Long time reader... first time writer...
Three weeks ago we bought a 2004 MCS with 30k miles in BRG.... and we are really loving this car.
I started seeing a small leak about 50 miles ago and started to try to deterimine its origin. The two puddles are on the passenger side about 18" in from the wheel. First I determined it was not power steering fluid, though all those pieces are soaked. Working my way up i could not see any oil coming from the oil pan gasket. On jackstands, with engine running, flashlight in hand I saw the drip at the lowermost portion of the oil cooler just below the oil filter.
Hoping that perhaps the origin was simply the oil canister o-ring, I turned off the car and put an adjustable wrench to it and loosened it a smidge, then tightened it back... I'm talking maybe 1/8 to 1/16 of a rotation.
Engine back on... HUGE puddle of oil. It is coming out so quickly that I do not dare run the engine to hunt it down.

SO my main question is.... could it be the o-ring at the canister, or might it be one of the seals below the heat exchanger?

Would a mis-seated o-ring cause a gusher?

 

Yes it would. Could possibility be that o-ring is now torn based on you saying it leaks worse after your "smidge" adjustment.

...Les

 

Sounds like the o ring to me. I haven't had the problem, but there have been several posts about nicked or broken rings causing major leaking. I'd definitely start there before suspecting something more sinister!

 

After a recent oil change, I got home to see a puddle of oil under my car. Further inspection saw the whole lower engine bay, newly installed header, exhaust system dripping with oil. I had to have the car towed back to the garage. Once there, we found that I had lost about 1/2 to 3/4 a litre of oil and it was the oil ring had broken. Luckily, I had only driven for about 20 min. home and I have CAA!

My mechanic told me that he thought the o-ring didn't seem to fit as snugly as the old removed o-ring but as a genuine BMW part went with it. Luckily,
he had the old o-ring and after an engine/under-body shampoo all was back to normal.

In future, I will closely check the o-ring supplied by BMW or just maybe my mechanic screwed up the installation.

 

yep

I broke an o-ring putting things together once and didn't notice the leak on a quick test run. Later started it up and idled for a couple of minutes b4 I noticed a large growing puddle under the car.

Then I learned the trick of how to get the filter can on properly ... push down firmly while turning.....

 

when you put the filter back together, do you put the filter on the motor, then the cover over the filter? or do you put the filter in the cover and put the whole assembly on together?

Also I tried to hand tighten as much as humanly possible but I can feel about an 1/8 in gap between the housing and the seat. Is this supposed to be nearly flush? I have a socket, however I don't have a rachet big enough for the deal, much less a torque wrench that will accept the big socket without adapters...
My mission for my lunch break today is to buy/borrow the right tools for the job and locate another o-ring.
O'reilly's has wix filter with o-ring in stock... Ive read thats a bad idea.

 

put the filter in the can and the unit back on the car. Use a bit of force and be sure to get the filter all the way down else you make the job of getting the can on all the more difficult. The OEM filter is a tight fit onto the spindle in the can.

if you feel a gap that's quite possibly the cause as the can should be tightened 'til it is flush. I've been working on these since I bought my 02 new off the lot and I've never been able to get the can flush w/out using a wrench. And as you've seen you need to be careful about your choice of socket and wrench as there isn't much room to work with. I use a low profile socket I got from Sears. As far a torq', it takes plenty of effort just to get the can flush - at least a one full ugh - that's plenty tight for me.

I only use OEM filters partly beacause of horror stories about o-ring fitment from other sources. Other than the one time I pinched the o-ring I've not had a problem and have taught a dozen others how to do it. Actually I'm sitting here waiting for a first time buyer of an 06 to show up for just such a lesson.

 

Should be tightened tillbasicly flush....to do it right you really need a ratchet...but doing it a tiny bit of a turn at a time with a wrench is possible...hand tighten is not enough...

 

Many thanks Capt..... I'm not giving up yet. I'll hit up sears today.

 

I always pre-fit the filter on car first, then press firmly into the canister, then install the two on the car. Be sure to oil the o-ring well.
I use a 1/2" drive with a 36mm socket that I shortened with a dremel cutoff wheel.
Good luck, and welcome to MINIs!

 

Thanks to everyone for all the pointers. I ran home for an early lunch after picking up more oil, a 1/2" torque rachet and 36" socket. I pulled the canister, inspected and oiled the o-ring. Put it all together and torqued it down to about 23 ft/lb which is about 32Nm. No more gushing, but I think I still have a drip. When I was cleaning up the garage floor I noticed two colors. Royal Purple and then something more yellow/gold. Power steering is a little winey so I wonder if I had multiple problems. The rack boot was wet with oil.... I'm thinking I should clean it all up and dry it all off, then start hunting again.
Also contemplating going back to the toyota dealer that sold me the car and taking them up on the $1700 extended warranty....

 

I find that the force needed just to get the can all the way down is near or more than the recommended torq . . . and let's face it, that O-ring provides way more than sufficient resistance so as to not worry about the thing backing off by itself!.

Just getting the filter can off you probably spilled some used oil of of the can .. even if you use the crack and drain method you still tend to get a wee bit, and the new stuff, well that's what brought you here right? The spillage is tyoically gonna find its way to the steering rack boot and also look out for its traveling along the control arm to the lower control arm bushing. prolonged exposure to oil plus dirt can cause the bushing to waste away even faster then normal.

Your other drip might be something else but for now I'd clean everything up, and put a nice clean piece of cardboard under the car tonight and see what the morning tells you.

The electric power steering makes a bit of an electric whine even when operating normally so hard to say this indicates a problem.

 

Just remember, the ps fluid is NOT standard ps fluid....it is petrosin brand syenthic...
mini/bmw, and most vw dealers sell it....naps sometimes has it.
I'd hose of the oil...then look for a new drip...and check the level too!!
Good luck!

 

Good point, I use almost no force after I feel the can hit bottom. Never a leak or has the can backed out at all. The o-ring does all of the work.

 

I'm using a Wix filter (NAPA Gold). It has 8300 miles since the last replacement and no leaking so far. With any oil filter that uses O-ring as a seal, make sure the new and old match up in thickness and stiffness before installation.

I have a lazy man's method that results in ZERO dripping of oil when removing the filter...

The night before draining the oil, I would loosen the oil filter canister. Unscrew it just enough to vent but not allow oil to spill. The residual oil in the canister will completely drain into the oil pan by the next day. (I leave the hood open so I won't make a mistake of starting the engine.)

The following day... just unscrew the filter and install the new one. (Make sure you clean and smear oil on the surfaces that the O-ring touches.) Drain old oil and refill. Start engine and rev it to 3500-4000 RPM for 2 minutes and let it idle while you check for leaks. Done.

I also make a habit of checking the oil level and for leaks around the canister each time I fill up the gas tank.