R56 FJCW - oil consumption
Discussion
I know there are lots of threads discussing oil consumption etc, but wanted to get some thoughts on this before I deal with the MINI dealership later this week...
Bought a lovely low mileage (35k) 2008 FJCW from Mini dealer in April 2017 - so far so good - great little car but very 'crashy' suspension!
Been watching oil consumption like a hawk and keep it topped up. Took it to Cornwall last week - 250 mile drive. Checked the oil when down there and estimate it drunk 0.5 litres in 250 miles! Not happy! Car is bone dry underneath - so no oil leak and no sign of blue smoke, but it must be going out the exhaust!
Car is under warranty and after speaking to MINI, have booked car into nearest dealership - Dick Lovett later this week. They promise to check it over because oil consumption is out of limits - they quote 0.7 ltr per 1000 miles is normal! That to me still seems like a lot of oil being burnt off but there you go.
I just wonder what MINI are going to come back with - not a lot I fear apart from TADTS, but I suspect the engine could do with new pistons/rings etc... should I also be asking for a walnut blast of the inlet ports?
Any thoughts, comments & suggestions most welcome as I want to go to the dealership fully armed and not be fobbed off with some old carp...
Thanks
Bought a lovely low mileage (35k) 2008 FJCW from Mini dealer in April 2017 - so far so good - great little car but very 'crashy' suspension!
Been watching oil consumption like a hawk and keep it topped up. Took it to Cornwall last week - 250 mile drive. Checked the oil when down there and estimate it drunk 0.5 litres in 250 miles! Not happy! Car is bone dry underneath - so no oil leak and no sign of blue smoke, but it must be going out the exhaust!
Car is under warranty and after speaking to MINI, have booked car into nearest dealership - Dick Lovett later this week. They promise to check it over because oil consumption is out of limits - they quote 0.7 ltr per 1000 miles is normal! That to me still seems like a lot of oil being burnt off but there you go.
I just wonder what MINI are going to come back with - not a lot I fear apart from TADTS, but I suspect the engine could do with new pistons/rings etc... should I also be asking for a walnut blast of the inlet ports?
Any thoughts, comments & suggestions most welcome as I want to go to the dealership fully armed and not be fobbed off with some old carp...
Thanks
Walnut decoke definitely, the dealer can do this but I'm not sure if they'll do it under warranty. Worth pushing for though as that's more than likely the main cause, although it probably won't completely cure it.
The oil consumption limits BMW set are a joke, I'd label that 'broken'. Ask them why they bother recommending changing the oil, when effectively the car will be changing the oil itself every 5k!
The oil consumption limits BMW set are a joke, I'd label that 'broken'. Ask them why they bother recommending changing the oil, when effectively the car will be changing the oil itself every 5k!
When I questioned the service receptionist about the oil consumption figures the reply was "its a performance engine " which raised an eyebrow, as it just isn't, having a walnut blast seemed to reduce it a bit, but its a bit random in its use, some weeks it uses nothing, other checks it needs a top up, plain weird.
Hmmm... just heard from g/f who took the call from Dick Lovett that the car is ready... the have checked it over and cannot find anything wrong (quelle surprise)!!
They have topped the oil up and have instructed her to drive the car for 1000 miles and then check the oil... but if the red engine light comes on in the mean time to give them a call.
Muppets.
They have topped the oil up and have instructed her to drive the car for 1000 miles and then check the oil... but if the red engine light comes on in the mean time to give them a call.
Muppets.
UPDATE: Following another check, BMW MINI have now found a serious compression problem with my engine. The car is now going in tomorrow for a engine strip down and probably new rings to be fitted. Thank God I still have 3 months warranty remaining. Going to ask to a walnut blast at the same time while the head is off...
Spingo said:
UPDATE: Following another check, BMW MINI have now found a serious compression problem with my engine. The car is now going in tomorrow for a engine strip down and probably new rings to be fitted. Thank God I still have 3 months warranty remaining. Going to ask to a walnut blast at the same time while the head is off...
