My daughter came round yesterday and asked me to check the oil in her 03 Mini Cooper so I popped open the bonnet and checked the level.
Strange, the dip stick was completely dry, not a drop of oil in sight so quick trip out to get a couple of litres of oil, started the process of putting oil about 250ml at a time, starting car, allowing it to circulate and then re-measuring the level again. All 2 litres put in this way (with my disbelief that the level could be this low) and the oil level is only just on the end of dipstick but well below the minimum level.
Another trip out to buy more oil and the process above was repeated, Finally after adding a total of 3.75 litres of oil, the level on the dipstick is in the middle of the min / max. Did a quick check online and it looks like the oil capacity is 5l for the car so amazed the thing was still running as I'm sure it will still take between 0.25l and 0.5l to bring it to the max line (a job for later today as I ran out of daylight)
Strange as no warning light on the car was indicating low oil but I think this was a lucky escape with regards to her not seizing the engine of the car, by my reckoning she was driving around with approx 20% of the required oil in the car (she has also been out in the car already and remarked how much quieter the car is and the loud tapping sound from the engine has gone!)
Anyone else had a similar experience (the car had to survive for it to count!)
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