I was curious: would the Conditions based service (CBS) indicators change (date or mileage for service) if oil was changed more often than the CBS indicator would dictate?

Since MINI pays for the service when the indicators dictate service be performed, I was concerned that I'd be receiving fewer MINI paid for services by going the above route.

FYI, I had the oil changed at around 1000 mi (post break in), and I plan on having it changed again at 5000 mi (paid for by me), then MINI at 10K or when the service indicators dictate, then at 15K (paid for by me), etc... So would that mean that my car's CBS indicator would not trip around 10000mi or 1yr?

Has anyone located a service milestone's list (ie. mileage, and the services to be performed?) I can't seem to locate any such document for the F56 apart from "look at the conditions based indicators", which doesn't tell the user anything.

 

I thought the service reminding or indicator system was 100% based on the mileage alone and nothing to the with the "condition"....

 

If it's like the BMW CBS indicator, it takes into account running time, extreme RPM excursions, ambient operating temperature, and number of cold starts. There may be other parameters, but these are the classics.

The way to get your prepaid services is just don't reset the service indicator when you perform off-schedule oil changes. You get the 'benefit' of clean oil (though I firmly believe that 5000 mile oil changes are a complete waste of time, money, and resources in most usage scenarios) all the while the BMW service people see only the on-schedule changes.

 

What mileage do you do or do you recommend for F56?

 

So I bought my 2014 F56 in mid June. At that time the maintenance schedule was showing "+10,000 miles or 03/2015"...something to that end. I changed the oil on my own at 4400 miles thinking that would be roughly the half way mark. Since then the maintenance schedule has steadily "increased" during my drive (which by the way is mostly commuter miles of ~100 miles per day; very little stop and go, no heavy traffic type stuff).

I now have over 9500 miles on the odometer and the scheduled mileage still shows "+3200 miles or 03/2015".

I just recently changed the oil a second time on my own; not wanting to wait until +13000 miles for my next service indicator light to final come on.

Moving forward I will now perform an oil change myself at 6000 mile intervals and get Mini to do every other 6000 miles (obviously until my "free" Boot to Bonnet runs out).

 

As stated, the CBS indicators are not affected by interim oil changes as long as the CBS information is not reset. If the vehicle is scheduling an oil service at 8700 miles and you change the oil at 4000 miles, the "free" service will still be required at the 8700 mark (if the driving characteristics and weather, etc stay the same).

 

Ah... that explains.
So, the system is NOT monitoring the condition or quality of the oil, but does monitor other factors such as driving habits, etc. Smart but not that smart.

 

A premium synthetic like Pennzoil Platinum + or Mobil1 Extended can easily reach 15000 miles without compromising its performance in a favorable service environment. If the vehicle is a NYC taxi or used for nothing more than hauling Jimmy and Janie and their little friends around for 4 mile trips around Nome, AK, then I'd be thinking more like 6000-7000. The best way to gauge oil performance is by having your oil analyzed, the way YOU use it, by a competent lab like Blackstone. Then adjust change intervals accordingly. NO ONE can tell you the 'right' thing to do.

BTW, after mulling this over since my previous post, I remembered that BMW used at least two different approaches to oil life estimates. One way was what I mentioned above, but I believe that, at least in the M62TU, they had nothing more than Fuel Used as the independent variable. I don't know what the scale factor was, but I do remember getting change intervals of over 12000 miles.

 

Is the Service Indicator Light reset from the Vehicle Status menu after an oil change?

 

Are you guys sure the system doesn't monitor the condition of the oil by measuring its dielectric constant?

Mercedes started this in the late 90's and does it across their line: http://wardsauto.com/news-amp-analys...hen-change-oil

 

Well mine was at first saying come see us at 10,000 miles or the date of the car built.
Then it said 9,000 miles and now it says 8,000. So it takes into account my driving :P

 

On my last MINI (06MCS), I was told to follow the countdown monitor or bring it in near a year, and they'd do a "low mileage oil change." ... I never came close to the countdown within a year. Never had a problem getting a once-a-year oil change covered.

 

Awesome- I usually only do 8-9k miles per year. Will try this!

 

They will change oil at least once a year even if you have not had the indicator come on. Mine is now say oil change at 6000. Even after I had the oul refreshed from the oil filter housing leak.