Hey
I have an 08 Mini Base , the other day engine light came on. I check fluid levels were very very low. After pulling it into my garage I notice oil spots on my floor. Looks like the leak is coming from the oil filter housing. How difficult is it to change? Should I replace the whole housing or just the gasket? Any service pdf's out there?

Would this cause my check engine light to come on?

Thanks

 

As a first timer in that area, it took me about 8 hours to swap the oil filter housing to block seal. Bumper to service mode is what I did to start the process. Others have detailed the procedure after that.
Note at least 4 oil leak potentials in the general area. Turbo oil line, filter canister cover seal, oil cooler seal, oil housing to block seal. If you are in this area, get the DD kit, and replace the turbo oil line too.
If MINI base, means no turbo, the job is a bit easier, obviously, delete my turbo related notes.

 

Thanks for the reply. I have a base model/ non turbo so I was trying to figure out what would be the easiest way to do this. I am comfortable replacing it. Just didn't know if I need to get the whole unit of just the gasket. Did you use any king of sealant between the block and the housing

 

Be aware this is a pretty big job. Getting to all the bolts behind the header are a huge pain and have to remove the header to get to them.
We do keep the gaskets in stock if you do it yourself.
http://www.waymotorworks.com/oil-fil...9-r60-r61.html

 

My seal fractured in the coolant area. I measured the housing for warpage and it was on the order of 4 thou. I did not replace the housing. Service mode helps tremendously, although removing the wheel arches will trash the fittings, if not the arch itself. I highly recommend digging behind the wheel liners and cutting the plastic pins to free up the arch. Pulling from the front, with even a trim tool breaks many anyway, and you could mess up the paint and arch. Once that is done, the engine front is very doable. 2.5" makes a huge difference in access. Jackstands, leave wheels on, top and bottom access is best. No sealants needed anywhere, did this job solo but did need a 2lb persuader to move the bumper forward with all fittings removed.

 

It took me about 6 hours on my MCS. Search the how-to section, see if anyone describes the differences on the non-turbo car.

Spend a little time on realoem.com going through some of the pictures to understand how things go together.

On my car, the worst part was removing the heat shields and downpipe. There is not a lot of room in there. That is why the 'service mode' discussions are above.

It is likely that you will need to drain the coolant as well, and plan on an oil change. On the MCS there is an oil cooler mounted to the filter housing, and I believe that there is coolant running through the oil filter housing on the non-S as well. This means that there is an opportunity to get coolant into the oil, thus my recommendation to change the oil after the job.

Good luck,
Mike

 

Thanks everyone for all the useful information. I'm gonna put the front end in service mode probably on Sunday and work a few hours at the time until I get it replaced. I think the heat shield is gonna be my biggest obstacle.

Thanks again

 

what is front end service mode?

I need to change a leaking oil filter housing gasket on my wife's non-turbo R56. It appears I'll have to pull out the header/exhaust manifold to get to it. Can anyone point me to a DIY guide for pulling off the header? My searches are unsuccessful, but I did find this thread. The dealer pointed out the leak at a recent service. They quoted me about $1000 for the job. Ugh.

 

Service mode allows you to pull the radiator support about 2" away from the engine, so that you have a bit more room to get around the heat shields.




I can't comment on removing the header, but I trust Way's comments above that it is difficult.


You may want to call Way Motor Works and see if you need exhaust gaskets or clamps to accomplish this, and see if you can pick their brain a bit for tips.


Have fun,
Mike

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...placement.html

Good DIY here, you just will not have the extra oil cooler ( turbo ) on the front of the oil filter housing.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...lant-leak.html

 

When I did the oil filter housing on my S, I went ahead and pulled the entire front clip off. Since you are already draining coolant and oil, its not really that much extra work. Made everything a lot easier, plus there was a nasty, grimy mess hiding on the block and it allowed me a good opportunity to clean it off. I also changed the serpentine belt and turbo feed line while I was in there, its pretty hard to get to otherwise.

Since your car is non-turbo, I bet its pretty cake. Like mbwicz said, the turbo heat shield and cat was the hardest part. Taking the whole clip off made it a 10 minute deal.

 

Thanks for the responses. On the non-turbo there's a huge heatshield between the header and engine block. I can't access 2 bolts on the filter housing with the heatshield in the way, so I have to remove the header to remove the headshield. What a pain to remove all that just to get to 2 bolts. LOL. Maybe I'll pull off the entire front since the plastic radiator support is cracked and A/C condenser is bent (wife hit a blown tire on the freeway). Is getting the A/C recharged any different on a mini?

 

nope, i just went and bought the kit from Napa and did it myself. Don't tell the EPA...