Good for you for being persistent getting a serious problem diagnosed and fixed under warranty.Spingo said:
Thanks both - I'm not out of the woods yet, but fingers & everything else crossed at this end.
I have a horrible feeling BMW will try and wriggle out of paying in full, but really hope I'm proved wrong...
Will keep you all posted.
Unfortunately the feeling is somewhat justified. No experience with BMW so maybe it is different but with other car companies my experience has been it ain't over until the fat lady sings. In the meantime this can have one riding a roller coaster of emotions as things appear to be headed towards an agreeable conclusion only to encounter something that puts this into jeopardy.I have a horrible feeling BMW will try and wriggle out of paying in full, but really hope I'm proved wrong...
Will keep you all posted.
Don't know where you live but what I find helps calm me is to do some research before hand on what there is in the way of consumer protection regarding car repairs. Here in California we have the Bureau of Automotive Repair. I have never had to use this but I once had to "threaten" to go to it when dealing with a body shop and you would have thought I touched the shop owner's privates with a cattle prod. An impressive reaction and it got me the result, the quality of repair, I expected.
We also have pretty good consumer protection agencies on the county level.
In fact I am dealing with a car situation right now that will have been going on for 4 weeks come next Monday. I have been patient but my patience is running out. (It doesn't help that the SA called me Tuesday to announce the cause of the problem has been found and to quote me a repair price over double what he quoted me when I agreed to have the car diagnosed/fixed. I reminded him of his verbaI quote and that I expected him to honor it. After an attempt to get me to pay just something above the quote, which I also declined to do, he said he'd make it "work" for the price he quoted and then abruptly hung up.)
Because I think this may get worse before it gets better have put together a letter in which I lay out the circumstances and the exchanges I have had with the dealer and its service department and if the car is not fixed by next Friday then I will be forced to go to the BAR and the county's consumer protection agency to get this resolved.
Hopefully it won't come to this but I am out of patience and pissed at how I've been treated.
Final update (hopefully):
Picked up car yesterday - the final parts (not labour bill) came to over £3300!!! Thankfully all covered by warranty... add in the labour bill and it would have been close to the value of the car.
From the printed parts 'bill' they replaced the piston rings, oil pump, cam chain & tensioner and everything associated plus a full rebuild of the head including new valves, springs, collets, stem oil seals & some drag levers (what are they?) - 16 of those levers at a cost of £380!
Car is running well and very quiet & smooth, so just need to watch oil consumption now - it certainly takes off in sport mode, so the car was definitely down on power before.
Very happy to report back that the dealer came good in the end... thank God for that warranty...!!!
Picked up car yesterday - the final parts (not labour bill) came to over £3300!!! Thankfully all covered by warranty... add in the labour bill and it would have been close to the value of the car.
From the printed parts 'bill' they replaced the piston rings, oil pump, cam chain & tensioner and everything associated plus a full rebuild of the head including new valves, springs, collets, stem oil seals & some drag levers (what are they?) - 16 of those levers at a cost of £380!
Car is running well and very quiet & smooth, so just need to watch oil consumption now - it certainly takes off in sport mode, so the car was definitely down on power before.
Very happy to report back that the dealer came good in the end... thank God for that warranty...!!!
Edited by Spingo on Friday 26th January 16:48
Edited by Spingo on Friday 26th January 16:49
Be sure you treat the engine as "new" and give it a reasonable break in.
Also, unless the dealer/factory forbids it change the the oil early rather than later. New engines, and engines that have been opened up and had parts replaced, shed trash. With new rings the engine will likely experience some increase in blow by as it breaks in and this will contaminate the oil.
An early oil change and filter replacement keeps the oil in the engine in much better condition to provide maximum protection to the engine.
Also, unless the dealer/factory forbids it change the the oil early rather than later. New engines, and engines that have been opened up and had parts replaced, shed trash. With new rings the engine will likely experience some increase in blow by as it breaks in and this will contaminate the oil.
An early oil change and filter replacement keeps the oil in the engine in much better condition to provide maximum protection to the engine.
