Hello,

I am back after several years away. We bought a Chili Red Cooper S brand new in 2010, after some terrible fortune Mini bought it back... they found us another exactly the same and we parted ways after 60k miles.

Fast forward 5 years... I found a good deal on a 2009 in pepper white (which is originally what my wife wanted..) it is equally optioned to the 2010 we bought.

It needs a little love after traveling 124,000 miles. There is an oil leak at the oil filter housing, the rear suspension is showing some excessive camber wear, and it needs some love from a PDR guy for 3 door dings. But overall the car appears to be a decent car. I plan to have the few niggles addressed shortly, and hope that my wife enjoys this one as much as she did the 2010. I always felt bad that she missed it so much, so when they came down to cash purchase territory I had to jump!

i'm sure I'll post a lot, I'm a DIY guy.. cheers!

 

Welcome Back

 

My indie quoted $1000 to address the oil leak at the oil filter housing area. This included new turbo oil lines. Does this sound reasonable? I am considering doing the service myself although am finding myself short on time recently.

 

I can't say anything about the cost to fix the oil filter area leak, but here's turbo oil lines that are generally regarded as about as good as you can get http://www.detroittuned.com/detroit-...-oil-line-kit/

 

Welcome back! Pepper white is classic!

$1,000 seems like a little much to me....at $120 per hour that's about a day...not including the parts, which aren't that much. Getting access to everthing is a pain, but not that bad.

I replaced by oil filter housing seals, oil cooler seals, turbo lines, and vaccum pump O ring when I removed my turbo a while back. I had the front end in service position and the turbo was out, so it wasn't too bad. Take a look at this DIY from Pelican Parts-
http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti..._Replacing.htm

Because I had everything out, I can't remember how hard it would have been to replace the oil filter housing seals from the top.....doesn't seem like it would have been that hard.

Has your turbo been rebuilt? If not, you might want to just put up with the oil leak until you need to do the turbo. You could do the oil cooler seals and turbo oil and coolant lines at the same time.

 

Thanks for the post bugeye. Yes, our DIY should help you with this project and save you hundreds. I can also put a quote together for you for all the parts he said that needed to be addressed. Just shoot me a PM with your email and the last 7 digits of your vin if you're interested.

 

Here is my leak...

 

Good pictures! ....and a helluva leak...or leaks. Some thoughts-

1. Do you know if the vacuum pump has ever been changed? If you can't find out, or if it is the original, change it as soon as possible. It isn't difficult, and doesn't take too long. The O ring can leak and drain into this area. More importantly, if the vacuum pump fails, it could seize the exhaust cam....meaning engine failure.

2. Closely inspect the valve cover - near the vacuum pump. There is a spot that tends to leak. The common recommendation when replacing the gasket or installing a new cover is to put a dab of silicone in two spots - one of them near the vacuum pump. Also, look at the round space ship looking thing part of the valve cover that is over the intake manifold. If this is oily, you probably need a new valve cover, which comes with a new gasket. Changing the cover or the gasket is not difficult.

3. Ask your indie what the $1000 included. If he included replacing the oil filter housing and oil cooler seals, then he probably included removing the turbo to get at them...which would account for the high cost.

4. If the leaks are "just" the oil filter housing seals and/or the oil filter seals then you should be able to continue to drive it for a time without too much risk. It will be a nuisance for sure. As always, check and top up your oil frequently.

I am not a mechanic, so anyone with better guidance, please post.

 

Thanks for the insight, you just listed all the parts I ordered this weekend. Figured I would get every possible avenue while it’s under the knife.