I've looked at a number videos including Pelicans pic. on changing the oil. None of the videos and pics. show the oil pan bolt with a sensor. So, neverthe less I was a little cautious on what bolt to undo, and so I gambled that the sensor with some moistness might just be the bolt. So I took an open end wrench and slowly undid the bolt until I could see some sort of fluid would drip out and that it would be a dark chocolate colour. Luckily it was the oil pan bolt.
For many years I have always changed the oil by doing it topside and since this is winter I wanted to see if I could get out any sludge that might be at the bottom that my suction machine couldn't get. So now it will drip for a week or so until I button it up.

 

If you have a sensor as the drain plug you have this,

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-and-leak.html

 

Exactly, but its interesting no where have I seen it. Perhaps I needed to spend more than a few hours.

 

Yes, its pretty rare and I am one of the few people that even talked about on the forums. Rare option to find anymore. Most Guages were on Mc40's and GP's back in the day.

 

I'm going to venture a guess that if it's been years that you've been sucking the oil from the top. there's going to be a fair amount of sludge settled on the bottom of the pan, and letting it drip for a week is not going to dislodge it.

This would be a good time for a oil pan gasket replacement if it hasn't yet been done. If the gasket is original, it's probably seeping anyway and now is a great time to remove it and clean it up inside and out.

 

Do you have a link on doing the change out and how many hours?

 

Mod MINI has videos on most every job that an R53 owner will encounter.

HERE'S his video on the oil pan gasket replacement.

The job is a tad fiddly, but not difficult. If you haven't done a job like this, I'd say you could do it in a morning or an afternoon, but if you're adept with a wrench, maybe two-hours. Don't rush through it, and make sure you use a torque wrench to tighten the 10mm oil pan bolts to the proper 23 ft./lbs. There are two larger bolts that connect the pan to the gearbox bell housing that are tightened to 63 ft./lbs.

 

^ Is it just me or is the link broken?

I have a busted dipstick and I can't get the bottom half out, or even confirm it is in there (bought used). I'll have to drop the oil pan but I wanted to look through that and see the process.

Thanks!

 

Maybe it's dislodged at the bottom of the dipstick tube, You'll need to put it in Front End Mode to get to it. There are a few ways of thinking about it, If it did fall to the oil pan, taking the pan off will allow me to get to it, If it didn't and it suck in the tube, then I still have to put the car in front end mode which will allow me to change the dip-stick o-ring and the crank sensor o-ring, hmmmm

 

Honestly, I'd put the car in Service Mode for dropping the pan as well, while you don't have to, it just makes the job much less claustrophobic.

 

 

Yes,

its on my link above and here:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-and-leak.html

~596 last digits part.