ok, i am officially leaking oil!! i come out every morning to see an fresh oil spot under the front left side of my car. if you were standing looking at the car from the front, the oil spot would be on the left passenger side about 1 foot in from front and 1 foot in from wheel. someone please tell me what is over there? is that where the oil drain plug is? could mine have been stripped? i cant imagine an new engine with 18000 miles on it already leaking oil,so it has to be the oil drain plug. but i just need to know if thats where it is.

 

Could be coming from elsewhere and following the contours of whatever it is hitting to land on that spot. Motor mount is about right there also. You should try and see where it is coming from under the hood if you can.

 

MINIs don't leak oil, they simply mark their territory

 

1 ft. from the passenger side wheel and 1 ft rear of the lip of the air dam is just about where the drain plug is. Have you had your oil changed? Did they forget to put the compressible copper washer in place, didn't use a new one, or didn't clean the area properly?

It could also be a leak around the oil pan or from somewhere else and is running down to that location.

 

Wasn't there another owner with the same problem recently?

 

It is probably the o-ring on the oil filter. Try changing the oil filter and the o-ring and it should work

 

The oil filter is on the other side of the car. I guess it is possible that the oil could run down and across the bottom of the pan...

 

I'm betting drain plug.

TexasCooperS, I see what got you. We drive on the right side of the road. That puts the driver on the left side of the vehicle.
Well, in North America, mostly.

 

has anyone figured this out.

I've got the same problem. I jacked up hte car and its running down the passengers "A" arm. and splattering all over the underside. The drain plug is not lookin comprimised.

I could use the help too?

I can usually crall under the car and check it out but I just ripped a ligament in my knee so I can't get under there as easy.

 

If it's the plug you can check without jacking up the car. It's close enough to the front of the car to just reach under and check with your hand. If the plug is oily you probably have a leaking or mistightened plug, or a missing crush washer, or two crush washers instead of one.

 

Check the seals going to the oil cooler. The o rings start to leak a little oil, If they fail completely (blow out) the system will drain and can damage the engine rather quickly.

 

Yeah my mini was leaking oil about 3 weeks ago and it was coming from the front Crank Seal.

 

If you can't or don't want to go under and take a look, just pull into a repair shop with a lift and just pay them to lift the car and take a good careful look and give you an opinion. Shouldn't cost much and then you will know.

YD

 

Mine has also just started leaking oil with only 15K miles on it. In my case it appears to be coming from the oil pan gasket along the front-side of the engine. It goes into the dealer in two weeks.