Ok.
This is going to be a LONG article, and not for the faint of heart. If you're still interested, read on...
Today, I decided, with 1500 miles on the odometer, that it was time to change the new MINI's oil. Little did I know, I would have the fire marshall stop by, be changing the oil AND the transmission fluid, and go on a motorbike ride during the project!
Ok, first things first. I bought a filter from MINI of Sterling, and six quarts of oil, 5w30. The new engine actually only uses 4.4 quarts btw, but it is always good to have a quart or two on hand. Tools needed for this job:
Socket set with a long extension... I used two together to reach the filter cap.
T50 Torx bit for the oil drain plug.
8mm wrench to remove the coolant tank.
27mm socket for the oil filter cap.
Lots of paper towels to soak up oil.
And the best... latex rubber gloves, never have my fingernails been so clean after this kind of work!
So, I set the car up on my ramps, here on the street in Old Town, Alexandria. Note the old sheet under the car, to keep stuff from spilling on the road!
Next I loosened the oil filler cap and unscrewed the T50 Torx bolt for the oil drain... this one...
Hmm, oil coming out very clear, and not much of it. Checked again... doh!!! I had removed the transmission fluid drain plug!!!!
Here is the oil drain, I removed this one and sure enough, lots of black oil drained into my catch pan.
At this point the fire marshall arrived. He explained that in the city of Alexandria, we are not allowed to work on cars, certainly not to change oil! Then he commented that I hadn't made a mess and nothing seemed spilt. I mentioned that I had also accidently drained the transmission fluid and that the car would be "stuck" for a bit while I went shopping for fluid. He didn't give me a ticket... would have been $40!
Here is a photo of the oil filter cap, tucked in behind some hoses and the coolant tank. I have already moved the coolant tank out of the way.
Removing the coolant tank, using an 8mm wrench was easy. It lifts out and can be pushed aside for very easy access to the oil filter cap.
I used the 27mm socket to unscrew the oil filter cap, removed it from the car, wiped everything clean, replaced the gasket and reinstalled the filter.
Here is the socket and extension as I am unscrewing the filter cap...
And the filter cap, filter and gasket. Don't forget the little washer that goes on the oil drain plug. All shown here...
I reinstalled the oil drain plug, wiped everything off and added 4.4 quarts (roughly) of engine oil. It's difficult to judge how much oil is in the engine, as the dipstick is a bit odd, or French, depending on your perspective.
Next, I went shopping for gear oil. Since I couldn't drive, and my Z3 was being blocked by my Aprilia Atlantic, it seemed like a good time for a motorbike ride!
I was able to get a few quarts of Mobil 1 gear oil, (75W90) and using a handy, and rather large syringe, I filled up the transmission, replaced the filler plug and was ready to test the car.
Luckily, the parking guy and fire marshall didn't return, so no tickets for me today!
The funny thing is the transmission has a big sticker on it that mentions "Lifetime Oil"! I totally missed it. The real clue is that the transmission fluid drain plug is vertical, the engine oil drain plug is horizontal!
Anyway, just took the MINI to Clydes for a late, well deserved lunch. The transmission shifts nicely, the engine runs smoothly, and I didn't see any leaks or drips, so all is well!
A shiny, happy MINI with fresh engine oil and transmission fluid...
... and the moral of the story... if you are doing things yourself, double check before you merrily start draining fluids!!
That said, changing the oil on an R56 Cooper S is significantly easier than an R50 MINI! Once you move the coolant tank out of the way, unscrewing the oil filter cap and removing it is easy. Draining the oil was actually pretty easy too, though you need that T50 Torx! (I happen to have a bunch of torx bits from my Jeep Wrangler days)
I hope this helps people with their oil changes, and that you don't make the same mistake I did and have to change your transmission fluid too. But now that I have done it, I can say that as long as you have a way to pump the fresh fluid into the transmission, it's not that tricky.
Happy motoring!
