Your mechanic easily found out what was really happening, why didn't the BMW trained mechanics figure it out? It's hard to find an honest mechanic that can properly diagnose problems correctly these days. I have had it with the Mini dealers even for my extended warranty! It's not that difficult to trace from where the oil is leaking and the possibility that it could have been leaked onto from above, the oil has go to go somewhere. Imagine how pissed you would have been after spending $2900 only to find out it was only the valve cover gasket and turbo oil line? In not so many words Mini has already hinted at the problem, why else would there be a campaign to install a turbo line heatshield? Mini should be paying for your oil turbo line replacement, I mean it's a little late in the game to be installing the turbo oil line heat shield (after 50k) since the first candidate left the factory in late 2007. I found an honest Mini/BMW mechanic at JE Motor Sports, he was a technician for a local BMW dealer for about 8yrs.