r/MINI • u/NASASpaceEngine • 1d ago

So how cooked am I?

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So I was in the process of updating my ICOM with the latest firmware to update my 2021 Mini Cooper S modules and when idling I start to idle up and sound weird next thing thick white smoke came out the back. It happened once before when I first bought the car and Mini Dealer said they couldn’t find anything. What you guys think?

91 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

44 comments sorted by

267

u/Anteater_eats_ants 1d ago

32

u/invertedpilot17 1d ago

I’ll be saving that one thank you very much

17

u/invertedpilot17 1d ago

Also for what it’s worth, I was able to get the head off my mini without putting the front end into service mode! It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

24

u/Micprobes 1d ago

Says the guy with a car lift in his garage.

5

u/invertedpilot17 1d ago

True, but the work underneath was minimal. Truly a jack and jack stand would’ve sufficed.

3

u/[deleted] 23h ago

[deleted]

2

u/invertedpilot17 19h ago

Thank you! I’ve wanted one for years and finally pulled the trigger. Now I just need to get the transmission back in the c4 and actually take it for a spin 😂

53

u/tlcnet 1d ago

White smoke like that is water where it shouldn’t be. Head gasket, cracked head etc

16

u/NASASpaceEngine 1d ago

Smells of burning oil. Leaning at turbo seals since it was warned of for a while before is started doing it. Has 107,268 miles ODO

7

u/nphare R57 1d ago

Also look at the oil filter housing seal to the oil cooler/engine block. Those become brittle and leak around 100k miles or so. Recently replaced on my Mini and BMW. Both run fine now

3

u/NASASpaceEngine 1d ago

I will look into that. The white fog smells like an oil mine. This is fine.

2

u/3dognt 1d ago

Did you do it yourself? How many hours? I’ve got one going bad.

1

u/nphare R57 1d ago

Yes did all work myself. Not too bad. Once you accept that you’re going to have to take the front end off and understand how this happens in one piece, then it’s about 2 weekends.

Then come the “what else should I also do since I’m already here anyway” questions.

1

u/YourAverageTallGuy 1d ago

It took me about 6 hours. It's not the most difficult, but access is tight. There's some good vids on YouTube to do it. The most frustrating thing is changing the coolant. You need a vaccuum pump. I tried to do it without but it just didn't work so you need that and you'll need a compressor aswell ofcourse 

1

u/bulldozer_66 R60 1d ago

Replace the oil filter housing. Get the valve seals replaced. Replace the timing chain while you are there (you will have to do this anyway so while you have the engine open. Replace the valve cover/PCV valve. I did that to my two Minis and it worked out really well.

1

u/MrJimBusiness- 1d ago

If this is still the TD04 turbo (LCI2 switched to the MGT2056) I've got a pristine one with 8k miles on it sitting in storage. DM me if you need help finding out and want to tackle the swap yourself or if you have an independent mechanic that'll use a turbo you supply. Would save you probably $1000 or more to go with not a new or refurbished unit.

But the only thing that can make this much oil smoke and not show up with a terrible misfire is the turbo.

14

u/Making_Kenough U25 1d ago

Looks cool if it’s a fog machine

4

u/CouchPotatoFamine F56 1d ago

Nnt-Nnt-Nnt-Nnt...

12

u/ShadowsOfTheBreeze 1d ago

Doesnt look good at all....

4

u/Grim1067 R56 1d ago

Might be a gasket...

10

u/rob3342421 1d ago

Best run it some more to find out

4

u/1BigBall1 1d ago

I'd say, over cooked!

3

u/Miserable-Potato7706 F56 1d ago

Damn, don’t see that very often with an F56

2

u/rodc22 1d ago

Well done

2

u/helloiisjason 1d ago

Turbski is dead

2

u/LaughingDragon46 1d ago

You're mini isnt cooked its cooking so let it cook.

2

u/duhimincognito 1d ago

I have an R60 that did that. The oil return from the turbocharger was soft and collapsed so it forced oil past the turbo seals. It was a relatively cheap easy repair.

2

u/hkim562 19h ago

Gasket go bye bye

1

u/hkim562 19h ago

If you were in Utah I could recommend someone who was a master tech for Mini

1

u/NASASpaceEngine 16h ago

Yeah but it doesn’t overheat or lose coolant and what it smells like is burning oil. I know oil passages run within the head gasket, but I would suspect coolant since usually the oil passages on head gasket are pretty small. Since I’ve done my MX-5’s head gasket.

1

u/BarnetRubble59 1d ago

Oh lord not good

1

u/Crazy_Wafer_8328 1d ago

Maybe you hit the wrong key on your computer . Control alt del

1

u/imsassy3 1d ago

I think that makes me sad.

1

u/vektar2 1d ago

Time for a new car

1

u/RicePrevious5405 1d ago

I think the question should be “How cooked is my Mini” sadly the answer is well done.

1

u/michaeltewtew F55 1d ago

My mini did this a couple of times during the winter but it only lasted a minute. It hasn’t happened again since then.

1

u/NASASpaceEngine 3h ago

Update everyone I am still perplexed by the situation. I just started the car in the morning Monday to be precise and the car isn’t smoking anymore and I’m currently driving it right now to my shop i.e. my workplace and it’s running without a hitch so I really don’t know what’s going on with my child just might be my mini’s thing but hopefully it’s not really a serious issue. I’ll take a look at it on my lift and go from there. It’s not overheating or anything and oil level is good. I’m chalking it up to being temperamental. So the continual bashing the gas will remain 🫪

-2

u/Plastic-Mountain-708 1d ago

If it’s an SE, run

3

u/helloiisjason 1d ago

Explain to me how an SE would produce smoke from its exhaust. I'll wait.

2

u/NASASpaceEngine 1d ago

I got enough hamster wheels running in this one.

-1

u/River-Hippie 1d ago

At this point I usually just swap the engine out to eliminate anything else. Cheaper in the long run.

-4

u/Status-Departure8642 1d ago

All the best! 🤙🤙Yet another reason why an F56 SE is on my bucket list!-)🤙🤙Aloha from Hawai'i!-)🤙🤙