When do most plan to get their first oil change? Probably not as important anymore, but I used to get it changed after 1k miles. And if we do get it changed early, I guess we would have to pay, right?

 

Speaking of which (without the online manual) does anyone know what the frequency is on oil changes? My Yaris is 5K. I'm hoping my F56 MCS is right around that. At 500 miles/week driving, if it's much less I'll be changing oil all the time.

 

R56 is 24,000 Km (16,000 miles)...I would expect it to be up around that.

 

I will check my Owner's Manual during lunch and post a rely unless someone else check's sooner.

 

I heard that it was lowered to 10k on the f56 since they had so many issues on the r56. Can't remember where I heard that though.

 

16K miles in between oil changes? wow! that's a lot with a turbo (or maybe it's just me)

 

Somewhere I read that BMW had reduced the oil change interval to 10k miles.

I'd still be tempted to change the oil well before that the 1st time.

 

no no no!

first oil change, do it around 50-500 miles. you just want to get that crap out of there, the oil in there is older than you think it is, and probably designed just as a "break in" oil. i change my oil for my brand new cars right around 500miles. THEN, you can follow a normal interval.

 

Yes. I agree. I think that's way more than I'd want to go, especially with a turbo. If that's real then I'll do it myself at 5.5K & 11K and then let the dealer do it at 16K.

While we're on the subject, will the dealer do synthetic or can you pay for the difference?

 

when I look at the listing for Oil Change interval in the Android App owner's manual it does not appear to list a duration or mileage for the interval. It simply advises that the car will tell you when it needs an oil change.

I know on my R56 I have currently, the dealer has told me the interval is 10k miles which I have never been comfortable with. I have taken it in a couple of times in between and paid for it to be done (for my own piece of mind).

Synthetic or not I know many mechanics agree this is still too long a period to allow the car to go without fresh oil and filter. I would also agree that on the new F56's it should be done early to get anything out of the system from the break-in period. I plan on getting one between 700 and 1,200 miles which would align with the suggested break-in period.

 

i feel like the dealer wouldnt honor that under the free maintenance

 

MINI uses synthetic when they change it for ya.

 

Nope, the "break in" oil thing gets done before it's shipped and delivered. Years ago some owners sent their oil to be analyzed for stuff at different intervals. To make a long story short the oil is still good at 7500 miles. Beyond that who knows, but there would appear to be no scientific reason to change it any earlier. My first oil change was around 15k, but I stepped it up to 8-9k after that.

 

They only use synthetic and I suspect anything else will void the warranty. I don't even think it's an option. If it's before the recommended interval the dealer will charge you for it.

The F56 doesn't even have a dipstick to check it or look at it. You only will have the computer to go by.

 

Related, I looked at the electronic dip stick indicator on Saturday at the dealer's open house. Wondered how it indicates the amount of oil one would need to add when it gets low. My MA did not know and the only option, draining some out was not available, so does the manual indicate how this works?

 

are you saying MINI fills the engine with oil, breaks in the motor, and then changes the oil again, all before delivery? not to be combative, do you have any documentation of it? i wish i'd taken a sample from the original oil, but i wasn't thinking to at the time.

i'm working on a fairly extensive oil test throughout this year, sending various samples to blackstone as the time comes. hope to have some good data. i don't disagree with your intervals - i just personally question the oil it ships with. btw, this also depends on when ur car was built, if you ordered from dealership, or buy one off the lot, etc. and yes, if you want any oil changes outside of MINI's once a year or 10k/16k/whatever miles, you'd have to do it yourself, or at least pay it yourself

 

Here are pics from the Android App owners manual.

 

Ah, the old oil change debate. It comes down to what you are comfortable with. I follow the OBC interval on every car I own.

Nik

 

I seem to remember somebody testing the original oil and there wasn't any worrisome metal content to make one want to change the oil soon after taking delivery. This has come up before trust me. I am pretty sure the factory gets rid of any of that metal stuff before delivery. They don't break in the engine of course but they don't just let the metal particles damage your engine when the tell you when to change the oil either. Makes sense to me. And the check oil level feature is cool. My car doesn't notify me if the oil level is low or overfull.

 

i think more specifically, we're referring to the very first oil change, and whether or not it's a good idea to get an early change in to get out the oil that's in there while the car is breaking in (for the first 50-1000 miles) or not, BEFORE going ahead and following whichever OCI the owner chooses, which is a separate debate.

i think the theory here is that, if the engine is breaking in, there may be more metal particles in the oil, prompting a more "severe" run on the oil, and perhaps a good idea to change it out early. THEN, follow a normal schedule. As opposed to just leaving it in, and changing at the normal schedule.

 

right, i doubt either way there would be any worrisome metal content. i don't know how the factory would get rid of it without changing the oil again before delivery (perhaps just changing the filter?). it's not going to damage the engine by any means either way - it's just letting the engine run on cleaner oil after the engine has been broken in. it's not like huge chunks of metal are coming off during the break in practice, just marginally better and in the long run, probably not much difference. for particularly **** people like myself, we typically like to flush that "break in" oil out. i have heard also, may not necessarily be true, but the oil that comes in the car from the factory is slightly different and designed to be a "break in" oil. so, it may be well equipped to handle any increase in particles, but not necessarily for a 10-16k mile OCI.

again though, like i said - probably wont be much difference in the end - but I won't be leaving the original factory oil in any new car i buy for more than 500 miles. just for peace of mind. might as well flush it out.

 

So, with the base radio, this information is available on the 4-line display?

 

Dang! What is this with the disappering dip stick? First my Porsche and now the Mini. It certainly can't be a cost issue. The manufacturers keep taking things away then adding all these other distractions and wonder why folks get into distracted driving accidents! You want to do away with texting while driving accidents - eliminate automatic transmissions! Ever try texting and shifting

 

The part needing clarity "The oil level is checked and displayed via a scale". Yes, what I saw on the 4 line display was a line, I hesitate to call it a scale since it had no markings to indicate scale. What does the total "scale" represent? Will we get a result like "down a certain number of oz." or what.
Maybe others that have experience with this would like to comment. I don't have an issue about the lack of a physical stick, but given the critical nature of the oil level, I would just like to know how to determine what to add. Maybe we just wait or maybe it has a better indicator with the larger screen.

 

BMW has had the electronic oil level indicator for some years now. I have had at least 3 BMWs without a dipstick going back at least to 2011. There was (is) a lot of grumbling over on BMW Forums about the lack of dipstick, but I have found the electronic system to work fine. That's not to say it might not give problems down the road when a car is 5 years old plus. I think the grousing about it is likely akin to ppl complaining about fuel gauges, instead of actually dipping a stick into the fuel tank to see how gas was there. That goes back some years, and even I am not old enough to remember fuel sticks...!!!


Anyway, it is what it is; and seems to be the way of the future. Not all good, not all bad.