N18 Cooper S Oil leak.
#1
N18 Cooper S Oil leak.
What’s up guys, I had a slow oil leak and went to a mechanic to get it fixed. The mechanic is has a good reputation and has worked on lots of minis so I thought I would trust him. He said it was the oil pan gasket and charged about 500$ to fix the leak. Picked up the car this afternoon and when I got home it’s leaking much worse than before. Do you guys have any idea where this leak is coming from and how I should proceed?
thanks for the help fellas - Blake
thanks for the help fellas - Blake
#2
Do You guys think it’s possible that the leak is from leftover oil from a sloppy job during the gasket replacement and oil change? When I looked under my car (after it sitting for 2.5 hours while playing 9 holes of golf) there was a decent sized puddle under the car. Gosh this is frustrating. It was only leaking a few drops per day before the repair. I will let it sit overnight and keep y’all posted.
#3
The following users liked this post:
Blakepadilla55 (07-05-2019)
#4
Yes, I have been reading that this is also possible. A shame the mechanic could have been flat out wrong. Not sure if they offer better insight but here are some more pics I just took. I already have drops of oil after being home for a half hour. If I’m correct it looks like it has nothing to do with the rear main seal.
#5
No, but a very labor intensive job, (oil filter housing) none the less. There’s a few “how to” articles on this forum.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...placement.html
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...placement.html
Last edited by S-2013; 07-05-2019 at 07:06 PM.
The following users liked this post:
ECSTuning (07-25-2019)
#6
#7
I never read anywhere that N18 engine leaks oil. Are you sure it is not coming from the oil filter housing having a bad rubber seal? I always use OEM filters and they come with the seal and copper washer for the drain plug.
Last edited by dube53; 07-05-2019 at 08:33 PM.
Trending Topics
#8
Yes I have a good feeling now that the leak is coming from the oil filter housing. Pretty sure leaks on the n18 are much more rare than the infamous n14 but I have read about problems with n18 leaking here and there. I just hope the mechanic works with me because I’m already out over $500 and the problem is 10x worse than before I brought it to the shop -__-
#9
My N18 has 109k miles and granted I've only had it for the last 39k but immediately after buying it at 79k I had the oil pressure control solenoid replaced as it was leaking and during that inspection they found a leaking water pump and front main. Aside from that the only leak I've had since has been my windshield washer reservoir that randomly decides to drop 1/4 of its contents...
#10
The question i keep asking myself is why is the leak so much worse now than before I took it to the mechanic? I mean before I took it to the mechanic there were a few drops of oil per day on the ground, it was only a slowish leak that I honestly could have addressed at a later time as long as I kept an eye on the oil. But, I did the responsible thing and got it addressed quickly. Now I have had small puddles only hours after I got the so called “repair.” I kinda suspect they might have messed up the o-ring during the oil change. Who knows. This is very disappointing. It sucks that my first mini motoring experience has started like this because I truly love the car itself hahaha
Last edited by Blakepadilla55; 07-05-2019 at 10:27 PM.
#11
The question i keep asking myself is why is the leak so much worse now than before I took it to the mechanic? I mean before I took it to the mechanic there were a few drops of oil per day on the ground, it was only a slowish leak that I honestly could have addressed at a later time as long as I kept an eye on the oil. But, I did the responsible thing and got it addressed quickly. Now I have had small puddles only hours after I got the so called “repair.” This is very disappointing.
The following users liked this post:
Blakepadilla55 (07-05-2019)
#12
If you just paid to have this general area worked on, take it back to shop. You have a 50/50 chance of it being something they missed (possibly covered under the cost of the previous repair) or something else like your oil filter housing that's leaking that you may end up paying someone to fix anyways.
#13
I went to the shop saying just saying I had a leak, and wanted to get it checked out, knowing the oil filter housing, pan “gasket,” and rear main are all possibilities. But after looking at the leak before I took it in to the mechanic, I was 99% sure it was not coming from the rear main seal. So, after the shop did their diagnostic test, he comes back and says it looks like you have an oil pan gasket leaking, but although less likely, it also could be the rear main leaking. He recommended I get the oil pan gasket replaced. So, I accepted the work and got it replaced. Like I said, I suspect they might have messed up the o-ring while changing the oil, because the car is leaking significantly now.
Most aftermarket oil filters don't even come with a replacement rubber oil seal, even less the copper O ring which is very important to be replaced at every oil change. This kit is complete only when you buy the OEM BMW/Mini oil filter.
Also, most shops don't know how to do an oil change on a Mini and don't have the proper tools to do the job correctly. Do yourself a favor. Buy the 28mm socket for the oil filter housing and a 10mm for the coolant tank to be moved aside. Stay onsite and even tell them how to proceed if they are puzzled how to access the oil filter. Last, make sure they install all the parts LOL.
The following users liked this post:
Blakepadilla55 (07-07-2019)
#14
#15
That's almost to the point of being undrivable. Did you already speak with the "mechanic" who originally diagnosed it as the oil pan? I would at least at this point is move your radiator overflow reservoir aside to inspect the plastic oil filter cap for major seepage. It's possible they may have cross threaded it.
