Hi,

I have a 2010 Mini Cooper Clubman (chili red) with 175K on it! Over the past six months, I've invested about $3,500 into her (clutch, oil housing filter, battery, front brakes, 2nd thermostat housing unit). I just moved from California to Colorado so this past winter was pretty hard on her.

One issue is that the fan is running a lot/too long. I was told this can be fixed with software updates.

My major issue right now is the oil. The last mechanic told me it does have some very minor oil leaks. The oil pan gasket and front crank seal are seeping. The engine is making a noise over the past few weeks as well (when it's idling, it revs up and then settles down; not an even hum as before). Last check is that every 700 miles it's needing a quart. There is a smell coming from the exhaust due to the engine using oil, as well as the engine itself smells like something is burning. This mechanic is recommending a new used engine ($6K).

I just wanted to know if anyone out there had any suggestions, besides putting in a new used engine. Does it make sense to fix the issues on my existing engine and keep this Mini going for another year or so?

Thank you so much for any feedback,
Deb

 

I would first try replacing the valve cover gasket. The cost is minimal (~$25) and probably something you could easily do yourself. An oil leak from that gasket could be hitting your exhaust on the back of the engine and causing the smell you mentioned. The oil pan gasket and front engine crank seal are problematic, and can be costly if you're not doing the work yourself. However, replacing both are not difficult if you're handy with tools. I would go that route before spending six grand on a used engine.

 

Ya, with that kind of mileage and age, it might not even be worth $6k. As cooper48 suggested, I would consider some less expensive fixes first. If that doesn't do it, I would sell and look for a new ride.

 

700 miles per quart is 300 below the BMW/MINI acceptable range. Very easily could be the valve cover gasket like has been mentioned. Could also just be a worn motor and the rings are shot.Also could be a bad turbo blowing oil into the exhaust.

 

How about doing a compression test? That should give you more information on the rings and or valves condition. You can easily do it yourself.

 

Hi Cooper48,

I just wanted to thank you kindly for your comments. I'm going to try getting the valve cover gasket fixed first. I wish I were handy with car as my father was. I would definitely do the work myself, but alas, that is not the case.

Thank you again,
Deb

 

Hi AZdsrt,

Thank you for your comments. I truly appreciate it. That's exactly what I'm going to do. Get the valve cover gasket fixed and if that doesn't resolve the issue, I will sadly have to find another ride (as you said).

Thank you,
Deb

 

Hi Sawicki,

Thank you kindly for your comments. I was wondering about what you said regarding the bad turbo blowing oil into the exhaust. Would I have to have an "S" for that to happen (which I don't)? Just wanted to double check on that.

Thank you!
Deb

 

Hi jr_R52,

Thank you for your comments! I have no idea how to do a compression test. Do you have to have a lot of tools and such for that?

Thanks so much,
Deb

 

Deb, what general area are you located? There has to be a nearby Forum member who can swap a valve cover gasket for you. A repair shop is going to hit you for $125+ for a job that won't take but a few minutes.

 

Hi there,

I'm in Colorado Springs. That would be above-n-beyond of someone. Any money saved at this point as I get down to the bottom of the issue would be so appreciated.

Thanks again,
Deb

 

Alright, Miniacs. I'm in Texas but who's in Colorado Springs that can do their good deed ^^^ for the day?

 

I'm in Texas, too. And after reading your summary, all I can say is, doing the valvecover gasket won't be enough as by judging from the mileage and age of this car and depending on the previous service habits, I'm willing to bet there are more work to be done. Just know that oil leak is EXTREMELY common on this vehicle and it's best if you start to get your own hand around the engine. It's a great learning experience and will yield you the best savings possible. There are plenty of youtube videos out there to show you how to do everything. Watch it a few times and you'll be very confident once you DIY.

The above said, I'll throw my two cents in:

1) Front main seal oil leak is an easy repair, you'll need to know how to unhook the serpentine belt first, then remove the crank pulley (3-bolts), then use a crank shaft seal pulling tool, or a 90-degree something to hook the seal and pull out. Then just put the new seal in and make sure to tap it into place evenly (this seal doesn't require lubing prior to placement). After this, you'll stop losing oil from this side, this is the second largest source of oil volume loss you'll typically find with the motor.

2) Valvecover gasket like everyone mentioned here, and it's an easy DIY to do if you can manage to remove the spark plugs, ignition coil, undo the ignition cable, and oil breather hose. You'll also remove or tuck away other obstructions such as intake tubes or MAF sensor plug, etc. Then it's a matter of removing some 10mm bolts and retorque them back according to specifications, do not ever-torque or torque the bolts unevenly. This resolves any oil leak from the top side of the engine. But oil leak from this is usually minuscule in comparison to other sources.

3) Oil Pan Gasket. This is VERY common to see leaks on the 2nd gen mini engines. But it's not hard to do either. First drain the oil, plug it in. Then remove the 8mm bolts around the oil pan and you'll get the pan out. You'll likely need to unhook the exhaust pipe joint at the down-pipe section to the rest of the exhaust to gain access to two hard to reach bolts. And for getsketing, I recommend buying a high temp gasket maker(tubes.. You can easily get this at automotive parts store. DO NOT buy those pre-shaped gasket, those will leak again. I've tried it on 3 different vehicles, none of them works. Oil leak volume from this source is very similar to the front main seal, maybe even a little more loss considering it's location and where oil settles.

4) Oil Filter Housing / Coolant Heat Exchanger. This is a VERY VERY VERY common source for oil leak for our cars. And relatively speaking, it's the hardest to fix in comparison to the above 3 sources I mentioned. You'll need to undo the turbo downpipe, remove the heat shield in order to access this. you'll also need to know how to put the vehicle in radiator support position to gain room to work with. But this is a common leaking area because the design of the housing bolts are retarded in the first place. And the gaskets used here are subject to high temps from the turbocharger, so they get hardened and crack easily. Worse, at times, the coolant and oil may get seeped into each other. Anyways, I will not go into details about this, but if you are looking for sources of oil leak, this would be a big one to look at. Once there's a leak here, it usually seeps hard and you'll get large loss from here. This is my number 1 ranking oil leak in my book in terms of loss volume and difficulty of fixing it.



But, NO, you won't need a new engine just because of a few oil leaks. As long as your compression still holds, everything outskirts of that, you can address them with relative ease if you can work on it. Can't believe how those mechanics are just trying to rip you off. I've recently just done a total cooling and oil plumbing refresh for a fellow mini cooper s customer for only $500 labor and $1700 worth of parts. That includes new timing assembly, new seals/gaskets mentioned above, a walnut blast job, cleaning up the injectors and repattern them. New belt drive peripherals, etc.. After that, the car drives like a champ. Imagine doing it on your own, $1700 is all it takes, and if you go with non-genuine MINI parts, it's even cheaper.