I'm pretty sure I have a timing chain tensioner related oil leak. The bolt is still in place (not fallen out). The car seems to be running fine other than an oil leak on my driveway. My question is the car safe to drive as long as I check the oil every time I start it up and drive for short distances to and from work (city driving, less 10 miles per trip).

Baron mini in KC is currently replacing all the recalled water pumps and cant get my car in for a week nor can they provide a loaner car as a result for this whole week. Obviously the service bay is busy on these high quality vehicles.

 

I get your situation, but driving the vehicle, even for short distances with a leaky tensioner bolt is a dicey proposition at best. If the tensioner bolt is backing out, it can let go at almost any time (and being something of a student of Murphy's Law myself, I can almost promise it will be at the least opportune time...) and all of the oil will be gone from the engine in mere moments...

But if you do decide to keep driving it, you're going to have to keep a sharp eye on the oil level (thanks again, MINI/BMW, for providing all of us with an oil 'idiot' light rather than a bone fide oil pressure gauge... ), and check it pretty-much every time you get ready to start the vehicle. And even doing so, there's no guarantee that the bolt won't come out while the vehicle is in operation. Not sure I'd chance it myself...

 

No.

 

The scheduler for the dealership gave me the run around. When I asked to talk to a service tech, he was much more aggressive about getting me in. I had the car towed to the dealership and they said they could work on it in between other jobs so I wasn't off the road for a whole week.

 

That's good news, a friend of mine had hers back out last Saturday, and now she is getting a new engine.