Hello everyone! Today I noticed what to a brownish oil on both wheel arches. I opened the bonnet, everything was fine around the engine but on the arches the oily substance seemed to be pooled up on both arches and appeared out of nowhere. After further inspection, the brownish oil was coming from the bonnet itself. There seems to be the light brown putty or lubricant that is melting from where the screws and holes are. Has anyone else encounted this?

 

Many threads on this. It is cosmoline. This is the protectant they put on the car for shipping. The VDC and your dealer did not do a very good job of cleaning it all off. I would take it back to them and make sure they clean it all up.

 

Thanks Browser 23, I will do this tomorrow.

 

mine still drools a bit when it hot

 

Use a 50/50 solution of Simple Green and Water, spray on under bonnet, let sit 5 minutes or so and then wipe off. Nice and clean and no more drips!!

 

Great tip RJ! There are a few holes with cosmoline held in with a sticker, what's the best way to remove it without it falling into the bonnet? I was thinking of a razor blade and tooth pick. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

WOW, My mc dripped so much that they are replacing both black trim pieces. They also had to replace my bonnet stripes.

 

Thanks for this thread - I was going nuts trying to find where oil was spilling out of the engine.

my coworker thoughtfully suggested "maybe it's blinker fluid?"

 

iv had my mini for about 2 weeks now and i have the same problem it just keeps leaking and that stuff doesnt come off i washed my car and theer still marks on the plastic..

 

cosmoline was still dripping out of many orifices on my R53 4 years after I bought it....

 

Mini does NOT put that protectant on the car for shipping. They use a plastic wrap. The cosmoline like goop is actually an internal rustproofing compound that is sprayed on the internal parts during assembly to prevent rust in the future. Unfortunally in our weather over here it drips out in various locations and is most noticable on the black wheelwells. It will stop after a few months. It is easily controled with a bood cleanser.

 

Yes, the outside is protected with a wrap but the engine compartment and some undercarriage is protected by the cosmoline. This should still be cleaned off before the car is delivered. It is put on for the ocean voyage. It is used mainly in the firearms industry and put on when a weapon is to be shipped or stored to prevent rust but you need to remove it before you can use the weapon. Mini uses it to prevent rust during the shipping process and should be cleaned off. Heat makes it runny. So we are both right.

 

I was wondering what that was. I have it on one wheel arch. Does this stuff smell? My wife and daughter always mention a smell but I can barely discern it.

 

True. If only we could remove it from our MINIs in the same fashion it is removed from firearms: disassemble firearm & dip metal parts into boiling water.

 

When it gets hot it can definitely have a smell to it. Work with a lot of electrical equipment that it is put on for shipping and storage and it will give off a smell for a while until the residue burns off.

 

I had the same problem on the wheel arches, but I also had a leak from the rear hatch, which ran down the bumper. I cleaned the wheel arches with a citrus cleaner, which got the stuff off, but also seemed to take the black out of the wheel arches. Any idea how to re-blacken the arches?

 

If this stuff discolors any part of your MINI, get your dealer to deal with it. Out of the 3 MINIs I have owned my second only had a bit, but stained the rear boot due to dripping from the rear windshield wiper, but my 3rd has been terrible!

If that 50:50 Simple Green Solution works, great, but if not and your finish is ruined, then I'd say you need to bring it to your dealership's attention.

Not everyone is "blessed" with the same amount of cosmoline ooze, take it from me.

 

Klasse All-In-One high tech clean/polish wax removes Cosmoline stains very well, and will remove it off black wheel arches. hell KAIO can be applied ANYWHERE.

 

Good to know, thank you!

 

I tried the 50-50 mix of Simple Green and water for the cosmoline stains on the black wheel arches and below the doors on my 2009 MCS yesterday. It took a bit of elbow grease, but worked well. I can no longer see the stains.

I'm sure I'll need to use it again in next summer's heat here in Richmond, but at least now I know what to use. (I think I paid $5 at Lowe's, but get the original Simple Green, not one of their new "all natural" cleaners which come in different varieties for bathrooms, laundry stains, etc.)

 

WD-40 on a rag...maybe augment with a toothbrush ..... jeeze ... since 02 the same topic.....

wanna be environmentally safe? spread creamy peanut butter over the area and let it sit for 30 minutes b4 you wash off ......

 

I've heard of the peanut butter fix, but I have to ask do the BMW owners have to deal with this? Call me what you will, but I think anything more than a brief one or two time ooze that doesn't go away is a problem - and I am a confirmed MINI devotee.

 

mine still has some seepage on the fronts.

going into the dealer for oil change and detailing, that should take care of it

oh yeah, hood scoop disucssion as well. I has melting

all minor stuff, it's a kickass car, got over 35 mpg on my last long trip (1100 miles) doing 70-80 mpg

 

right call it wat you will but when you buy a new car do you want it to keep nutting on itself and stain ? like its your issue you gotta clean the crap ? ima have mini take care of the issue i dont feel like its my problem its theres