R50/53 Topping up oil: How much?
6th Gear
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 3,925
Likes: 2
From: Laurel MD
Your engine, your risk, just don't expect MINI to pay for it if you burn it.
Oh I forgot, engines burn oil when they are sitting in the garage with the engine off
What risk do I have? I have a stock engined R50 that burns NO oil what so ever.. I don't have a supercharger with 15% pulley cramming a bunch of pressure in the engine, or even an oil drinking R56. Apples and oranges man.
4th Gear
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 557
Likes: 0
From: San Francisco Bay Area
Topping up oil: How much?
Glad for your post.
Looking thru endless notes I've made, There's no note of how much to add, etc. in the event of oil useage. Good to have just in case. Thanks for this info.
I've been a diligent oil checker in everyway, especially since a round of repairs to the oil pan gasket. Three gaskets in under 1 year. I've owned the car almost 2 years. The oil line has never changed on the dip stick. I look at the drip under the car, count and record the days in between drips, check the size, color etc., take it in, they do the work under warranty again and again and again.
Since last fix (third gasket) one month passed, no drip. 4 days later a drip, same area, color etc. Now, 5 days later, second drip. I know the routine by now. Called the mechanic. No problem, he says to bring it in. Knowing by now that it will be some time sitting at the shop, untill it drips again, for them to see, I'm thinking of going out of warranty to another shop and I'm having big doubts about the mechanic who has done all of the previous gasket fixes. It's got to be a very tiny leak, all these times, because the dip stick mark has never fallen.
Sorry to have made this post so long but what do you all think and how would you go about handling this?
Looking thru endless notes I've made, There's no note of how much to add, etc. in the event of oil useage. Good to have just in case. Thanks for this info.
I've been a diligent oil checker in everyway, especially since a round of repairs to the oil pan gasket. Three gaskets in under 1 year. I've owned the car almost 2 years. The oil line has never changed on the dip stick. I look at the drip under the car, count and record the days in between drips, check the size, color etc., take it in, they do the work under warranty again and again and again.
Since last fix (third gasket) one month passed, no drip. 4 days later a drip, same area, color etc. Now, 5 days later, second drip. I know the routine by now. Called the mechanic. No problem, he says to bring it in. Knowing by now that it will be some time sitting at the shop, untill it drips again, for them to see, I'm thinking of going out of warranty to another shop and I'm having big doubts about the mechanic who has done all of the previous gasket fixes. It's got to be a very tiny leak, all these times, because the dip stick mark has never fallen.
Sorry to have made this post so long but what do you all think and how would you go about handling this?
Hope this helps...
5th Gear
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 776
Likes: 2
Wow, that's alot of oil pan gaskets. That doesn't seem right. It sounds to me that the mechanic isn't cleaning/prepping the pan and block for a fresh gasket install hence the constant leaking. Maybe get a new mechanic? Or maybe the Mini gasket is pure garbage and you've just been very unlucky, but 3 gaskets in two years sounds VERY excessive. Sorry to get off topic, but I wonder if anyone has used RTV sealant instead of the Mini gasket for the oil pan.
Thanks for your reply, nopistons,
I'll be curious to hear about RTV, too.
Can you imagine the strange looks I got, when I asked about the prep on the second gasket?
Granted, I'm not a mechanic or even close but
it's been three gaskets in ONE year !!
6th Gear
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 3,925
Likes: 2
From: Laurel MD
Oh I forgot, engines burn oil when they are sitting in the garage with the engine off
What risk do I have? I have a stock engined R50 that burns NO oil what so ever.. I don't have a supercharger with 15% pulley cramming a bunch of pressure in the engine, or even an oil drinking R56. Apples and oranges man.
What risk do I have? I have a stock engined R50 that burns NO oil what so ever.. I don't have a supercharger with 15% pulley cramming a bunch of pressure in the engine, or even an oil drinking R56. Apples and oranges man.
You're right, I am wrong. Do what you want...
All other, please check your oil on a regular basis. Once a month is not a good idea.
I understand what you are saying, and I'm not trying to be stuborn or lazy. I would check my oil on a daily basis if it required that. I once had a beast of a Mazda RX-2 that injected a good amount of oil into the engine and I kept tabs on the oil twice a week. What I am saying is every case is different.
When I first bought my car, I did check the oil every 1-2 weeks and after seeing no change what so ever I decided 3-4 weeks is plenty in my case.
Maybe you are being more general with your argument by giving advice to those who do not quite know their engine habbits, or those who have over 100K miles, or even to those who run lots of boost, etc. This I understand completely as I said earlier. However, I am talking about my own personal case when I stated my oil checking intervals, I was not telling anybody what to do with their own engine. I would be an idiot to tell you to wait 3-4 weeks to check your oil, when you already know that yours burns a good amount.
3rd Gear
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 183
Likes: 0
i would think the gtx would be fine for a top up. heck i five quarts of it in my mcs right now.Very smooth!I don't track the car and am Looking to do a UOA in 5k and see the results for two runs.I got about 20 quarts of sn 5w30 from a friend. No big deal for a top up if you decide not to follow the 15k service intervals.
6th Gear
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 3,925
Likes: 2
From: Laurel MD
i would think the gtx would be fine for a top up. heck i five quarts of it in my mcs right now.Very smooth!I don't track the car and am Looking to do a UOA in 5k and see the results for two runs.I got about 20 quarts of sn 5w30 from a friend. No big deal for a top up if you decide not to follow the 15k service intervals.
3rd Gear
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 183
Likes: 0
thanks, i usually check oil once a week just to keep an eye on how it looks and watch for sludge. I have a 2002 corolla that uses a little oil so im paranoid about usage! if i get an indication the car doesn't like it i'll go back to my m1 0w-40 stash. I have had it in about 3000 miles so far the car seems to run well with it.
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