Last edited by S-2013; 07-06-2019 at 10:22 AM.
The following users liked this post:
Blakepadilla55 (07-06-2019)
#16
That's almost to the point of being undrivable. Did you already speak with the "mechanic" who originally diagnosed it as the oil pan? I would at least at this point is move your radiator overflow reservoir aside to inspect the plastic oil filter cap for major seepage. It's possible they may have cross threaded it.
#18
#19
I wish I had pics of the leak I had before I took it to the mechanic. It was a slow leak and was coming from a different area. I’m Thinking they possibly messed up the oil filter cap assembly during the oil change. The shop gave me a call back after getting my message, and told me to come in first thing tomorrow. They even offered me towing. Hopefully I can get this situated tomorrow. Either way, I will try to only have you working on my car going forward as you actually know what you are doing from what I’ve heard.
#20
Update: well the shop re-did the oil pan gasket using the compound sealant doesn’t as opposed to the actual gasket. That fixed the major oil loss issue. But it looks like I still have an oil filter housing leak, which means the oil pan was never the culprit in the first place. Now it’s just dropping a few drops a day like it was before Taking it to the shop. And it sometimes drops onto the exhaust causing a burning smell in the cabin at idle ( every once in a while in the mornings). I already bought the filter housing gaskets for one of my independent mechanics in my georgia mini car club to fix it for a great deal. He is 99% sure it’s the oil filter housing gaskets failing, but he will put the car on a Lift to just make sure. I will keep you posted this weekend.
#21
Ok, just follow that DIY here and you should get everything covered. https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...placement.html
I did mine and it has been good ever since. If you get a light-up there and can peak right under the housing you can sometimes see it. From the bottom up.
I did mine and it has been good ever since. If you get a light-up there and can peak right under the housing you can sometimes see it. From the bottom up.
__________________
MINI Guru/ MINI Owner Since 2004 | NEW Lifetime Part Replacement | Local Pickup
Milltek | Genuine MINI | Forge Motorsport | NM Engineering | ECS Performance | M7 Speed
Customer Service Hours: 8am-8pm EST|Sales Team Hours: 8am-11pm | SAT 10am-7pm 800.924.5172
MINI Guru/ MINI Owner Since 2004 | NEW Lifetime Part Replacement | Local Pickup
Milltek | Genuine MINI | Forge Motorsport | NM Engineering | ECS Performance | M7 Speed
Customer Service Hours: 8am-8pm EST|Sales Team Hours: 8am-11pm | SAT 10am-7pm 800.924.5172
#22
Ok, just follow that DIY here and you should get everything covered. https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...placement.html
I did mine and it has been good ever since. If you get a light-up there and can peak right under the housing you can sometimes see it. From the bottom up.
I did mine and it has been good ever since. If you get a light-up there and can peak right under the housing you can sometimes see it. From the bottom up.
#23
Welcome,
That's good, as long as he knows how to do it. You will be fine
Golf day sounds good to burn off the MINI worries.
That's good, as long as he knows how to do it. You will be fine
Golf day sounds good to burn off the MINI worries.
__________________
MINI Guru/ MINI Owner Since 2004 | NEW Lifetime Part Replacement | Local Pickup
Milltek | Genuine MINI | Forge Motorsport | NM Engineering | ECS Performance | M7 Speed
Customer Service Hours: 8am-8pm EST|Sales Team Hours: 8am-11pm | SAT 10am-7pm 800.924.5172
MINI Guru/ MINI Owner Since 2004 | NEW Lifetime Part Replacement | Local Pickup
Milltek | Genuine MINI | Forge Motorsport | NM Engineering | ECS Performance | M7 Speed
Customer Service Hours: 8am-8pm EST|Sales Team Hours: 8am-11pm | SAT 10am-7pm 800.924.5172
#24
Most definitely . Would you personally suspect that a leak that is coming down to the bottom of the bell housing and onto the exhaust (causing an oil burning smell at idle occasionally) is the oil filter housing leaking? I’ve heard that it’s the most likely culprit.
#25
Oil filter housing is my bet.
__________________
MINI Guru/ MINI Owner Since 2004 | NEW Lifetime Part Replacement | Local Pickup
Milltek | Genuine MINI | Forge Motorsport | NM Engineering | ECS Performance | M7 Speed
Customer Service Hours: 8am-8pm EST|Sales Team Hours: 8am-11pm | SAT 10am-7pm 800.924.5172
MINI Guru/ MINI Owner Since 2004 | NEW Lifetime Part Replacement | Local Pickup
Milltek | Genuine MINI | Forge Motorsport | NM Engineering | ECS Performance | M7 Speed
Customer Service Hours: 8am-8pm EST|Sales Team Hours: 8am-11pm | SAT 10am-7pm 800.924.5172
The following users liked this post:
Blakepadilla55 (07-25-2019)