12 replies to this topic

[finch661]

Hi all, been a while since my last post!  My mini has been a weekend car, or the occasional trip to the shops for the last few years (usually covering about 500 miles a year). I have now moved, and doing 24 miles a day (12 miles there and back) to get to work (mainly cruising at 60).  I am now noticing a few issues that i suppose i would not have noticed before.  

 

1st is my mini is using oil, i have covered about 600miles and noticed my oil has gone from max to min (about 3 weeks).  I do have a small leak, mind, but that seems fairly excessive?  My leak is usually a few drops a day.  There is a bit of mayo under my oil cap and bits in the rocker cover (i have an alloy one).  Assumed this was due to moisture (but again i would have thought my journeys would remove this). The oil also smells funny, cant really describe it. On start up, i get a few puffs of smoke out the oil filler cap.

 

2nd) i seem to be topping up the coolant each week, usually i open then radiator cap and the water cant be seen.  it only takes a few glugs of coolant to fill up.

 

The car is running fine, starts well and drives well.  Only thing i have noticed is that going up hills, i dont seem to have the power any more (4th gear seems to have no grunt in general). On the flats she's fine.

 

I have carried out a compression test, and all were about 11bar, but no 1 was 10.5. When running i checked to see if there were any bubbles in the water, and there were none

 

There is no smoke out the back (blue or white).

 

any thoughts.  I keep thinking its the head gasket?

 

thanks

 

Rich

Edited by finch661, 23 March 2019 - 11:31 AM.

[nicklouse]

what does the oil look like on the dip stick?

 

does not sound like excessive use.

 

are you sure the cap is the correct size?

 

12 miles aint much to get the oil hot and get all the condensation out.

 

sounds like a good old Italian tune up is needed.

[finch661]

hey, yes the cap is the correct size, as its the one that came with the cover.  The oil looks ok, bit runny maybe?

[croc7]

An Italian tune up?! Help me out.

[croc7]

Max to min on the dipstick is about a pint of oil, so a quart in 1200 miles. Which is about at the limit of oil consumption for my wife’s 2013 Subaru. When compared to the close tolerance engines of today, not bad for an engine designed when, in the 50’s?

[Trissy B]

Italian tune up = go and have a long drive with lots of revs. Have fun!

[Twincam]

Also, lift your carpets in the front and have a check for any leakage of water from the heater matrix just incase.

Is the correct radiator cap fitted? I'd pressure?

[cal844]

Check the bottom hose is properly tight and seated well

[nicklouse]

hey, yes the cap is the correct size, as its the one that came with the cover.  The oil looks ok, bit runny maybe?

Rad cap.

[wile e coyote]

Like others I bet it's fine - the coolant pressure on a side mounted rad is governed by the rad cap which will allow a bit of bypass until the pressure is equalised so it's normal to brim the rad and when next checking when cool find it's lost a bit....

The mayo will take a good long sustained run to burn off - likelihood is was mainly there all along when car mainly dormant - unless there's obvious symptoms of HG failure - puffing white smoke then just use it.......

 

Lack of power could be many things - I'm always convinced mine has leaked a few horses when switching back from my daily tdi.....never has though - just takes some time to re-acclimatise....

 

That said it sounds like yours needs an oil change  / service... if it's on worn points.........

[finch661]

hey, yes the cap is the correct size, as its the one that came with the cover. The oil looks ok, bit runny maybe?

Rad cap.

Doh sorry mate, i assume it is?

[finch661]

Thanks all! Sounds like I am worrying over nothing! Will keep an eye on it and report back if anything changes!

[cal844]

You need to let the engine breathe, are the breather hoses clear? Check they are and then run the car up to temperature and let it run for a good hour to burn the water off