The manual recommends 10k oil change and 89 octane gasoline. I'm curious to know what you folks do with your Mimi

 

My manual says the frequency is determined by the type of driving as well as the amount of driving and time since the last change... and the recommendation is indicated on the digital panel when the engine is started... my first change was indicated at 9000mi, and I had the dealer do it @ about 8000-ish after mostly a lot of highway driving. As for octane, I suppose it depends on the engine... my JCW engine (B48O) wants 91 octane.

 

I ignore the manual and change the oil every 5000 miles and I burn 92 octane gasoline.
I only drive 5000 miles a year, so my oil change is an annual thing.

 

I change oil in all my vehicles at 5k or annual whichever comes first.
I also run 93 Octane in all my vehicles (which are all supercharged). This vehicle is my wife's and she runs 91 or 93 whichever she can find. I certainly would not run 89 in a FI engine of any kind.

 

Run 89 all day long with no issues. 91 or 93 on a special treat basis.

 

More octane = more better for Mini (ECU compensates very well and does benefit from the knock resistance)

*as for oil.. all the DI designs have condensation issues with water build-up, which is one of the reasons an oil catch-can is always recommended. Add carbon buildup to that mix from running extended oil service intervals and short trips around town.. you start to get all sorts of bad symptoms and eventual issues that butterfly into real problems.

To keep mine healthy, i like to:

*change oil at 3-5k mi
*use highest octane fuel available
*warm it up.. then drive it hard
*cool it down before you shut it down

 

 

Those are certainly the recommendations for the JCW engine. I've attached a screen shot from my manual, which also explains the recommendations.

 

Oil/filter change annually (2500 miles a year} if i drove a lot oil change would be every 5,000 miles. Shell 93 octane is the only fuel my Mini has ever had.

 

I checked the 'Information center ' in the car, 3900 miles is when it was scheduled for an oil change. I missed it by 600 miles. I figured it would be a insane interval like 7500, or like you said, 10K.
3900 miles ! who would have thunk it !
I changed it at 4500 , and I can't reset the oil maintenance message that it was Changed ! annoying.

so I guess I will have to drive it back to Richmond ( 200 miles) and have them reset it. I need the state inspection as well,
Has anyone else seen if you can reset the Oil maintenance minder in the information center ?
The car is great, 93 octane and I only buy the pure gasoline, no ethanol.
Unless I am away from home of course.
Its always something, have a good one ,,,

 

I plan to change oil every 10k miles at a minimum. Alot of times you drive on EV power for me and don't use the engine. So 10k miles on the car might only be 5k miles on the engine, make sense?

As far as fuel, I'll go for 87 unless it knocks. Then if so I'll go for 89. Its not important for me to have the most power, I'm trying to be efficient and we had a BMW 325Xi before this car and it called for super only (91+) but after a couple of years I put regular in it all the time. Never mattered the car ran just as well and still got good gas mileage in my hands.

The cars can adjust the mixture according to what you put in it, so it should be OK but I'll see how it goes.

I also have an advantage over you guys, I can drive around town and shorter trips without having to start the engine every time

-=>Raja.

 

I have Highlander Limited. This is wife's car and she cares more about how the mini looks and feels. Not power or performance. So far she has only used regular gas and the car is running great. She keeps cars 7/8 years max. The way I read the Octane info is Recommendation NOT Requirement. As for oil when ever the computer says it time to change, that's when it will get changed. Years ago I had a 02 Passat 1.8 T used Premium gas and synthetic oil change every 5k. I don't want to do that again.....

 

Burning regular won't hurt the engine, the Engine Control Unit will make adjustments to safely burn regular gas, the engine will make less power.

 

Perfect, I don't need the power. I'm only accelerating with 1 bar of power so to speak, Trying to be efficient in my cars, I used to drive fast, now its a new gig for me, driving efficiently and going by all the cops hiding in parking lots at 1:18am (saw one recently) and they wonder why I'm not speeding down a straight stretch of road

-=>Raja.

 

Hey Raja, They like that revenue, They miss you : ) Its cool you just drive by now.
That is 'Easy money' for the town. Someone speeding usually doesn't shoot at the police. They usually just pay and move on. quick cash.

There is a town on I-77 in Virginia , Hillsville. The interstate runs along the edge of their town, oh maybe 500- 600 yards including the interchange. They always have their police cars, including a Dodge Charger, black. They have a chevrolet pickup truck ( black) cop truck. They have a Chevrolet Suburban, ( black). A Ford exploder, I mean a Explorer ( all black with a small police marking) I have seen all four sitting in the median looking at
north-bounders going home from the beach and from places south. Its free revenue to them. I always see them with a Ohio or Pennsylvania car pulled over. They patrol that 600 yards !

' Revenuer' is what I call them. Have to pay for those 'High' performance vehicles. ( except the 'Exploder' )

Waz is your friend on 77. Just remember that if you ever travel I 77 in Virginia
Have a good one, and don't get fleeced !

 

I change whenever the car says change or in the case of Ethel 3,500 miles at the end of the 1st year.

I try to always find 93oct no alcohol fuel when possible. If traveling that doesn’t always work. I get 40 to 60 more miles per tank with no alcohol fuel.