Hi all,

I noticed the oil pan on my 2005 Mini Cooper S had a film of oil all over it while I was draining the oil during an oil change.

It's highly unlikely to be due to a loose drain plug - I had to take it in to get it loosened!

Any thoughts on the culprit? Historically, I know the valve cover gasket and passenger side motor mount were replaced about 30K miles ago.

Thanks,

Peter

 

Often the culprit is the oil pan gasket.

 

Do you know how much it costs to have that replaced?

 

$$$$$
wait til you have some measurable loss.
Monitor the level....
There are a few places where leaks a common on gen1 cars...oil pan gasket is common...some cars are on their 3rd or 4th...
There have been a few gasket revisions.....

 

Yep. I toasted my engine because of the oil pan gasket. Not fun. Keep an eye out on the level. After that, I check every time I fill it with gas.

 

Definitely will keep an eye out for the oil level often. So it seems the general consensus is that many people have this "weepy" oil pan. Are there any permanent fixes as it seems that changing the gasket is only a temporary fix. THanks!

 

Definitely will keep an eye out for the oil level often. So it seems the general consensus is that many people have this "weepy" oil pan. Are there any permanent fixes as it seems that changing the gasket is only a temporary fix.

I've got an appointment on Thursday to figure this out.

Thanks!

 

The gasket is on it's 3rd revision...so there have been attempts at preventing future issues...
Since there are a few different versions of the gasket around, you might want to get it from a dealer so you know the part is the most recent one.
It is kinda $$$ to get the gasket changed at the dealer...if you know a local shop that is mini centric, they can likely do it for much less...IMO anybody with a mini should have a relationship with a mini shop...dealers sometimes choose to replace major comptents, rather than having them reworked, or fixed...this may save a bit of time, but often costs $$$.
Rebuilding a SC is an example on the s. $500-800 and a week of downtime for a rebuild, or 1600-1800 for the dealers instock reman..plus labour...so you could save 45% or more...and get a rental if needed possibly...