I have a 2008 MCS, it's only 2 months old and has only 500 miles on it.

I have noticed pretty much from day one a small amount of clear brownish colored fluid that pools up in the dead center of the very front of the engine (under the car) when parked for a day or so. I've wiped the fluid w/ a clean towel and notice that it's a oily substance, very clear color w/ a brown tint. The amount is very minimal ...and I didn't really think much of it. However wondering if this is normal? Could it be fluids that are just burning off the new engine? -i.e. fluid that may have been spilled over when filling the engine? -yet seems like that would just burn off and not drip? I've actually never seen it drip and can't see anywhere on the engine where there is a leak (probably because the amount is so miniscule). It seems like it's leaking less and less, not getting worse? yet hard to tell.

Curious if this is common w/ new Mini's ...kind of like the cosmoline (sp?) that caused smoking from the rear of my car for the first 75 miles or so but has now all burned off and stopped.

 

Are you sure its not the cosmoline?
Because I found this stuff in quite a few places around my MINI for a couple of months.
Seems that if your MINI is built after the lunch beer break that they most put extra cosmoline on..

 

i am thinking it is cosmoline, i too have found a ton of it all over the car.

I was just curious if others found it as much as I have?? ...seems like the answer is "yes".

 

I'm more worried that you have only 500 miles after 2 months!

 

...yeah, my wife and I (actually my wife) just had a baby 5 days before I picked up my Mini ...so the first month I was pretty much at home. My wife wasn't too keen on me going for drives in the new car while she stayed home w/ our 2 kids ...Now I am pretty much only driving it on weekends as my new job allows me to work at home 90% of the time. ....yeah, i love my car, wish I had more time to drive it. -I now have 2 cars and I drive a lot less than most people.

 

Cosmoline more than likely. Two very nice cars, did we ever see pictures of the MINI?

500 miles, more normal is 500 miles in the first 5 days of ownership. Get with the program.

 

Here is a thread dealing with cosmoline (some pics too):

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ght=rwwilsonjr

 

Yes, I have a Nov 2007 build, and I'm still mopping up this stuff. It's awful. I live in Phoenix Arizona where it's 100+ degrees every day right now. It's like my Mini is bleeding this stuff. It's everywhere, but mostly out the doors and bonnet.

It's nearly impossible to clean off the paint too.

Groan,
Jeff

 

This is the internal rustproofing that Mini sprayed on the interior during assembly, it is easily removed and it goes away after some time .You will be thankfull in a few years, especially in states that have salted roads in winter, to have a car that doesnt have hidden rust in the welded body seams. (look in the detail section for easy removal)

 

Well...it isn't easily removed if it gets onto the plastic trim, which is frequently the case. In fact it's almost impossible to completely remove.

 

I've never heard of cosmoline in that area under the engine, it's usually underneath and sides of the hood, bottom of doors, or boot area. I'd have it checked.

 

i have it too... my boyfriend thinks it some sort of lubricant.

 

no cosmoline here.

it's all in the dealer prep... if they're good about it, you won't have any...


i did however have bad swirl marks. they'll get taken care of at the beginning of next summer... for now, glaze will do.

 

I must have gotten the "after lunch beer" spraying because aside from the felt triangle rear of the scoop, it's ALL over the underside of the bonnet. If you look, even now, in all those holes you'll see that stuff.

 

^very surprising considering that I came over on the same boat as you.

call your ma or sa and see if they can do anything for you.

 

-look at my gallery (I have photos of my MINI there).

...hmm, okay, more than confused than ever now. I am going to get up there tonight and take a look w/ a flash light and see if I can find where exactly it's coming from. It's pretty consistent, a couple of drops of this stuff every day. I think I may call the dealership soon and ask them about it.

 

-found this from the link posted above by "rwwilsonjr" (thanks). ...problem is clean oil looks very similar. I now have a whopping 650 miles on my Mini and the amount of whatever is leaking seems to be a lot less than a few weeks ago. I plan on giving it another few weeks then I'll call the dealer if it continues. I am thinking this may just be cosmoline that is dripping from the front of the engine. It doesn't look like it's leaking from any engine seal that I can see.

 

Not to sound stupid or anything of the sort but someone once mentioned to me that their engine mount went bad and leaked all over.
I wasn't aware that engine mounts had any kind of fluid, but if it does this could also be what you're seeing.
Do you have a digital camera where you can take a good picture and post it so that a more educated guess can be made?

 

i'm going to borrow a steamer and do it myself. I don't want my baby there as much as possible. I'm positive it'll come back with a dent or something and they'll try to deny it.

 

A lot of discussion on this subject but it's a problem which is good because, evidently, still affecting Mini owners. There are two locations that have experienced cosmoline dripping onto the plastic wheel-well trim on my car. Looking at the front wheels from the side: 1) at 12 o'clock and 2) at 9 o'clock. This goo is coming from beneath the hood/braces and only happens on hot days. When this happens it's an rather thin, oily liquid which will then harden into a waxy solid as soon as the surface cools. At that point it is very difficult to remove without damaging the textured trim...so proceed with caution. If it is left on the surface of the trim it will discolor it and this discoloration is very objectionable (at least to me). Apparently some Mini dealerships have found a way to successfully remove the hardened cosmoline.

 

Nope, not cosmoline, ..I went under the car and went over the engine last night w/ a flashlight and angled mirror. The leak is pretty evident, ...it appears to be coming from the lower black metal tube that goes into the turbo. I can see that the oil is leaking from that tube (at the point of entry to the turbo) and onto the electric fan and some lower hoses and then to the floor where it is puddling up every day. It looks like the seam where the metal tube enters the turbo housing isn't sealed properly and is leaking from that area.


I've called my Mini dealer ...just waiting to hear back from them. ...so, i'll be bringing it in.