HEY!!!

I found the same thing a few months back -- posted it here:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...nd-o-ring.html

Here's a picture of mine.

I never did find out where it was from -- dealer service folks had never seen it either.

Having it missing does nto seem to have hurt anything.

 

I'm not going to worry about it either. If 50K miles down the road, the motor explodes, at least I've brought the O-ring to the attention of my MINI dealer (with witnesses ).

 

if you are wasting perfectly good oil by changing it way to early well technically we are all paying for that given our current economic situation exemplified by the gulf leak

What is grungy oil? You see you do not know. Oil protects your engine and its the protective qualities of that oil which you should care about. Why test? Humm I don't know may to see how good your choice of oil is or to see if the cheap stuff your are putting is, is doing its job?

My last test I had a higher then expected Si content. Puzzled I go to my engine and find a broken air box clip that was leaking unfiltered air into my TB. I think that tells me it was 20 bucks well spent. but hey go spend your 20 bucks on window tint or a nice NOS sticker for your windshield.

Why do you go to the doctor? Oh I guess you do not. Why would you want information like you blood cholesterol, blood pressure .... so that you could potential avoid a catastrophe. Why not ask a professional truck driver nearly all of them rely on oil analysis for keeping their trucks running but hey what do they know as if their trucks don't run they do not get paid

Nice sentiment and way to contribute to what was an interesting thread.

 

+1

 

Well...

It's my thread. Soooo...



Pbbbbbbttttttttttttttttttthhhhhhhhht ! Jog on!!!

 

This thread wasn't about his oil change intervals. It was about him finding the small o-ring in his filter. If he wouldnt have changed the oil himself he most likely would have even known about it.

 

THANK YOU!!!

 

Well the OP was complaining that MINI service was too long based on feelings. I merely suggested that if they or anyone actually wanted to understand what a good interval would be for them that it can be accomplished easily. All I did was provide information -certainly tangental to the issue of the O-ring but equally certain germane to the content of the post.

I was not the one who flipped out about the idea of testing oil was I?

I merely responded as I do now.

 

You weren't helping. You were just joining the other self-appointed oil change "experts" who immediately derailed this thread by demanding to know WTF I was doing changing my own oil.

If you have an idea what the mystery O-ring is for, then by all means, let us know. But on the topic of oil change interval... I did not ask

 

I believe the O-ring issue was addressed above as an unnecessary OEM production part and that somehow this was not removed by the person who changed the filter just before the OP(you) got the car.

 

I am told by one of the folks at the Mini store (who has some access to someone in the Mini heirarchy) that the O-ring matches one that is used to seal some part of the dip-stick mechanism. I'm told that most likely, the "assemblers", which are probably robots, sometimes force one of the rings into the crankcase where it is left, rather than to take the motor off the line to open it to retrieve the errant piece. I'm told that there is an awareness that the piece will likely circulate in the oil stream till it is caught by the filter. Apparently, there is no where else it can go, and there is a general feeling that it can do no damage in its travels.

I'm told there is only one O-ring of that size in the entire motor asembly.

I'm also told that when this happens, a new o-ring is installed by hand by the assemblers so there is no leak, and no defect in the motor unit.

Actually, I really can't see what it could hurt in there. Its too big to clog an oil gallery or line, it isn't likely to degrade with time, and it would be beaten to pieces quickly if it were to get caught in any of the moving parts inside.

Just another Mini anomaly I guess.

I wonder how many times that o-ring is found by Mini maintenance folks at the first oil change?

BTW -- I always change my own oil -- always. I like messing with it, and I'll continue to do that. I dispose of the oil responsibly (usually take it to the local Wal-Mart).

I don't understand how this thread got so far out in left field. It kinda undermines the community feeling. Aren't we supposed to be waving to one another (with all five fingers)?

 

Robots LOL Its good to have access to interesting information like that. I change my oil on my rides as well and I use analysis to know how long I can interval. I did not think that mentioning that given the short interval that the OP was suggesting was such an out of line comment but I suppose some people are a little sensitive.

 

Time for a breather on this one, folks.