is there anyone got his/her mini s 's manual gear box oil changed?
as i know , the dealer from the mini cooper .they said our gear box doesnt need any oil changed ...it is lifetime ....but then are they serious?
i am so scary i will blow my gear box one day ....if i dont get a good maintence on my mini .....
if there is some one who got the oil changed ?
what brand do you use and how much ?
is it hard to change?

 

On MINE....03 Cooper/manual....I used 3qts. (I think) of Redline MTL. It's a real easy change for a manual. Remove the fill plug first just in case it is stubborn. Then remove the drain plug and drain. Reverse steps until fluid that you are putting it comes out. I did my first change at 40K. Im gonna do another shortly. Good luck

 

I did mine at 10k and 30k. almost 2 qts of redline mtl fits in there before it starts dripping out again. very simple to do but requires a good pump. Find one at autozone for like 10 bux.

 

Does anyone have a diagram to help locate where these plugs are? How long does it take to do the job, and Coouuper S, what pump from autozone?

 

Just go up on ramps, and crawl under, you will see the plugs. Pump not required if you thread a rubber hose and funnel down from the top. Redliine MTL is the correct lube.

Pour in the top hole until it overflows, then put the plug back in.

YD

 

I'm not sure what they sell at autozone but it is going to be similar to one of these.
http://www.griotsgarage.com/catalog.jsp?&SKU=44406

Since the oil comes in quart/pint size bottles and the filler is probably a pita to get to, you can't just pour in oil in to the filler hole like you would when changing the engine oil. Use the pump and put the outlet end in the filler hole and pump the oil in slowly until oil comes out the filler hole.

Be careful to not pump too fast because the tranny should only have enough oil up to the filler hole. If you pump a lot of extra in it is just wasting oil.

Another method is to get some hose from your hardware store and feed the hose to the filler hole from the top of the engine and pour in oil into the hose/tranny using a funnel.

I prefer the pump. I couldn't find one online at Autozone but I'm sure they have one similar.

I have not done this on mine since i've only got 10k miles so I haven't located the filler and drain plugs yet. I do this on my truck tranny, diff's and transfer cases about every 60k using synthetic oil.

On an interesting note...lifetime oil in the tranny on my wife's 1994 Saturn that has never been changed as far as I know. She is the original owner and the car has 202,000 miles and is still going strong.

 

I used a plunger/syringe/pump one time and it was a mess; the funnel and hose from above is easier for me. http://www.lonestarminiclub.com/foru...read.php?t=474

 

Actually....Redline MTL is correct for the manual. But, you might want to check....those with diffs I recall using MT-90....

 

It's pretty easy on the MCS. There are two hex bolts. REMOVE THE TOP (FILL) ONE FIRST. Then remove the bottom one and drain the old fluid. To fill the new fluid, get a length of hose at your local hardware store (I forget what size it was off the top of my head. Just bring the bolt with you and match up the diameter. Then get a funnel that will fit in the hose. Drop the hose down through the engine compartment and put it into the fill hole. Fill from up top until fluid starts coming out.

Also, if you want to be exact, drop the car back down before you fill it up so it's level on the ground.

 

Well, I'll be doing this over a pit in a buddy's oil lube shop, so if anyone know's the diameter off the top of their head, that would make things much better. Thanks!

 

I've changed mine twice just for fun of it with B&M synthetic...missed you at the SAE show yesterday...

 

Yeah...I had prior engagements...

 

MSFITOY,
Any reason for B&M rather than MTL?
Thanks

 

Not really...probably just as good...

 

Not quite accurate. You should be on level ground...So ramps aren't going to cut it.

Jack stands on all 4 corners or a lift if you have access to one.

The tranny fluid is full like others have posted when it starts dripping out of the fill hole.

 

so..how does it feel after the oil changed?
much much much better ?
or just a bit smoother?
or just the same?

 

It depends on how long you've kept the stock fluid in. I changed mine around 50k miles and definitely felt an improvement. Nothing drastic, but an improvement nonetheless.

 

I put MTL in at 25K and it felt the same.

 

I put MTL in at 40K in my 04 MCS. BIG difference.

Swapped it out in my friend's 03 MCS with 36K and she felt a huge difference too.

Another friend's 05 MCS at 25K and he felt a nice improvement as well.

Nice and buttery smooth.

 

should i change my now
i have 05 mini s with 11400 miles

 

2 Quarts of RedLine MTL over here.. Do it yourself its easy...

 

Just ordered mine through JSCspeed and should have it tomorrow or friday...

I'm about to roll over 99,000 miles and I bought the car with 74,000 miles. I believe the original fluid is still in the tranny, so I'm hoping to notice a difference.

Also, in the colder Indiana winters, I'm hoping this will make my tranny shift smoother when it's cold. I'll find that out shortly I guess (I hate winter ), and put this MTL to the test.

 

I did mine at 30K with AMSOIL 75-90.

 

I used 3/8" ID (inner diameter) fuel line hose from the local autoshop and it fit perfectly. You only need about 3' in length.

 

Was wondering what to do this weekend....now to locate some Redline MTL?