I did some spirited driving yesterday and began getting a low oil light on hard right turns. Hard lefts had no effect. I pulled over and checked the oil and it was full.

Later the same day, I got a CEL P0340 which is a Camshaft Position Sensor. My theory is that on a hard right turn, the G forces pushed the oil away from the right side of the car/motor and the timing chain jumped a tooth.

Any thoughts? Has this happened to anyone else?

I'll post pictures of the dipstick readings soon.

 

Do you have any startup rattles? Could be debris blocking the oil pickup if the level is truly full.

 

I'll get a video later today. Nothing noticeable from the driver's seat.

 

Before going any further... I blame the dipstick.

About a week ago I checked the oil. According to the dipstick it was full. Yesterday, when I got the low oil pressure indicator I checked again. Dipstick showed full.

I changed my oil this morning. The Mini had 1.5 quarts in it...

Thinking that perhaps I just can't tell the nuances of the dipstick, I checked it again after the oil change. I couldn't tell a difference between yesterday and today.

Now I need to figure out where the oil is going. There are no marks in my garage, so I suppose the only other option is that it's burning oil.

I've ordered the CravenSpeed dipstick. It's pricey, but if it prevents me from blowing my car up, I suppose it's worth it. It's also going to the dealership tomorrow for Service. Hopefully we figure it out.

Videos (pre-oil change):

 

You didn't read the dipstick correctly. That has to be it. It doesn't matter what dipstick is in the N14/N18 engine. Oil gets whipped up into the tube where the stick resides and you'll get a bad reading unless you dip/wipe many many many times to get the residual oil out of the tube. I don't care if the Craven stick is in there, the root of the problem is the oil sneaking up the tube.

 

When I need to check the oil, I wait until I'm home. I pull the stick, wipe it off, and leave it on top of the engine. Then I go eat dinner, mow the lawn, whatever. I wait at least an hour (more is better), wipe it again, full insert, and check. This first check will be the most accurate.

Like shane said above, the dipstick runs in a tube that fills with oil. If you pull the stick when the tube did not have time to drain, it will deposit oil on the stick. If you check oil 3 or 4 times, each time that you pull the stick out, some of the oil sticks on that tube, and makes the reading inaccurate.

Just another pain that we have to go through to enjoy a MINI. Is this the modern version of what guys went through in the 60's with British roadsters?

Have fun,
Mike

 

I get all sorts of lights corning hard and riding several blocks on just two wheels.

Sorry, could not resist!

Sounds like the dipstick issue and will be resolved with a new one. I don't freak of temporary lights but if they stay on constant that is another matter.

Try driving on two wheels it is a blast.

 

Here is a primer on how to fill the oil in a Mini. Sorry, I could not resist. Have to have a sense of humor

 

I'll just leave this right here and walk away...

 

The Craven dipstick doesn't have problems with dragging oil up the tube where the stick is housed because it doesn't have the metal collar on the bottom of dipstick that drags oil up. I get the exact same oil reading every time with the Craven dipstick, that is what make it worth every penny!

There is no way that you did not cause excessive wear and tear on your engine running with 1.5 quarts! Your valvetrain most likely suffered! The N14 engines are known for consuming oil because the oil turns to vapor and enters the combustion chambers, the N18 are better at dealing with oil vapor escaping the PCV system.

 

i have the craven dipstick, it is much easier to read, but what i do is read the oil level first thing in the AM before driving the car

before everyone jumps on me for reading the level cold instead of hot, it makes less than 1/16 inch difference on the dipstick and is very easy to read!

 

I don't doubt it. There's not a lot I can do about it now.

 

Love it thanks. Gotta have a sense of humor - WOW!

 

Keep an eye on the oil level. Your MINI did not lose that much oil overnight it happened over time. Check your oil every week or so. I hope you didn't fark up the engine.

Good luck.

 

Yeah, I still hold that the dipstick is poorly designed. I should be able to park the car after driving, remove the dipstick and wipe it, re-insert it and pull it out to get an accurate reading. None of this waiting an hour for the oil to go down the tube, etc.

 

pull the dipstick out quick, wipe it, quickly push it down the tube all the way and immediately pull it quick out. view oil level at lowest point with dry plastic adjacent to it.