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 Posted: Oct 13, 2020 12:01PM
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US
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Moffet
Quote:
Originally Posted by 6464
Nicely written Spank.
Ditto!
Nailed it. 

 

Michael, Santa Barbara, CA

. . . the sled, not the flower

      Poser MotorSports

 Posted: Oct 13, 2020 10:46AM
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CA
Quote:
Originally Posted by 6464
Nicely written Spank.
Ditto!

.

"Hang on a minute lads....I've got a great idea."

 Posted: Oct 13, 2020 08:33AM
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US
Nicely written Spank.

 Posted: Oct 13, 2020 04:23AM
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What is the year / model / body style of your MINI?

Spank covered it pretty well.

One other variable may be the 'on demand' oil pump used in the newer MINIs.... 

"This oil pump is derived from the spur gear oil pump. With this pump, the un-powered gearwheel (oil pump gear) can be adjusted axially, making it possible to vary the delivery volume. Thanks to the oil pump, only the amount of oil required in each case is supplied. This
demand-controlled supply requires on average up to 160 watt less drive performance than a conventional oil pump."

 Posted: Oct 12, 2020 06:03PM
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When it comes down to warranty claims, it's down to the manufacturer to decide whether or not to honor any claim against it. The manufacturer wrote the manual.

The dealership gets paid either by the manufacturer or by the customer for any repairs, warranty or otherwise. They have nothing to lose unless they themselves mess something up. Good luck getting them to admit something like that, though.

Doesn't MINI offer a certain number of years free roadside assistance?

Aha! They offer towing...
https://www.miniusa.com/owners/community/roadside-assistance.html


But to address the relationship between oil level and oil pressure: There really is no direct correlation. The oil level is to ensure there is an adequate amount in the oil pan to make sure the oil doesn't get too hot (enough quantity to dissipate heat) and doesn't get too dirty (enough quantity to dissipate the contaminants that build up) and keeps the suction pickup from the oil pump covered during all normal operating conditions so the pump never sucks air like under hard cornering or hard braking.

So long as the oil pickup tube is submerged in oil, the amount of oil in the sump has no bearing on the oil pressure. The pressure is a product of the oil pump's pushing force and how tight the engine bearings are against the camshaft and crankshaft journals. if a bearing journal in the crankshaft or camshaft (or timing belt tensioner) is out of spec and bleeding off oil at an excessive rate, the pump will not be able to build the pressure. Similarly, if the pump is out of spec, it cannot deliver enough oil at a fast enough rate to fill in the oil passages and up to the crankshaft and crankshaft bearings.

In the best situation, it is just a faulty oil pressure sending unit.

Next best would probably be a faulty timing chain/belt hydraulic tensioner.

Next down the line would be a faulty oil pump.

To fix the crankshaft or camshaft journals would probably be the "replace the motor/head" scenario.

 Posted: Oct 12, 2020 04:04PM
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Trust the manual, the dealer representative could be right, or totally wrong, at your expense. Have it towed. 

 Posted: Oct 12, 2020 09:04AM
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Yesterday the “oil pressure” indicator light came on in my car. Initially I thought it was low oil level but after checking the level (it read normal on the dipstick) the manual showed “oil pressure low, stop driving immediately”. When I called the dealership the told me it would be fine to drive about an hour to the dealership as long as the oil level is ok. Is this true? The manual seemed to indicate it was a very serious problem. I’m also a little distrustful of the dealership because of past issues with them and that the service rep told me that oil level and oil pressure are the same thing. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!!