MINI Cooper - Mini Cooper - blue smoke, engine burning oil.

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Thu 7 Nov 2019 22:04
MINI Cooper - Mini Cooper - blue smoke, engine burning oil. - SC99

I have recently posted this in a different forum so you may have read this there.

I recently purchased a Mini Cooper. Not long after, I noticed that the engine oil was dropping significantly. I took it a mechanic who told me there is blue smoke when accelerating. He also said that this is a sign of the engine being worn out and either needing to be replaced a having a major overhaul.

I spoke to the dealer. He has offered to have it repaired. I have only owned this car a couple of weeks.

I am always wary of my cars being repaired at places that I do not know.

Is this a type of repair that someone can bodge up to make it run ok for a few weeks? If I get the car back and I don't see blue smoke and the engine oil isn't dropping, is it safe to assume that the car is fixed? Or will this just be a problem car from now on?

Thanks

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Thu 7 Nov 2019 22:32
MINI Cooper - Mini Cooper - blue smoke, engine burning oil. - bsm
18 months ago my son brought a 10 reg Cooper S, it too had the same symptoms as you describe. He had it a little over a week when he took it back to the dealer, explained the problem and was given a full refund, with no hassle. When I went back to dealer to collect some items from the car it was in the workshop being repaired. So if you’re not happy with a repair, ask for a refund, there are always other cars.
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Thu 7 Nov 2019 22:47
MINI Cooper - Mini Cooper - blue smoke, engine burning oil. - elekie&a/c doctor

I have followed your thread on the other section of the forum .Oil consumption on these Minis is a well known issue ,to which there is no cheap or quick fix. If there was, the dealer would have done the job. A repair from the dealer would very probably result in you having a s/hand engine fitted ,which could be better than the one already fitted ,or could be a lot worse. I would pursue the refund route, but do not use the car ,and do not spend any money trying to get it fixed. You are also within your rights under 30 day rejection clause, to ask the selling dealer to collect the car at no cost to yourself.

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Thu 7 Nov 2019 23:08
MINI Cooper - Mini Cooper - blue smoke, engine burning oil. - SC99

Sadly, getting a refund does not seem possible.

Their solicitor has decided that I do not have the right to a refund because when I bought the car, the current MOT certificate states that it has an oil leak. As soon as a I mentioned anything to do with returning the car, I was handed their solicitor's contact details and told to 'bring it on'. Seems like they are familiar with this process.

I am not a mechanic, but from what I understand, an external oil leak and an engine blowing out blue smoke are two totally different things.

One is a cheap and easy fix.

The other is not.

Moral of the story: dealers are b******s.

Any advice on getting a refund or chances of successful repair is welcome.

Edited by SC99 on 07/11/2019 at 23:23

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Thu 7 Nov 2019 23:24
MINI Cooper - Mini Cooper - blue smoke, engine burning oil. - Andrew-T

Their solicitor has decided that I do not have the right to a refund because when I bought the car, the current MOT certificate states that it has an oil leak. I am not a mechanic, but from what I understand, an external oil leak and an engine blowing out blue smoke are two totally different things.

Quite right, they are different things, and it's not the job of a solicitor to tell you that, unless the seller is trying to scare you off. If the car is blowing smoke I might guess it should fail MoT on emissions, rather than the tester just advising an 'oil leak' ? Try and stand up for your rights.

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Thu 7 Nov 2019 23:32
MINI Cooper - Mini Cooper - blue smoke, engine burning oil. - SC99

Seems to be easier said than done. I've gone to Trading Standards, they advise you but don't actually do anything. I've rung the police, they say to contact the Trading Standards.

Who is there left?

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Fri 8 Nov 2019 08:13
MINI Cooper - Mini Cooper - blue smoke, engine burning oil. - elekie&a/c doctor

The oil leak mentioned on the Mot ,was it in the failure section or the advisory part .? No need for a solicitor or the cab. You can file proceedings on line yourself to the small claims court. www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/how-to-use-...t

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Fri 8 Nov 2019 14:15
MINI Cooper - Mini Cooper - blue smoke, engine burning oil. - SC99
It had an advisory of a minor oil leak this year.

