

 

Mini dipsticks were designed by a dipstick. Thay also have an elaborate proceedure for checking oil. Kinda goofy if you ask me and no one has, BTW.

Figure out when it is full, let her set and cool, then check. You may seem a bit overfull, but once you get the baseline it works. Oh yea, check it every tank for a while until you find out what happened. You didn't say how many miles on the oil. Consumption on mine begins at about 6-7K that is when it is time to change it IMHO.

Good Luck

 

My story exactly! The dealer changed the oil and I'm going in for my second timing chain tensioner replacement. I check the oil each time I visit the gas station now. It should not be like this with a relatively new car! I still love my mini though!

 

If you have the facts right and you didn't misread the dipstick, 3 quarts consumption in 3 weeks is absurd. Even if you had driven cross country, that would be borderline excessive.

Suggest you start documenting consumption rate. Take the time to bring it to a given dipstick level (cold and sitting on level/same ground overnight), and then carefully measure amount of out you re fill, trying to get it stated as qts. used per 500 or 1,000 miles.

Meanwhile, if it is burning like that, that is high enough you would probably see it out the exhaust. Possibly on cold start if the valve guides and related seals have issues, and on deceleration if it is piston ring related; those are the two typical high burn rate sources related to motor function. Alternately, think about leaks (look on ground) or a faulty PCV system basically sucking in lots of oil through the combustion tract [which obviously wouldn't be good for valve fouling].

 

I have to add a quart of oil about every 1K miles. Get used to checking the oil on a regular basis. MINI says that its normal for the car to go through 1 quart every 750 miles. They said its normal for a "high performance turbo charged car." I think its a lame excuse as I had a 400hp Subaru STi that never burned a drop of oil.

 

My 2007 dipstick is hard to read as well, and the manual representation doesn't look like mine.

If the text editor cooperates, let me illustrate:
<]-----[]--[]-----------------------------O

Exactly where is the oil line supposed to be when it's "full"?
Between the point and the next mark, or between the mid and last mark?

 

ANSWER-->> Had my car in the dealership for a 2nd time cold rattle...
They wouldn't change it, saying it has the updated tensioner already. I told them to keep it until they figure out what is causing the rattle and why my oil was low after just filling it before the 100 mile trip to the dealer.

Ends up the valve cover was WARPED due to EXCESSIVE heat. We know theres excessive heat issues under the hood with our car, as shown by our hood scoop. They have a new design out and it was swapped out under warranty. They know I have a RMW tune but it was back to stock file when i brought it in. No issues since.

Same story as me. Probably is the same issue. PM me if you'd like.

 

btw i also saw no oil leaking anywhere. No oil coming out the back of the exhaust or dark smoke, nothing. They said the faulty valve cover caused consumption and leaking, but I've seen no leaking, from under and above the car.

 

Most if not all engines are designed to run with negative crankcase pressure. The valve cover being warped would allow oil to be sucked in where it would not normally get and be burnt.

As MP1.6T mentioned, you should see evidence in one form or another somewhere...

 

My beer can tips are black between every wash and it "only" ate 1/2 qrt in the first 5,000 miles. The stealership topped it off and documented it themselves when we were in getting the chrome hood scoop warp fix.

Check your oil COLD before you head out - best tip there is for a MINI.

YouTube - This quick video - How to check the oil in a 2007 MINI .......shows a different dipstick than the teflon looking thing in our 2010. What's up with that?

 

Are those UK spec dipsticks or something? Because mine looks nothings like that.

Also, why do they tell you to warm the Mini up and then turn it off and wait only 5 minutes . I was always told to check the oil after it had been sitting for like an hour or more.

 

Yeah, that's the same crappy dipstick I have in my 2008.

 

Thanks for the info guys! I will be definitley keeping an eye on the level now. I will also be sending a sample off to be analyzed for any bearing damage. Fingers crossed!

 

Whoever said it's normal to burn a qt/750 miles is so full of it. Honestly, do they expect a person who can walk and talk to believe that? I've gone a year without adding any nor changing it before, and it was not low afterward.

 

umm, i would probably check your valve cover, seeing that i had the exact same symptoms, and the valve cover replacement solved the problem.

Is it still consuming/leaking?

