Hello all! New to the forum, hoping someone can help me.... I have a 2010 Mini S that I've all of sudden started to see more oil leaks and decided to get ahead of anything major. After I completed the list below, late yesterday I started to get the loss of power (half engine light), car seems to run fine but I can't get the light to shut off. Took it to Autozone, and got the dreaded P1497, went through and double checked hose clamps, manifold bolts (no leaks), listened for vacuum leaks, just can't figure it out. It actually started after I changed out the seal in the vacuum pump. Any help?? List: 1) New manifold cover and gaskets (2 weeks ago) 2) New air intake hose (old one cracked on the end going to turbo) (2 weeks ago) 3) New o-ring seal in vacuum pump (yesterday) 4) Installed oil catch can (month ago) Thank you!
Welcome to MA. So this started after you changed the seal in the vacuum pump? I assume you have checked that to confirm its installed correctly? A few other quick items to check: 1) Oil Dipstick is unseated 2) Oil filler cap not properly screwed in. Otherwise, its a vacuum leak. Sounds like you've checked everything from the airbox back. You could do a smoke test or as a last resort, cleaning the MAF... the MAF suggestion I'm not 100% sure on.
Thanks so much for the response! Yes, after replacing the o-ring. Don't think I installed wrong, it went back pretty easy. I made sure to keep the internals aligned. One thing I didn't notice after added a little oil was that the oil cap spun all the way around.... You could feel it "seat" firmly, but a little more pressure to tighten would cause it to spin around until it "reseated". I can't recall my old manifold doing this, could it be possible the manifold cover is defective causing a loss of pressure?
Forgot to add that the car doesn't feel like it's reduced much by way of power, it's pretty responsive. I haven't pushed it since I'm not sure what's going on...
Hmm.. I don’t remember mine “spinning” like that. I would have to check when I get back home but that sounds like a problem.
Quick update.....took a look under the car and found fresh oil all over the pan and on the passenger side. This was not there before, and have verified the new valve cover is not leaking up top. Oil is clean from recent change, is it possible something came loose underneath? Besides the pan itself, where else could this oil being coming from?? Thank you!
I'm just spit balling here, but I just had to have the front crank seal replaced on my wife's MINI. Her engine is an N12. Also the leaking oil took out the crank damper, it swelled due to oil contamination. I'd check that seal. Welcome to M/A
You have an N14 engine. Check the PVC hose that goes from the passenger side of the valve cover down to where it goes into the Intake manifold. Make sure it is connected well and not leaking. I have had my R58 JCW have this hose come off and through the same code. In my case I don't thank I had it connected well, on a shift at redline it blow off. If you or someone els have put a block in that line to stop intake valve coking GET IT OUT! This cause high crank case pressure and will cause all sorts of oil leaks. Ask how I know. Have you done any mods to the car?
Thanks to all for your recommendations!! So I just came in from spending most of the day trying to figure this thing out.....errr! So on the crankcase thought, I did pull off the inner wheel well and it didn't look like anything more than a Mini with 74k miles. I also rechecked torque specs for manifold, oil pan, vacuum pump, and just about everything else. I then did a hose down with brake cleaner and cleaned up all the areas possible to try and see "fresh" oil and where it was coming from (including all around the crank case seal). Let the car run and get good and hot and crawled back underneath, low and behold no oil around the crankcase seal, or on the passenger side.... maybe the tightening helped something? However, on the drivers side near the oil pan and above the turbo pipe I found a steady leak (pictures attached) that is not coming from the pan itself. It's below the oil filter housing and vacuum pump (which don't seem to be leaking). It runs down from somewhere then around the hole (indention), and then down to the seem as you can see from the pics. I just can't pinpoint from where... (Note: I look at the top end and didn't see any leaks anywhere) Still getting the 1497 code, really don't know what this can be.... Possible defective valve cover? The car idles good, but every 20-30 secs the idle stutters a little then recovers. When you hold at a steady 4k rpm it sounds good with no hesitation... Really hate to take it in because I know it's probably something I could fix if I could just pinpoint both issues....
If you let us know where you live we may be able to point you to a trustworthy & competent MINI tech. Sorry I'm not more help.
No problem, appreciate anything! I live in the Miami area near Kendell. About 20 minutes from downtown. Think I'm going to make one last pass and take off the entire air filter housing
Hit send to fast... Pretty much take as much as possible off the top end on the driver's side to see if I can pinpoint the leak... Again many thanks to all!
The oil filter housing to block is a know leak point for oil. That has been replaced on our MINI as well. I don't know of anyone in your area who works on these cars, but maybe someone will chime in with a suggestion.
That is the same thing my R58 did. It should be a bad valve cover. Check for cracks. Also you could spray some carburetor cleaner on suspected places and see if it changes the idle. I agree with @Crashton, On the old filter housing. I have had to replace it on my R53 also.
If your in Miami give Luis at Precision Auto Werks a call. They specialize in Mini and BMW and he is extremely good at what he does. www.pawmotorsport.com. Their off of NW 25th Street near the international airport. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
So yesterday I decided to try and clean everything top and bottom with brake cleaner to try and zero in on this leak.... This morning after about an hour of driving everything was still clean (no new oil) except for the area in the attached pictures. It definitely seems to be isolated to this area, and from what I can tell it's not running down from the vacuum pump, along with the outside of the bellhousing being virtually spotless. Could this possibly be the oil filter housing as mentioned by @Crashton? If so, anyway to verify without full disassemble? Can do it myself? Thank you!
Update! Took it over to Luis at Precision (thank you @Crashton), and sure enough it's a leaky oil filter housing.... and the oil filter valve on the "new" valve cover had a defect and wasn't "seating" correctly.. Luis said I could probably change out the housing myself, but it can be a bit challenging. I already have to put on a new vacuum pump, so fair to say I might as well continue and give the housing a shot? I understand from a few forums and videos that you don't need to remove the turbo, just everything around it. And also wondering if I can get away with the just changing the gaskets, versus spending the $200-300 on a housing unit.. Anyone on here do it themselves, thoughts? All in all I would be looking at $700+ for mechanic, or say $300 and a few busted knuckles ... Thanks