However, it failed in 2015 for emitting blue smoke. This was not included with the car when purchasing it.
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Fri 8 Nov 2019 09:23
MINI Cooper - Mini Cooper - blue smoke, engine burning oil. - Andrew-T

Seems to be easier said than done.

It would be useful to know the age and mileage of the car. If it is well-used there may have been reasonable 'wear and tear'.

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Fri 8 Nov 2019 10:24
MINI Cooper - Mini Cooper - blue smoke, engine burning oil. - SC99
2011 with 49k on the clock.
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Fri 8 Nov 2019 12:34
MINI Cooper - Mini Cooper - blue smoke, engine burning oil. - Gibbo_Wirral

Their solicitor has decided that I do not have the right to a refund because when I bought the car, the current MOT certificate states that it has an oil leak.

Were you given the opportunity to see the paperwork and MOT prior to sale though?

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Fri 8 Nov 2019 14:18
MINI Cooper - Mini Cooper - blue smoke, engine burning oil. - SC99
Yes and i was aware that it had an advisory of a minor oil leak this year.

However, in 2015 it failed due to emitting blue smoke. This piece of paperwork was not included with the car.

From what I understand. An external oil leak and an engine e actually burning oil are two completely different things.
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Fri 8 Nov 2019 17:20
MINI Cooper - Mini Cooper - blue smoke, engine burning oil. - Andrew-T
From what I understand. An external oil leak and an engine e actually burning oil are two completely different things.

Of course they are - one is unburnt oil on the outside of the engine, the other oil being burnt inside and emerging from the exhaust. But as we are discussing an 8- or possibly 9-year-old car (even with low mileage) your selling dealer may be reasonably reluctant to accept any responsibility.

Edited by Andrew-T on 08/11/2019 at 17:22

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Fri 8 Nov 2019 17:38
MINI Cooper - Mini Cooper - blue smoke, engine burning oil. - Avant

Confusingly, we seem to have had two threads about the same problem with the same car, although I can see that you were raising two aspects of it. I've closed the other thread and moved this to Motoring, as it's of general interest.

Let the dealer repair it as he's offered (never mind the appearance of his workshop), and thereafter it depends on how much you like the car.

Old Minis tend to be money-pits, just like any other old BMW, and you have to assess whether the risk of further expensive repairs, on this issue or others, is worth taking. It may well be as worn out after 8 years, and had just as hard a life, as if it had done 10,000 miles a year.

It might be worth the risk if a Mini Cooper is the car you've always wanted, but if you're not that keen on it, flog it while it's going well.

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Fri 8 Nov 2019 20:49
MINI Cooper - Mini Cooper - blue smoke, engine burning oil. - SLO76
The law is on your side and despite his lawyers nonsense defence any half decent legal representative would eat him alive in court. However I know the type and he’ll be very well versed in dodging paying out on any CCJ’s. My advice here would be to just let him fix it then get shot of the thing, take the loss and learn from the experience.

Stick with simple preferably Japanese superminis instead. Don’t be tempted to keep it as any repair will be certainly done on the cheap. A Fiesta with the excellent Yamaha 1.25/1.4/1.6 petrol motors are great fun and far far more reliable than a Mini.

I would however be sure to utterly slate him everywhere on social media once all dealings are done. You can leave reviews everywhere from Facebook to Autotrader. I’d even get friends and family to help with additional made up stories. People need to be informed of this utter rogue. I would become an utter thorn in his side, you can easily cost him ten times the cost of this mini.

Edited by SLO76 on 08/11/2019 at 20:55

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Fri 8 Nov 2019 21:53
MINI Cooper - Mini Cooper - blue smoke, engine burning oil. - pd

I know a few dodgy dealers and I would not sate them on social media. They know where you live!

That said, this dealer is offering to fix it. The engines in these minis are terrible. Let them fix it, run it for a year and then get shot before it goes wrong again.

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Fri 8 Nov 2019 23:02
MINI Cooper - Mini Cooper - blue smoke, engine burning oil. - barney100

let the dealer fix it...you flog it immediately after.

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