It is a base cooper with 91,000 miles on it.
I took my wife's car in to have the top fixed. It would not go all the way down. The dealership was able to fix it by adjusting something. While they have the car they go over it to see what else is wrong. I get a call yesterday saying that the valve cover gasket, timing chain tensioner gasket, vacuum pump, oil pan gasket and oil filter housing gasket are all leaking oil and it was low on oil by about a quart. I changed the oil a month ago and I did not notice any of this. There isn't any spots of oil in the garage where she parks neither is there any burning oil smell while driving. Not to mention the water pump is leaking. I just cannot fathom this many leaks and not have any drops on the ground. The car has 91,000 miles on it, is this normal to have sooooo many oil leaks?

 

My 2012 was purchased with 95k on it and when I had the folks at MINI put it through a careful check, they replaced a pump under 'recall' or service advisory, then found a leaking oil filter o-ring and gasket and housing. They also found a oil pan gasket leak on a visit a week ago. Everything except that oil pan gasket was replaced by the dealership (FORD) where I bought the used MINI. They actually sent it to a MINI dealer to have all the work done.

I believe that dealers are a bit more persnickety than they need to be about some of these leaks and are prone to replace things early.

I think you'll also find that the tolerance of the alerts in the MINI's system are very quick to go off. e.g. Tires being down half a pound of air; oil being down just over a quart; top not being fully shut; gas going below 1/4 of a tank. Sometimes I'd like the alerts to only go off when it's a SERIOUS issue instead of a bulb being out in an area that doesn't require that bulb to operate. Like you get an alert for a burned out dome light.

So, I might get some other opinions on all the leaks and treat the car like the fun vehicle it is, but not get too worried about some of that stuff. In fact, there are MINI owners who keep three quarts of Mobil 1 in the boot and add oil every other tank of gas. Keep it full of fuel and oil and you'll keep a smile on your face.

Jeff

 

Good info Jeff. Keep that grin going mrbug, some models seem to get "leakier with age." Here is where you can find some background info on maintaining or upgrading the '09 R56.

http://new.minimania.com/home.cfm

 

I guess there is some comfort in seeing these are common problems with this car. Since it is a dealership they want to tell you everything that is wrong with the car in hopes of you fixing everything. I still feel they are trying to take advantage of my extended warranty. My wife hasn't noticed in nuisance alarms on the car. When I asked the service tech about the quart low with no light he said the oil light will not come on until there is less than a quart left in the engine. Planned engine failure on Mini's part I guess. Like everything produced there are good copies and bad copies.

The car makes my wife happy and things like this aggravates me. I wouldn't mind the oil leaks if it had more miles and was older. Thanks for the link.

 

Only snake oil product that proved itself to work for me, worth $10 risk IMO.

 

Oil tends to spread itself around areas of the engine before making its way to the ground. It is possible. Have you gotten under your MINI and inspected yourself? It could be all of these areas are seeping and have not acquired into a drip yet. You can get under your MINI and clean everything up and keep an eye on it to confirm the source of the leak. Sometimes when one thing leaks it could make other things appear like they're leaking when they are not. It's also a good idea to check your oil every time you fill up. I make a habit of this and it's a good idea since MINI's are also known for consuming oil. If you're DIY savvy and have tools, we have great tech articles that can help you with these repairs. Those, coupled with the help of NAM and our parts prices http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/...06_catalog.htm should help save you money. Otherwise, maybe seek out a MINI indy shop as they would most likely be less than the dealer.

 

I gave the tech a hard time yesterday about finding these leaks and point blank asked if he was looking at the right car. I took the car in because the top would not go all the way down, the rear window was hanging on something.

I got a call back this morning from the dealership and the inspector came out to have a look at the car. He said the leaks were only seeps and would not cover it. This confirmed the fact I had not not seen any drops in the garage. They are going to cover the leaking water pump. My next job for the Porsche and Cooper is brake fluid change.

Having just changed the oil a month ago, it was not down much if any. So I was very confused when the service tech told me how much the car was "leaking".

I do all of the oil changes and brake things since those are not covered under the extended warranty. I am quite handy. I changed the water pump, starter, drive shaft support bearing, front/rear brakes and over flow tank on my Porsche 955S using your site. I also used it for a brake squeak fix on the Cooper. It is a fantastic resource.

 

Yep, I figured it was a seep and not a drip. I worked at the dealer before and would always inform my customers about "leaks" that we were to keep an eye on as they were only seeping and haven't turned into a drip yet. Just keep your eye on it and tackle them when it comes time, if your warranty doesn't cover it. If you need help when it comes that time please don't hesitate to let me know. I'm happy to hear that our site has been useful to you and your vehicles. We love hearing when we are able to help out.

 

They were so worried about the leaks that they did not do anything for the original problem, the top not going all the way down. I got a surprise when I went to pick up the car, the top still would not go down. I am doubting they even replaced the water pump that had a "leak". I did check the oil since they stated on the paper work that it needed an oil change because of low oil. The oil was at the top of the limit. All I can say is Mini of Coolsprings is a sham and con artist. If you live in Nashville stay away. They had a Mini S in the shop with the engine out, I wonder if the owner took it in just for a routine oil change?