So I did my CPS o-ring back in september thinking that would fix this but my car is still leaking. I had originally assumed it was the oil pan gasket but after doing a bit of reading I'm starting to think it might just be the rear main seal? I've attached a few pics so you can see where its dripping off of. Just looking for a second opinion. Its an 05 r53 w/55k on it.

Thanks!

 

always hard, if not impossible to tell from a drip...
Best you can do is get everything clean....then find where the drip is coming from...
seems pretty minor...
I would monitor the oil level....and wait...
Could even be a valve cover gasket....

 

Had a look at the valve cover, there is a bit of wetness at the back behind where the mini logo is on the valve cover. Thats the heat shield for the header to give you guys an idea. But thats on the passenger side and the drip is on the drivers side.... and for all I know did this spilling some oil when I was changing my oil filter in the fall

 

Leaking oil is good!!
It lets you know there is OIL IN the motor!! Jk...ok..it limits corrosion on the undercarriage!!...or...er...controls Mosquito's!! Hey...I'm trying!!
I would just check your oil...toss a hunk of cardboard on the floor with a bit of sand on it to weigh it down a bit...
Remember...oil can and DOES weep from many places....sometimes you just have to live with it if it is not worsening......unless you want to spend $$$$ on replacing seals/gaskets that may not have anything to do with improving reliability!!

 

True enough. The leak is not major, I've noticed no appreciable loss of oil between changes, but then again I've changed the oil 3 times in the 6k I've owned it just because I store it all winter and like to put it away with fresh oil. I'm just kind've ocd about this car and it irks me when things aren't 100%.

If anyone else has any other possible causes for me check that would be great. I'll be able to put the car up on a lift in the spring so it would be great to have a list of things to go over.

 

Hi man,dunno if u are still on here but did u ever find out where your leak was coming from

 

I feel your pain. I worked my way through 7 individual leaks on my mini. Several I had to do more than once (oil filter housing FML).

From that location, it could be valve cover, oil pan gasket, or rear main seal. The other common leaks won't make there way to that specific drip location.

Most of the leaks are easy to address... Except the rear main seal. For that, wait until you need to do a clutch or transmission job

 

Strange but true. An older mechanic told me once that finding the origin of an oil leak can be difficult as it can sort of spray around. He said to clean the engine really well, [gunk engine cleaner, etc...] Let it dry good then sprinkle baby powder around the areas you suspect. The white powder will show the leaking spot within a very short time and leave a trail directly to the leaking component .

I never tried it but it makes sense and I never forgot his suggestion.
robj

 

Clean and check is absolutely the best way to hunt the location of the leak(s). Most leaks leave a tale tell sign, like the cam position sensor o-ring on the front of the block. Some are more insidious and require more evaluation.

I struggled with the oil filter housing because it ended up leaking from both the oil filter housing gasket and the attached oil cooler gaskets. I also had to use RTV with a new gasket to finally stop the leaking. I spent a comical amount of time on this. I hope your mini is in better condition

Please post updates one way or the other

 

I’m on the hunt for oil leaks as well...

did the valve cover and the crank position sensor so far.

looks like the oil pan gasket is leaking also.

it does help to clean after you fix each item. That way you can see what has changed as far as the wet areas

 

Thansk for the imput guys,ive done all the major ones in the past few weeks,valve cover,crank position o ring,oil filter and cooler,oil pan and i just finished a clutch install a week ago and installed a new main seal,and i was extremely carfull installing that seal and the ****er is still leaking ha ,im prayin i didnt damage the main seal going in,i thought there might be oil residue on the back of the flywheel if that was leaking,but it was dry when i checked it after doing the oil pan gasket. the search goes on ha...

 

did you get a low oil pressure light because of the leak>

 

Nope,no oil light,its not that big of a leak,more like a weap

 

Did you ever figure out what was leaking here? At this point I've replaced the valve cover gasket, head gasket, oil pan gasket, drive axel gasket.... so yeah kinda running out of options. The leak has been there for quite a while, hasn't seemed to get any worse and is def slow.

 

Where is the leak evident at? If you can get a picture, that would help. Other culprits:. Cam and crank position sensors, oil filter housing, oil cooler gaskets, rear main seal, timing chain guide access points, timing chain cover... The list goes on... Oh, it also helps to confirm it is oil vs power steering fluid

 

leak is in the exact same place as the original post pics. blot with blue dots to mark. next to the transmission mounting bolts at oil pan. it's definitely engine oil

 

oil filter housing, timing chain and cooler are all on the opposite side. it's a VERY small amount of oil so i don't think it's the rear main seal. position sensor has been recently replaced and is dry and also in a different location