 

Yeah No oil leaks I can see. I checked the oil today after driving to Buttonwillow this weekend, it is reading full. No idea where all the oil went, unless the dealer didn't fill it all the way last time and I misread the stick. But there is definitly alot more on the stick than there was last time I checked. Hmmmm

 

The lack of gauges and infomation on my JCW is just so lame. All MINI has are idiot lights that are to late expect to tell you that you are about to be towed! My weekend as shot as it could not complete the 600 Mile drive to CA. It blew the oil dip stick out until it hit the hood. Sprayed oil all over the engine and lost power. Engine light came on I shifted to N and coasted into a
rest area. Motor seemed hot, was quart low on coolant- checked 300 miles before and lost some oil but was still showing on the stick at about 1/4.
Puddle around the front tire that got everyones attention. I was in OR and I thought a few people were going to call the Haz Mat team. Running very rough and no power. When I open the oil filler the head was full of thick white smoke. I think my 5000 mile 2011 JCW is toast. I have owned
over 50 cars since I was 14 and this the first I have to me flat bedded off the highway and to the deale,r trip not completed. Oh I am wrong the 75 blazer with a 100K mexican replacement motor blew up towing my Scarab over a pass. I new it ate oil and I could see it going on the gauges. It served
severed its time and got a fresh 4 bolt. My Maserati is now in the corner
laughing and smiling. "I told you that spinner would leave you high and dry.
All looks and a pretty face but no staying power. Who's your favorite girl now." I owe her a spa day as I was spending a lot of time with the new JCW and she was left in the garage. The weather was wet and rainy so she understood some what but was game to play. My wife once asked what the car has to do to become my favorite car currently 1995 Pontiac Firehark but the maserati is closingin fast. #1 Not leave me stranded by the side of the road. Jack time with me coudl be short. Not big on cars with replaced engines that are brand new. MB replaced a SLK as an oil burner but that was not an easy process.

 

WTF? I've never heard that! Are you sure you're not reading the addended '76 Ford Pinto manual?

So, MINI tells me to drive 18,000 miles between oil changes, but to expect 6 gallons of oil to burn off during that 18K miles? Something ain't lining up right here.

 

fixed that for ya...

 

German's are known for this attitude because then never build anything wrong. On my MB SLK they did 3 oil consumption tests and the final verdict was that qrt of oil being consumed every 500 to 750 miles was within specifications. Really. It smokled worse than my Cummin's at start up.
It was like it was a 2 stroke. Add fuel and oil. My reply was a qrt every 750 miles is within specifications on a 68 Nova with 200K on the clock. I went wild that they were stupid enough to put that in writing. To be honest they did care it i was on my own. They car was replcased as soon as they found out my sales team and I were going to picket 3 MB dealers in my area. The selling dealer did not care. The other dealers put the pressure on MB to take care of my car. They ended up replacing the motor for there testing purposes as I was not taking a 65K car with mismatched numbers. They replaced it with a year newer model because ours was out of production by them and 06's were being built. I should not have had to go through that because they were havein ring issues. If I was a wimp I would have been stuck with it and taking the beating they offered to trade it in.

 

I agree that modern engines do not consume oil at this rate, my '09 Clubman S does not use any oil between 7,500 mile changes, and that usually includes at least 1 or possibly 2 track days. it's now at 31K miles....

If it's going thru a quart every 750, something is wrong....

 

That came directly from my SA at my local dealership. He said if was burning more than that it was out of spec. He said that is normal for a high performance turbo charged engine. Pfff....the MINI is hardly a high performance anything. I had a 400hp STi that didn't burn any oil at all. THAT was a high HP turbocharged engine!

 

Along this same issue. I took my 2007 S Coupe in with this noise. The timing chain tensioner was replaced 5000 miles ago (49,900 miles), before warranty ended. The timing chain measurement was 67.49 mm at that time, just under the service bulletin (SI M 11 02 07) 68 mm threshold for changing out the timing chain.
Now, with 55,000 miles I took it back in for the same noise issue. Dealer said that I only had 1/2 qt of oil in the car and that I need a new timing chain. With this news I responded, "how could I have just driven 40 miles here to the dealership, with no warning signs: high heat, low oil pressure, excessive engine noise etc?" He then offered me a 15% coupon, telling me all the same stories I have heard in the posts above.
My profession has been as a product trainer for the auto industry for 19 years. I am not a novice when it comes to cars and how they work. I have never heard of a "high performance" car, unless maybe a race car, that will use oil that fast. My dealer says that they can find no evidence of any oil leaks, deformed parts, etc.
Now he is making a call to the district sales person who he believes will offer to split the cost of the repair with me ($1010 my cost). I am not satisfied with this.
Any feedback would be helpful. Thanks.

Service bulletin:

 

My 07 mini s is doing the same thing. My turbo is making weird noises after the car has been warmed up. My tips are blacker then night.I got the car two weeks ago and saw the dealer do the whole oil change. I just put on less then 1000 miles and my oil light when on. There is no drips in my driveway or at work. There's non on the car either. My mini only has 41,000 on it. It's going to the dealer tomorrow. April 27...