10 replies to this topic

[minkmini]

Hi all.... I'm new at the mini forum and acquired my mini about a month ago.  I was told it was rebuilt etc when I got it and all seemed well until I realized they hadn't changed the oil in 6 years!  He said he drove it for 3 years and parked it the next 3 years.  That should have been my hint to walk away, but I loved it and I love a challenge.  I got the oil change so I could try to run it and see what needs to be done.  Clearly I need to clean out my engine, because it's got a nice black film on the inside with my new engine oil.  The guy that had it before me said he used synthetic...????  So I replaced it with a nice 20w50 regular oil.  Since then I'm burning oil alot.  Although that's what I think I'm doing.  It smells pretty bad now even sitting in the garage.  When I start it up its fine.... when its running, if I push it hard I have lots of white smoke....if i idle for too long (long stop light on warmer days) I have lots of white smoke.  I'm not losing any oil though which is what's weird about it.  The oil when I check it looks ok.... a little murky but I think that's because the black slime is still on the insides of the engine.      Carburetor?  Piston heads? Or just needs a good cleaing????

 

Hoping to make some good friends here and hopefully have some suggestions on what it could be so I don't keep smelling like a dirty mechanic everytime I drive her.

 

Cheers!!!

[Sheikh Pip]

Have you checked to see if you're losing water, or if there's oil in the water?

[mk1coopers]

Check the brake fluid level, white smoke can often be fluid getting in through the servo (if you have one), running rich is normally black, oil blue

[minkmini]

Check the brake fluid level, white smoke can often be fluid getting in through the servo (if you have one), running rich is normally black, oil blue

 I did check the brake fluid level and its all normal.

 

Have you checked to see if you're losing water, or if there's oil in the water?

Doesn't look like it.  No leaks anywhere and fluid is normal colour.

[Leics1275]

If you don't smell like a mechanic, you aren't in a mini LOL

[minkmini]

If you don't smell like a mechanic, you aren't in a mini LOL

Haha I agree!  I just get weird looks from people when I go somewhere in a skirt and smell like castrol oil!

[Leics1275]

Hmm, actually, that's actually kinda provocative in some circles ;)

[89miniflame]

you say your burning oil a lot but not losing any, do you mean you losing a lot of coolant and seeing steam instead of white smoke, oil burns blue. where are you seeing the steam / white smoke coming from exhaust or engine bay ?

 

if your not losing / leaking coolant another possibility is fuel leaking from pump & hoses and burning off of the manifold, this is a fire risk obviously and petrol evaporates quickly so can be more difficult to see with the engine off.

[mk1leg]

Hi..and welcome to TMF and enjoy your mini..........it might be the valve stem seals that have gone........

[minkmini]

you say your burning oil a lot but not losing any, do you mean you losing a lot of coolant and seeing steam instead of white smoke, oil burns blue. where are you seeing the steam / white smoke coming from exhaust or engine bay ?

 

if your not losing / leaking coolant another possibility is fuel leaking from pump & hoses and burning off of the manifold, this is a fire risk obviously and petrol evaporates quickly so can be more difficult to see with the engine off.

its definately white smoke and it only comes out of the exhaust when I push hard on the accelerator or idle for a long time at a stop light on a hot day.  I'm not losing any fluids anywhere and haven't needed to top any off.  No smoke coming from engine area at all.

[89miniflame]

sounds like its worth doing a compression test & posting the results in the technical area for more advice, smoke from the exhausts means its burning fluids in combustion rather than leaking.