2008 S Clubman...

Just a little frustrated with this oil situation. Maybe you folks can help.

During a drive, I stop for gas, let the car sit for a few minutes then check the oil. Nothing on the dipstick. I'm a couple miles from home, and no synthetic at the gas station so a say, heck with it and drove home, and parked it.

The next morning, I check the oil, it is right at the full mark! WT. .H!

So, I didn't know whether to believe the first reading or the last. I called the dealer, the service advisor said to go by the first reading i.e. add oil.

There are no leaks and no smoke, but once in awhile I actually do need to add oil. Like a quart +! Where does it go???

So, the wife drives to Canada this weekend (500 miles each way) I check the oil before she leaves and there is nothing showing. I add a quart and a half (that I had on hand) and still not reading. Really?!? I told her to stop at NAPA and get oil on the way out of town. Check it and bring it up to the proper level.

Long story short, she ends up adding oil twice on the way up, gets to Canada and has to go to a mechanic to have a gallon of oil drained off! The oil in the car at the start wasn't fresh, the car has 80k miles on it so the oil isn't clear. It will be dark and obvious on the dipstick, should there happen to be oil on the dipstick.

Now, I have had many cars in my life. I have overhauled engines in a couple of them. I'm no dummy, but THIS. . .is absolutely bewildering! I cannot for the life of me figure this car out. I'm ready to dump it. Can anybody clue me in on just what the deal is with this car?

Last thing. Is there a proper aftermarket dipstick for this car? So tired of the silly springy dipstick. Truly a surprisingly moronic design.

Now, I have to post about a new coolant issue. sigh. . .

Thanks for any help.

Cheers,
Dennis

 

Hello Dennis,

I had a similar problem like that once. I also read no oil on the dipstick and added a quart of oil. The next morning the oil was a couple inches above the full mark on the dip stick. I had a hard time reading the stock dipstick so I bought a CravenSpeed Dipstick and it is much eaiser to read - see link below. Now I check the oil with the engine cold every Monday and add oil as needed.

http://www.cravenspeed.com/mini-dipstick/

 

Thanks!

Pretty pricey, but if it does the trick, it should be worth it. Sounds like a good plan.

 

oil levels should always be checked when the car is cold

 

Save your money. Just file two flats on the dipstick plastic tube. It fixes this issue.

I did it the second day I owned the car.

I posted a thread about this a few months back.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ml#post3759461

 

You could change out the dip stick as stated above.. But like stated on here always check your motor cold.. I usually check mine in the morning just before I use it for the day.. and I check it about 3 times just to make sure I get the same reading.. Works fine for me..lol

 

It is important that the car be parked on a level surface to get an accurate reading of the oil level.

If the car is leaning towards the driver's side, even a little bit, the oil level will read low.

Dave

 

Not necessarily true. Follow the instructions in your manual as it will vary. Some vendors actually re-calibrated their dipsticks for warm measurements.

That being said, it probably won't make a big difference.

 

`IAW Mini Owners Manual, page 107...

CHECKING ENGINE OIL LEVEL

With the vehicle's engine at normal operating temperature, i.e. after uninterrupted driving for at least 6 miles / 10km, park vehicle on a level surface.

Switch off engine.

Pull dipstick out after approx. 5 minutes and wipe it off with a lint free cloth, paper towel or similar material.

Carefully push the dipstick all the way into the guide tube and pull it out again. The oil level should be between the two marks on the dipstick.

It would never make sense that a car's oil can only be checked cold. That would mean you would have to stop for hours during a long road trip, just to check the oil.

I'll take a look at filing the dipstick. That may just be the fix. Still wish I knew where oil could be going when it actually is way low, without leaving a drop on the ground or smoking like a Beale Street Bar B Que. Frustrating little car. Time to see about the other problem. . .cooling system won't bleed, and no heat.

 

When its cold its much easier to read, the oil is normally quite a bit thicker and darker and can clearly be seen on the dipstick. If the engine is warm the oil appears lighter on the dipstick and in certain light conditions its very difficult to read.

I have a flat spot on my drive and once a week in the morning I check the oil when its cold.

I have an 07 R56 MCS with 58k on the clock and it drinks a bit of oil like most other early R56s, probably between 0.5-1 litre per 1000 miles.

 

Ive checked mine both ways.. and to be honest they read about the same.. But I still find it much easier to read it when the car has been sitting for a bit..or cold.. IMO... Ive read that in the owners manual before.. I would do what you feel comfortable with.. When I picked my new MINI up at the dealership I checked the oil before I left..engine cold and it was right at the full mark..lol.

 

Therein lies one of the problems. At times I can get very different readings, like (no reading!) hot, and full cold. That is with oil that has 5000 miles on it and is quite dark. If you add oil, you can very readily see it on the dipstick. So, it really isn't a warm and too clear issue. I do, however, have a hell of a time reading it when I do an oil change.

I've been checking oil in cars, boats, planes, transfer cases, transmissions, gear boxes, lawnmowers, tractors, big rigs. . .you name it, for decades. This is the only vehicle I have ever had an issue with. I have to wonder how difficult it must be for an inexperienced person/car owner, to deal with it as a first timer? Silly design.

 

The fix I am working on. . .

Get her to trade it in on a Volvo Cross Country! (there's an uphill battle...)

 

vent on, my friend.....the MINI dipstick is a thing of mystery....

 

Has been since the beginning!

 

No doubt. Thanks for the input everyone.

 

Everyone is making me feel uneasy. I have not checked the oil on a new car since 2000. Every car I own or have owned since then uses sensors to alert when the oil is either dirty or low. Maybe I have been lucky so far......

 

I check the oil on our MINI every week and when I do, I also look around the engine bay for oil leaks or something amiss. Regulary checking your oil helps you keep an eye on things under the hood that you might never know about if you had not looked.

 

You have been lucky, there are no sensors that I am aware of to tell you when it is low except a low oil pressure light. If that comes on you may already be causing damage to the engine.

 

I agree, and my R55 uses about a quart every 1000 miles.

 

This has been hashed and re-hashed since the 2005 models. Mini has a bad design in it's Oil Chamber, as when you pull the stick, it coats a plastic channel inside the engine and makes reading the stock stick nearly impossible. I truthfully don't even bother checkin it anymore, as I change my oil every 3000 miles anyway. The new sticks are a great Idea, but the price is exorbant for a thin piece of metal. I just use 4 quarts and 1.75 cups, exactly what the specs call for in my R55 Justa. I check the amount coming out when I change it, and I burn no oil between changes.

YMMV

 

This has been hashed and re-hashed since 2000 when the first MINI was released.

 

At this point.. if there is ANY oil showing on the stick.. YOURE GOOD BREH!