Oil light on at idle
 

'04 JCW 94,756 miles. I just changed the oil (interval change interval was about 7000) and filter.
Mobil1 5w/30, 4.7 quarts. Once the engine has warmed, the oil light comes on and will immediately extinguish at the slightest touch of the gas pedal. This was NOT an issue until I changed the oil. By the way, no apparent leakage, oil level is within spec.
I know about oil pressure and that as an engines ages it can become an issue, but is this a simple coincidence?

Seems odd to me that using new oil would cause the light to come on. I would think the new oil has more viscosity than the old oil you drained. Hopefully it is maybe a bad sender. That would be the next thing I tried.

Good luck & keep us posted.

It could be the sensor. Get someone to gauge it and if it looks OK, replace the sensor. If it isn't with specs, you have an oiling problem.

One more thing - I don't think it is a good idea to drive it around until you know for sure what your oil pressure really is.

Agreed, If you can put a mechanical gauge on it that would be best, or if someone has a scangauge you can borrow, that would be the easiest way.

Does it sound like it has low oil pressure at idle? Does it sound any different than it did before the oil change? If not, chances are it's just the sending unit.

Found the cause
 

http://www.promini.com/technical/tec...oil_filter.php


Did not notice the spring when I removed the old filter. Duh. Maybe I should pay attention. Or change the oil more often so I remember these things. Or quit wrenching while drinking. Or pay for my oil changes.

So the oil pressure really was low due to the missing part? Good thing you found it!

Nice find.

I thought this was being a bit over-cautious but, as it turned out, it was good advice!

Boy, I was WRONG!
 

No, that was NOT the issue. I looked around for the spring, couldn't find it in the trash or anything. I took the canister off and figured what the hell I would just replace the filter & try it again. No lick, I mean luck, even worse the light extinguished at even higher RPM. Then read my Haynes, which said S's didn't have this little doohickey. THAT's why I couldn't find it. I took the canister off and felt around and found........


(In my best George Costanza voice, pulling a golf ball out of his pocket)


THIS:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...er-beware.html


So after dicking around with it for a little while, I got it back in. Car is running right now and no oil leaks, lights, or smells.

Thanks for you guys help.

yep ... says on the leader of the first video that it is for a NON-S .... but then again there was a JCW package for a 'just a Cooper' for a while. I know a guy that has one . . .

It was a VIDEO for christ sake..... not a "READEO" I'm supposed to READ it?
Really, I just FF'd to the part I was looking for. It would not have saved me from having to dig around anyway.

Glad you worked it out Philip! :thumbsup:

actually my point was that seeing JCW MOST would assume it was for an S but for a time there WAS a "just a Cooper" JCW package . . .

so I never intended to point out a failure on your part . . .

feeling guilty?

:wink:

I did not take it as anything other than a point to be made. I am a pretty hardy fellow emotionally, especially after a Fiddler's Elbow or two.
Since we can't by damn drink and drive anymore, at least we should be able to work on our cars and imbibe, eh? And if we screw up, well hell, that just gives us an opportunity to DRINK AGAIN!

OK, so I have put a couple or three hundred miles on since my oil adventure with no issues. I assume I was able to put the little oil relief valve doohicky in correctly by feel and was able to get the canister screwed down without binding it. The photos on the other thread were a great help.
I am pretty pissed that the Haynes manual has no exploded views of the engine. I feel pretty cheated here. I assumed I could find some sort of fiche online or something that would allow me to see what it looks like. No luck. My google skills are appropriate to my age & intelligence levels, maybe not up to my patience level though.
Does anyone know the manufacturer of the whole canister base? Possibly they could point us all to the entire valve sub-assembly so that we could refurbish them and get another hundred thousand or so out of it. Seems pointless to replace perfectly good metal.

I'm curious to what brand oil filter you used?

Don't remember, probably from Autozone. Very generic.

Good call Way, I seem to remember a thread or post here a while back where a "crapola" filter was causing this same issue.

If you want to keep you MINI intact, use the OEM oil filters.....there have been tons of issues with aftermarket filters of all brands.....

Hi -

This is an old thread but it saved my butt... ( $%*king bypass valve...) Thank all of you.