3rd post and liking this forum already.As some of you may now already im looking at my first mini.And cause im on a budget found me a 2 owner 02 with 123xxx miles on it ,all stock and with 100% factory paint.Of course it has some flaws,like oils leaks.Bottom crank area is all wet and leaking a bit.Its very difficult to tell where its coming from unless i lift the car an start taking some of the undertray covers.So im thinking the usual(crank and valve cover gasket) and the worst(crank and cam seals).Are there any other areas of concern here? like oil sensor/sender etc?
Also taking in consideration the car yr and mileage,are this cars known to start using oil? like one quart every 2500-3500mi? or are this car not know for using oil?.....thanks much again!!,...Albert

 

All cars consume oil. Minis seem to do more. Check the crank sensor o-ring too. Rear main seal ( mine gets replaced next week, 1qt every 3000 miles). Valve cover and oil pan. Pretty much the only places it leaks from

 

Oil type can affect leaks...some oils do have chemicals in them that help to swell seals...
many mini's DO consume a bit of oil....so that is not uncommon.
as for leaks...sounds like you know the common ones...but remember, the syenthic oil thses car requires tend to make a tiny leak look huge. Check your oil regularly....the long oil chsnge interval....most longtime owners use 7500 miles or less cather than 15,000, and oil consumption can lead to issues of running low...remember the mini has a low psi light..when it glows red, it means $$$, not add oil like some seem to think.....

 

The most common leaks for the R53 are due to the lack of a maintence plan for the PCV valve which equalizes pressures in the engine preventing the blow out of seals and O-rings. After replacing all these seals and rings below, I change the PCV valve every 30K miles or so.

Part No. 1 here.



Leaky areas usually addressed for the R53.

Valve cover and 4 seals for plugs. If you pull a plug and have raw oil on the electrode you definately need these. They install from back side of the valve cover. If you have any mileage on the MINI, get some bolts (#6/7) before removal, even if you get just 3 or 4. You will be happy to have them on a Sunday in case there are a few crappy ones you dont want/cant use again.

#2 and #5.











Seal behind Harmonic Balancer at the crank #5 here.



Crank Sensor Seal #9.





If you do #9 seal above then also change out the green "jam" gasket #21 at the supercharger WHILE your in there....Inspect the black plastic duct horn too for deformity ect. If it seems that a tight seal cannot be had swap out the horn too. It's labor intesive to get to this area so may as well do as much as you can while in there.....



Plastic Duct Horn here #15.




Seals #6 at the oil cooler attached to the oil filter housing and #7 for the housing itself.



While apart, check radiator hoses.

Before disassembly going to service mode, check and be sure the low speed fan for the radiator is working properly. It's an easy swap when in there for the crank sensor seal and plastic duct horn. To check start engine, turn on A/C and the low speed fan and the fan for the power steering pump should both activate 30 seconds later.

Again, with these cars you can save $$$$ by taking some preventative maintenance measures when doing repairs. In some cases it's not so much the cost of the part, but getting to it.....

 

Thanks everyone,in special for that great tutorial at the end!!....
How easy/bad is it to get to most of them?...ive seen pics of cars with their engine bay sides fully out of the car....

 

IN A mini YOU USUALLY REMOVE THE BUMPER COVER, THEN THE FRONT BUMPER.....called "service mode"..about a 25 minute job once you have done it a time or two...then 2 LONG bolts are used to pull/push the radiator further out...giving you access to most of the engine, with a good amount of space to work...it is NOT as scary as it looks..just need a ratchet, and a Philips head screwdriver...and a few minutes!!

 

Does looks scary for sure but it doesnt sound bad now!!...thanks,Al

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/how-to/191951-interior-exterior-girls-guide-to-removing-bumper-carrier-and-front-end-mfe.html

here is a guide on how to do it...it is almost too detailed!!

 

I think I have read every post since I joined almost 10 years ago and have never saw a discussion about regularly changing PVC valves. Artoo’s is 130,000 miles old and I am consuming about a quart every 1000 miles. But there are no leaks. I have changed ALL the gaskets and seals recently and it is all clean.

Would a bad PVC valve cause oil to be consumed? I know it’s not leaking any more. Fortunately it’s easy to change it prophylactically and see what happens.

Rich

 

The pcv might among the most overlooked things on a mini....right after radiatorfluid and brake flushes.....
pretty simple part (pcv), easy to change.......and if it is not working right...could cause some issues.

 

PS...if a pcv was sticky or partially obstructed (gunk, etc), preasure in the crankcase might be a bit more than intented....and makes leaks/weaps worse....i could imingine a motor with a fair amount of blowby overwelming the pcv, but trying to keep things as desgined, and working only makes sense imo..
The pcv can really stick sometimes, but some slip out easy...seems to be a couple varations..lol, like all things mini.

 

I never changed it and I suppose at 130,000 it’s time. Cheap and it can’t hurt. Brake flushes for Artoo are once a year. Radiator flushes are such a pain, every couple of years.

Thanks,

Rich

 

I would just spray some cleaner into that PCV valve to make sure its not sticking.

 

Gray Raven - brilliant documentation. Thanks for taking the time to do that.