Thanks Gary.
Taking the car on a long run soon to check that all truly is working as it should be. Also noticed that the exhaust note is sounding very healthy now - of course JCWs are always loud, but now it sounds a bit more harmonious if that makes sense?
It truly was a large bill - probably inflated a bit by BMW's own official (high) pricing, but even so, not the sort of bill you want to be paying out of your own pocket!
Will keep you posted with another update in a few weeks..
Cheers
Thanks Gary.
Taking the car on a long run soon to check that all truly is working as it should be. Also noticed that the exhaust note is sounding very healthy now - of course JCWs are always loud, but now it sounds a bit more harmonious if that makes sense?
It truly was a large bill - probably inflated a bit by BMW's own official (high) pricing, but even so, not the sort of bill you want to be paying out of your own pocket!
Will keep you posted with another update in a few weeks..
Cheers
That's a very good result but...….the N14 engine (yours) is noted for appalling oil consumption and many owners believe it's due to the PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) system which effectively sucks oil vapour out of the cam cover and back into the engine. This is also why they coke up so badly, not helped by direct injection of the fuel. The later N18 engine's PCV system was quite different and these are generally reckoned to be much better. But....they all use oil so frequent checks are required, if you can actually read the dipstick that is. TIP, hold it up to the light and look at it underneath, it's easier to see the level.
Taking the car on a long run soon to check that all truly is working as it should be. Also noticed that the exhaust note is sounding very healthy now - of course JCWs are always loud, but now it sounds a bit more harmonious if that makes sense?
It truly was a large bill - probably inflated a bit by BMW's own official (high) pricing, but even so, not the sort of bill you want to be paying out of your own pocket!
Will keep you posted with another update in a few weeks..
Cheers
That's a very good result but...….the N14 engine (yours) is noted for appalling oil consumption and many owners believe it's due to the PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) system which effectively sucks oil vapour out of the cam cover and back into the engine. This is also why they coke up so badly, not helped by direct injection of the fuel. The later N18 engine's PCV system was quite different and these are generally reckoned to be much better. But....they all use oil so frequent checks are required, if you can actually read the dipstick that is. TIP, hold it up to the light and look at it underneath, it's easier to see the level.
UPDATE:
So after about 18 months since the top end rebuild by BMW Mini I can happily say that the car no longer uses any oil - quite amazing after its original oil consumption issues! The car now has an oil change annually (we only do about 5k a year) which is a much better approach IMHO - I really don't like these extended oil services.
A top tip for measuring the oil I find is, to wipe clean the dipstick, then squirt a bit of brake cleaner on the end. The plastic end then goes matt in appearance and when dipped again the shiny oil level is much clearer to read. Works for me anyway.
Only issue now is someone reversed into the passenger side of the car, so it is now back with Dick Lovett for repairs again! Thankfully the damage was very minor and the driver owned up, so not cost to me, just a PITA!
So after about 18 months since the top end rebuild by BMW Mini I can happily say that the car no longer uses any oil - quite amazing after its original oil consumption issues! The car now has an oil change annually (we only do about 5k a year) which is a much better approach IMHO - I really don't like these extended oil services.
A top tip for measuring the oil I find is, to wipe clean the dipstick, then squirt a bit of brake cleaner on the end. The plastic end then goes matt in appearance and when dipped again the shiny oil level is much clearer to read. Works for me anyway.
Only issue now is someone reversed into the passenger side of the car, so it is now back with Dick Lovett for repairs again! Thankfully the damage was very minor and the driver owned up, so not cost to me, just a PITA!
Hi Spingo, glad you got your oil consumption issue resolved.
Reading the standard dip stick is a right pain - I've ordered the Craven Speed replacement dip stick which looks easy to read :-
https://www.lohen.co.uk/cravenspeed-dipstick-gen-2...
Reading the standard dip stick is a right pain - I've ordered the Craven Speed replacement dip stick which looks easy to read :-
https://www.lohen.co.uk/cravenspeed-dipstick-gen-2...
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