2nd Gen R56 Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: Grease (looks like grease, maybe oil) on back of engine and around it

Looks OK to me. It's an engine & engines have a habit of weeping seeping & sometimes leaking oil. Do you pull the dipstick & check the oil? Is it OK or are you having to add to keep the level up? You dealer can fix that for you, but then your wallet will be leaking copious amounts of $$$. Keep an eye on things it will be fine.

 

I'd call it a seep..... Your car is seeping. :sleep:

 

Some suggestions from me....

The problem with some engine leaks is the air currents around the engine can blow fluids around a bit... So that can be tricky to pinpoint...

That big aluminum square boxy thing with the two hose / pipe fittings is your HPFP and it's camshaft driven... So seals / gasket could be seeping a little...

Also, the plastic valve cover has a large gasket that requires a few spots of RTV to seal properly at a few parting lines in the aluminum head... If the RTV wasn't used when / if the valve cover has ever been off, it could be suspect.

Lastly.... The MINI turbo has an electric water circulator that has had a recall and the thermostat housing also is know to leak.... Might it be antifreeze and not oil collecting dust dirt?

 

I gotta agree with all the above. However if it bothers you, consider this --- the large black tube above the "grease spot" is for coolant --- not likely the problem area. On the same end of your engine, but in the front (towards the radiator) is the oil filter / cooler housing. If this area of the block also shows signs of "seeping", there's a high probability that its seals are shot. A stronger suspect area would be valve cover gasket --- really bad seal area around the curved surface (over the HPFP). Again, clean it up then monitor the area --- shouldn't be a major DIY effort.

 

^^^ Looks like one fine milkshake there. :lol: