I have a 2007 mini and have an ongoing issue with some oil leaking from the engine. The oil is sitting on the top of the connector associated with the oxygen senor (see oilonconnector2.jpg image).

The oil seems to come down the corrugated tubing that can be seen in the picture that appears to originate from the black plastic box structure (in the farview2.jpg image - with the * on it).

Two questions:
1. What is the black box with the * on it?
2. Is the black box a source for potential oil leakage?

Any suggestions on the oil leak would be appreciated.

 

Check the bottom of the vacuum pump, it's that gold canister piece on the side/top of the head, they like to leak from the bottom. Careful because if it starts leaking too much it might seize up shattering the exhaust cam destroying your engine. It might just be the outer large O-ring which you can buy from ESC Tuning, but lets first confirm it. The vacuum pump supplies vacuum to the braking system.

 

Sounds like a plan.... I will take a look at it later tonight to see if I can locate any leak from the vacuum pump. Will re-post after checking.

Thanks for the suggestion / help.

 

Typically, you'll see VANOS faults prior to the cam breaking. I'd check the valve cover gasket as well. Gasket here if needed. Here is a DIY. Let us know what you find!

-Luccia

 

I took a look at the bottom of the vacuum pump to see if any oil was there. I did get a little oil when I wiped the area. I also noted that the corrugated tubing is dry above the pump and "wet" below it.

I went and ordered the gasket- once it comes in, I will dry everything to at least get an idea if this will take care of the issue 100%.

Is there anything else that I should look for when I remove the vacuum pump?

Thanks for the help and suggestions.

 

I ordered the o-ring that I saw on ESC tuning, but dang if the o-ring is not the correct one. Seems that the o-ring is for where the vacuum pump attaches to the engine and not the larger o-ring where the outer metal cap attaches to the vacuum pump. Anyone know where I can order the correct orange colored / flat o-ring from?





It seems that Mini does not sell the larger gasket only the $400 pump replacement.

 

Ok first of all you disassembled the vacuum incorrectly, reassembled it. There's no torque specs to give you for the bolts you removed so your kind of screwed there. You see that black bolt at the bottom still attached, you were supposed to unbolt only two of those, then pump comes right off. You made too much work for yourself.

You can't buy or replace that orange O-ring, if it's bad you buy a new pump. The only O-ring you can replace is the black one.

I'm not sure if the link provided is for your Mini's vacuum pump, choose your model from the drop down menu. A new Pierburg vacuum pump is only $159.95 at ECS Tuning, you can buy the pump that was made by Pierburg with the Genuine Mini logo, but that Mini logo with cost you $317.17 at ECS Tuning. My advice, don't buy the Mini branded Pierburg vacuum pump because it's double the price.

 

After looking at the underside of the vacuum pump with a mirror, the oil leak seemed to be coming from where the large silver cap attaches to the actual vacuum pump. After seeing that I could not get the orange o-ring online or locally, I ended up removing the vacuum pump and then removed the outer cap to get a better look at the o-ring and how it sat between the vacuum pump and silver cap.

Everything looked clean inside and there was good oil lubrication inside the cap area. I clean things up and placed a fine layer of high temp gasket material on both sides of the orange gasket and then put things back together using the new black vacuum pump gasket that I ordered.

After running the car a little I don't see any oil leaking from the silver cap. I will re-check it later today when the wife gets home with the mini.

Besides replacing the black oil gasket, are there any other ways to tell if the vacuum pump is bad?

Thanks for the response and suggestions.

 

Here is a good thread on NAM about vacuum pump failures.

 

Short story if your vacuum pump seizes up your camshaft seizes up, piston collide with valves game over! Just check you engine bay every week a live easier, I'm always on the lookout just with any other car. You have to admit $159.95 is cheap insurance.