R53 Mini Cooper S Oil Temperature and Pressure Gauges DIY

Tracking my R53 was a blast, but I was a nervous wreck the entire time worrying about the oil pressure and temperatures. I had a set of AutoMeter oil pressure and oil temperature gauges ready to go, but I hadn't had a chance to install them yet. I told myself I would not track the car again until I installed the gauges. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of great options to get access to the oil galleys to get a good pressure and temperature signal.

The first option I tried failed, and after some brainstorming, I was able to come up with an option I was happy with: using an adaptor to replace the oil drain plug for the oil temperature sender and screwing the oil temperature gauge directly into the back of the block. The factory dummy light does not come on if I unplug the sensor; so, using an adaptor, I can screw the pressure sender directly into the block. Sadly, the pressure sender was too large a diameter to fit in that area. Eventually, I'll have a custom adaptor made to make a slightly longer adaptor that will allow the sender to fit in place. For now, I am using a rubber hose to go from the block to the sender. It's not perfect, but it works.

The gauges were specifically chosen because AutoMeter makes a very high quality gauge and to match the factory Mini gauges. The gauge pods are from Alta (and a bit overpriced). The overall package blends into the interior pretty well. Overall, I am extremely happy with it, but it was a tedious process to get to this point. Hopefully, my teething issues will help you add gauges to your Mini.

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