Metal shavings

2007 MINI COOPER
50,000 MILES • 4 CYL • FWD • AUTOMATIC
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RONCALIMLIM
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My Mini Cooper oil light flashes during city driving and disappears during freeway driving. A Mini Cooper dealer said that they found metal shavings in my oil and will charge me $375 to drain and find out the problem. What could be the source of the problem? How is it usually fixed?
Dec 3, 2010 at 2:41 PM
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JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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If there are metal shavings in the motor oil, it has to be coming from a bearing (rod or main). The fact that the oil light is coming on tells me it is bearing related. Based on which bearing is bad and how bad it is, the crank may need replaced, cam, and of course the bearing that are related to the problem.
Dec 3, 2010 at 2:49 PM
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CARADIODOC
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Crankshaft or connecting rod bearings are usually coming apart. They are lubricated with pressurized engine oil. As those bearing wear, the "clearance" or space between them and the parts they support increases so that oil can run out faster. That results in lower oil pressure, less lubricating ability, and even faster wear.

It might be possible to catch it now and replace the bearings before more things are destroyed, but they can't know for sure the cause until they peek inside. $375.00 suggests they expect it to to take about three hours plus some new gaskets to look inside. I also suspect that is just for the diagnosis. The actual repairs might be a whole different story and charge.

caradiodoc
Dec 3, 2010 at 2:51 PM
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