Just gona describe what happened so someone doing a search later might find it useful:


Coming home tonight, my Mini(non-S) went into limp mode. Atleast thats what I think it is: Service engine soon light came on DSC light came on(Constant). Anyways the Service engine light would be solid and blink when the engine shuddered(when it was pulling the timing?).

So I could hear a hiss in the engine bay driver side for the longest time. Sounded like an exhaust leak only happening when accelerating but I would have to turn everything off, put the windows up and then I would hear it.

I drove home in limp mode( about 8 miles) and the engine started sounding like a helicopter and the hiss got very loud. Hiss was audible inside & outside everywhere! Guessing the ECU hopefully shutoff or minimized that cylinder to make it sound like a helicopter. Went towards the hiss which was coming from the 4th cyl about the area of the fuel injector. turned the mini off. Loosened the intake manifold and I could see the orange gaskets on all but that cyl!

finally to the question: I don't know what happened to that gasket but I'm thinking it got sucked up. No signs of the gasket, nothing just the bare plastic. if it was sucked up would that 8 miles cause damage? its not metal but I'm sure that rubber would cause damage right? I was hoping to see a broken or cracked gasket but nothing, and paranoia is setting in haha, even if I replace the gasket. any sure way to find out if it got sucked in without disassembling?

ohh and the MPG was showing 58.8 MPG(I wish!) haha

 

The one in our car crumbled right off. It was the root cause of our head needing to be rebuilt. Unmetered air was getting sucked into the motor, causing it to run lean. I think it was even the same cyl that had a melted valve on our car.

I'd think that'd be pretty bad news if the gasket got sucked into the motor. Had you been getting check engine lights for a while before this happened?

 

I think the gasket actually blew and when I removed the manifold to check it fell out somewhere. I don't think it would have actually gotten in the cyl like that(hopefully haha). anyways went to the dealer this morning got the $15.00 gasket(yea ). Put it in, no hiss, service engine light went out soon there after.

It was kinda hard to get that gasket in there thou, I unscrewed the bolts for the manifold used pliers to carefully place one side in and used a voltmeter probe to snuggle it in there. But def doable without taking anything but the 4-5 bolts that are on the manifold off and loosening it.

 

Personally, that would make me really uncomfortable. How would the gasket blow? There's no positive pressure in the intake on the N/A cars. I'd try to look really hard for that gasket to make sure it did just fall out when you removed the mani. Otherwise, I'd drive it like it's on eggshells for a while.

I'm just speaking from my experience with these cars. Crap like this happening on only a 7 year old car? Unbelievable!