I have a MCS 06 and I have a oil leak. This is my second leak, the first was covered under warranty. Has anyone had any issues with their MCS after 50k that I should know about?

 

The valve cover gasket on my 2004 MCS developed a leak at about 70K.

 

Check out motoringfile.com. Thread just posted about oil leaks on R50 & R53.

 

Yep.....pan leaks are getting to be a problem.

 

Same here...04 R53 valve cover gasket and oil pan gasket replaced about 6 months ago at 53,000miles. NOT covered by warranty.

 

Frenchy, what did you pay for the non-warranty work?

Here's the detailed info excerpted from motoringfile.com:

[BEGIN QUOTE]
For this we turn to an expert: Chad Miller, owner of the MINI only shop Detroit Tuned.

I see several leaks out of the early cars. The first one that leaks on all cars is the crank sensor. It has an o-ring on it and shrinks after it get hot after 30K and it allows oil pass it only when the car is running. It leaks down the front of the block and collects lots of dirt that comes through the radiator. It will continue down the front of the motor to the pan and blow off when driving. It never drips as it is well above the oil level when the car is parked at any angle. The fix for it is to clean it up, pull it out, RTV it, Put it back in. To do this you HAVE to pull the front of the car off.

The second (and biggest) place I am seeing oil leak issues is the crank seal/gasket. This seal dries up and will also work its way out and allow oil to be pumped out as its right at the oil pump behind the crank damper. It’s the same on cooper or cooper S and it’s an easy fix once you pull the crank pulley. When this seal goes it will cover the front cover and the oil pan gasket and will make it look like the pan gasket is going. Sometimes it’s good to replace this seal first as it is easy and cheap before you pull the pan and replace that one. The seal is $13.48 the next one is the oil pan gasket. It’s a big job and very messy. (ED: This seems to be what most problems are that we’re hearing about.)

You also have to pull the front end of to pull the air compressor. The gasket is a MINI only part, and lists for $36.71. There are no aftermarket parts for it. I always seal up the crank sensor when doing this job as you already have the front end off, even if the leak is not bad or not at all. I can almost guarantee that, at some point, it will start leaking.

I also see the oil cooler seals on the cooper S go. They get really hot and dry up and get hard. It starts as a drip, and can drip on the driveway. They can also just go and pump all the oil out of the motor. Again a very cheap part at $3.80 each (you need 2) and it’s a special square o-ring that you’re not going to just pick up anywhere. It’ll take about an hour to install and requires removing the oil filter to stop the drain of oil in to your work area. You can get to it through the drivers wheel well so it’s an easy install.

So there you have it. The majority of issues relate to the crank seal but there are a couple other that could also produce oil leaks. As Chad mentions, the parts aren’t pricey. However it’s the labor that gets the old parts off and the new parts on that is. In total it should run you around $800 at most MINI dealers. Independent shops should be a little cheaper.
[END QUOTE]

 

The dealership wanted $340 for Valve cover gasket (labor and parts) and $850 for Oil pan gasket (labor and parts). Lucky for me a friend of a friend does amazing work at his house (he replaced clutch, flywheel, rear control arms, installed lower springs, etc..)... Parts are fairly cheap (about $85)...labor is what kills you for these kinds of repairs!!! I don't remember exactly how much he charged me but I believe around $300 or $400. Labor is $130 or the dealer and my friend charges $40...I realize also that having my friend do the work precludes me from having any kind of warranties if he screws something up....so far so good I must say!

 

60 K on a 04 MCS no leaks or any issues at this time

 

I just last week recognized that my valve cover gasket and also crank speed sensor o-ring were leaking badly. My 05 MCS is 6 months and 5k out of warrantee, but my dealer was kind enough to extend some goodwill for me and get these problems taken care of. I was also really surprised that the crank sensor did not require disassembling of the front end as I have read in these forums. A very talented tech has devised a method whereby he loosens a motor mount and uses a strap to pull the engine back enough to reach in and replace the sensor. It took no more than 45 minutes. While the sound of this seemingly rogue procedure made me cringe, I have received no less than top notch service from my dealer and will trust their judgment... and the fact that they really stand behind their service and the product.

One important lesson learned was that you need to be very nice and have a good relationship with the dealer to expect them to go to bat for you. The Service Manager was very interested in assessing what kind of customer I have been and would likely be in the future. Fortunately I had a bunch of work done on the car just before end of warrantee and have also brought the car to them for some maintenance. From this experience I have decided that I will always have them do future maintenance. My last DIY oil change cost me $57 while the dealer asks about $90. For $30 I can keep my hands clean, have an excuse to browse all the new MINIs and accessories, and maintain that important relationship with the Service Manager who always notices my standout and polished MCS.

 

58K on a 06 MCS, and I just noticed an odd leak just right of the passenger front wheel well in the engine compartment. It is just under what looks like an engine mount bracket.

Anyone with similar issue, of heard of this?

 

It could oil from a busted engine mount. Mine had to be replaced twice due to leakage. It is a weak spot that is prone to fail. Could be something else but engine mount failure is what immediately came to mind.

 

Where is the valve cover gasket located? Is it the cover that I pour the oil into? Or is it somewhere else, that I can not see?

 

Just replaced the CPS o-ring today. Used the under engine ratchet strap method. Worked pretty well, but couldn't for the life of me get the connector off the CPS. After attempting that for 30 minutes decided just to take the CPS off (10mm bolt) with the connector attached. Couldn't see the bolt through the filth, but could feel it. Even after getting the CPS out of the block, I couldn't get the connector off. Still was able to replace the o-ring and reinstall with the sensor attached.
Getting the bolt back in was a bit challenging, as I was working blind, but after finger tightening and working to tighten it with a variation of a long socket, then a standard socket with a short extension was able to snug it up.
Hopefully it was the CPS leaking, and not the oil pan!

FWIW, realoem shows the oring cost at $1.93, local dealer had it for $5.43, with a discounted price of $4.

 

In my case it was the o-ring for the oil dipstick tube. I went to the dealer and bought a o-ring for the CPS. The parts guy was good enough to just give me a o-ring for the dipstick tube just in case since I have everything apart. I replaced both but the oil tube looked to be the culprit.