I just changed the oil for the first time on my 07 "S" with 5000 miles, when the oil came out it seems that i was changing the oil in my F250 diesel, it was black real black!!!, i own BMW and on the first oil change, the oil looked new. Is any one had the same experience, because I don't think that a new engine with 5000 miles will turn the oil black.....

 

Oil color has very little relevance on its ability to lubricate and protect.

 

Sounds normal. Doesn't take long at all to turn black.

 

i changed mine and noticed i put the whole 5 quarts in when only 4.5 is required. so i drained a 1/2 quart and after 10 miles it was as black as it was after 5000 miles. weird, so yeah it doesn't take long at all.

 

If you left it in longer, it would have gotten lighter.

 

Maybe it's because I do a lot of easy miles, but I had trouble even seeing the oil on the dipstick until about 8,000 miles.

 

As posted above, color has little to do with the health of the oil. No need to worry.

 

i changed at 2000km, the oil is black already, i change with redline 5w-30, feeling smoother than the mini oil.... i only put 4Q, dipstick shows full...

 

you can actually read the dipstick??

haha jk... but it really is hard to read.

 

Changed mine at 4200 mi and it was as black as coal. 2k later it is beginning to turn brown. I used the MINI brand oil (4.5 qts) and filter. I think 5k might be a good point to change?

 

Is any one knows what kind of oil the factory put into the Mini for the break in period ?, I think the oil is specially formulated and with the heat of the turbo and initial wear of new parts will turn the first oil black. On my first oil change after the first 5000 miles I used Mobil 1 full synthetic and after 1500 miles the oil is brown, i don't think the factory will install good quality oil like Mobil 1 full synthetic, I may be wrong, if some one has any other opinion or facts please inform.

 

isnt first oil change at 10k?

 

It depends on the OBC's calculations. It starts at 15k, IIRC. Mine's jumped all the way to 19300, with the first change happening tomorrow morning at the dealer. I'm going to ask for a sample of oil to be taken so I can send it off to Blackstone, we'll see if I can get proof of how dumb I am for trusting the computer

 

I changed mine at 6500km it was dirty but not black.

 

Hey guys i don't know how can any body wait so long to do the first oil change, like i said before my first oil change was at 5000 miles, and it was done on my friend shop, I saw that oil and the oil filter, the oil filter was black like if you dipped in ink, we are talking about almost 5 quart of oil with a tiny filter, and iam curious to know at 15000 miles for the first oil change, in what condition the oil will be... We are hopping that the factory uses full synthetic oil.......

 

As mentioned above, color has nothing to do with it. You can't tell if oil is good or bad by simply looking at it. I have seen clear oil bad and black oil good (I worked in aviation and oil analysis was mandatory).

 

The factory fill is a European spec Castrol 5w-30 full synthetic (A3) it is a little heavier viscosity than the Mobil1 or Syntec 5w-30's you can buy on the shelf here that meet A1 specs (there are several in depth threads on the subject). Syntec 5w-40 meets A3, however it is BMW LL-98 and NOT BMW LL-01 specs. Mobil 1 5w-40 is an "E" oil for diesels, I would not recommend it. I have just heard that Valvoline Maxlife 5w-30 meets BMW LL01, worth checking out.
--Dan

 

Hope you could post those results, would be nice to see.

 

Mobil 1 0W-40 (this grade exclusively) meets all the BMW LL and other standards. Some Mobil 1 grades are Group III (dino stock-based synthetics), whereas 0W-40 appears to be a Group IV oil, full synthetic. Why there should be such differences between various grades of Mobil 1 is not evident, but Mobil 1 0W-40 seems to be the only grade suitable for use in a MINI.