1st Gen R53 Cooper S Intermittent Red Oil Light

Nice post. Welcome to Motoring Alliance !!

 

Thanks for the positive feedback, honestly I was just a little lost and wanted to make this easier for others running into the same problem. I think it'd be great to make the post an article so others can find it easier!

PS: Car is a 2003 Cooper Base and I'm located in Houston, TX

 

Hi all -- I'm new here and very lost as I've been having the low oil pressure problem for quite some time. I'm now having the oil pump replaced as nothing else has worked. If this doesn't solve the problem, the mechanic says it's likely the engine is damaged -- but he's checked it for signs/symptoms of damage and has found none. I'm praying the pump replacement finally fixes the problem because I really don't want to part with my mini. Bought her brand new and have never wanted any other car since. Still don't. Any words of wisdom or advice would be most appreciated
Thanks for being here to help.

 

My issue was very similar, and it was the filter missing the inner structure causing pressure irregularities. Before dropping money on an oil pump I'd highly recommend looking at the images I posted previously to see if you have the older style oil filter housing like I had and see if it has the correct Oil filter, Spring, and Cage like the image below. I replaced the entire housing in the troubleshooting process and now have the later model which doesn't have the cage. If that is a route you would like to take you can order a new one from ECS Tuning ( https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-mini-parts/oil-filter-housing/11427563522/ )

 

Thank you so much -- I will share your photos with the mechanic so he can verify that first.

 

Also, if you do have the later model I read that sometimes the plunger and or spring in the actual housing can break causing a similar issue. I circled the spring and plunger below, if they are damaged and/or missing you can replace the housing with the part linked above.

 

Welcome to BOTH of you into M/A! Your problems and hopeful solutions are what M/A is all about. We are here to help out with suggestions and possible fixes whenever possible.