I recently put in a tad more oil than usual - reads about 1/16 inch above the full nib on the dipstick; I usually keep it 3/4 of the way up from the bottom nib.

My wife drives the car downtown and parks in a garage every day - past 2 days she has called after parking to report smoke from the engine compartment. Being the good husband that I am, I drove down to check it out - could not reproduce the smoking condition and could not see a leak.

I realized I did not drive the Mini back up the garage incline - drove down the interstate at different speeds, etc - only time it smokes is after she drives up the garage incline and parks.

I am assuming if it is loosing oil at the full level when going up an incline I have a valve cover problem on the back side.

Waiting now for her call when she arrives to see if the condition continues.

 

When the dealer changed my oil, they routinely filled the engine above the top bulb on the dipstick with no ill effect.

I think you have a small oil leak that allows the oil to pool on the engine, when you drive up an incline the oil spills onto the exhaust and makes smoke.

You should thoroughly clean the engine, so you can see where the leak is coming from.

 

Makes perfect sense, thanks. Your screen name any reference to the river in Russia?

 

Yes, in a way. I have a Dnepr motorcycle, made in Kiev, Ukraine. The soviets named companies after local geographical features, so my 'net handle is after the river, indirectly.

 

Well, that is cool. My wife is from Eastern Europe and we have some great friends from Kiev.

 

Could it be that when you changed/added oil that you spilled some into that opening in the valve cover?

If so, oil would drip onto the exhaust manifold when the car was at the proper (or improper)m angle.