Call them and talk to them.

 

Was this panel left open after the service, or did you open it yourself? Also, have you looked in here before the service was performed?

I see a spot of disturbed dust, but I don't see anything that's blatently missing. And, no, there isn't any reason to open this panel up for a oil change.

I would agree with the previous post: if you have a problem with the car after a service, the first thing you should do is contact the shop. In fact, if you're suspicious about the shop's quality, you shouldn't even drive away from the shop until after you've made a thorough inspection of the car. It's a lot harder for a shop to deny a mistake when it is found before the car has left the premises.

 

Where would the 'OBD' Port Connection be located in an R53 MINI?

 

ken: that pic is not my car. i just google for pics and thats what i found. thats why i have an arrow pointing to what i said was obviously missing now in my car. what is that? if some1 would be kind enough to post a pic of their own so i can compare what's missing. and no. i did not check under my steering wheel or any part of my car before and AFTER service. but now i will! im a woman so i dunno know what parts are under my steering wheel. so i am asking what is there? so i know what i am talking about when i call them tomorrow. and know if they're BS-ing me. i actually have a good question for them as to why they touch parts under my steering wheel in the first place?? for oil service?

tart has a good question on 'OBD' Port Connection location on an '06 base MINI model(my car)... is it under the steering wheel? coz they reset the inspection counter now it is reading over 15 k "countdown" for next inspection. im havin sleepless nights over this.

im calling them later today after work so i hope i have more information from here before i call them.

THANKS!

 

OK....just take a couple of deep breaths and relax. I have known dealers that were less than competent, but I have never known a Mini dealer to steal parts from a car brought in for service. You have a four year warranty, you are covered. Is there anything wrong with the car? Does the steering feel different? Any reason why you would suspect something has changed? There could well be some technical service bulletin calling for an inspection of some steering part. Just call them up and ask them what the inspection items were and what they were looking for in that area. Stay calm, don't accuse them of anything, just tell them you want to understand what they did.

 

It could easily just be that the photo from Google was from a slightly different configured or equiped MINI.

This would account for seeing a 'part' in the photo, but not under your dash.

Here is a website that shows many, many thousands of parts with drawings and p/n's that you can browse through.

What rickdm posted above would be very true.

 

the steering wheel feel different in a sense that it was adjusted to high position. i noticed that when i entered my car after service but never suspect something. the driving is good. i think i might just be missing a cover... for this:



the one on red arrow. what is that part? there are like white splatters around it too. it is obvious the cover is missing (NOT the white part it is there, im talking about the gray part) because the carpet is exposing parts around it.. obviously something (a cover) was taken off and was not reattached.

could some one upload that part of their car here(the gas pedal area)? coz im really really tempted to go to a mini dealer just to see what it is supposed to look like.

 

2006 MINI purchased in 2007 doesn't make it a 2nd gen. why is this in this thread and why do people keep feeding it? no one has the answer. please stop. Let's save the earth.

 

to the poster above me: well if you gonna go A-hole.. why reply at all? i dont even know diff of 1st gen and 2nd gen. im asking for help if you cant and wont then STFU.

 

MINI had a major change between the 2006 and 2007 year models, they look a lot alike, but just about everything was changed and that is why they have "1st-Generation" and "2nd Generation" web boards.

When you ask questions about your 1st Generation MINI on a 2nd Generation Board, you will not get help, as the folks here just do not know the answers you want.

Click Here and open the Board where you could post your question and possibly get an answer.

Calling the members here by foul names is not good for anything and I wish you a good-bye and best of luck.

 

Well said, Pilotart, thank-you! This is a great, informative thread that needs to get back on track.

 

If you have oil on the engine after changing the oil you can spray "BRAKE Kleen" and wash away the oil stain the easy way. It will not hurt anything and does a great job of washing away the oil. Us Harley people have been using this for cleaning for years & years. It is sold under a lot of different brand names.

 

I know this is a late reply but I just came across this post. I get Elf oil HERE.

A bit costly but $50+ gets free shipping.

 

I just finished my first oil change @ 1900 miles. Great information, only problem was that I needed to go out to Sears and pick up the T50 to remove my oil plug. I also bought the Minimania kit but they need to add this. Thanks for all the information, oil change was a breeze!

 

The Torx T-50 is a kinda loose fit, should use an 8mm Hex, were you able to torque 22 ft/lb with the T-50?

I stopped at Advance Auto Parts today and was able to exchange the 1-1/16" Deep Socket for the 27mm Short Socket (both were 1/2" drive).

 

The T-50 didn't seem loose, and I did torque it to the 22 ft/lb. I'll have to check the fit on my next oil change. I'll be able to check it more closely when I have the plug out. Thanks for the tip!

 

Changed my oil this past weekend after I put my H&R springs on @ 5600 mi...

I have to say, the oil is pretty black... Viscosity was still there but the color was dark...

I definitely think Mini/BMW needs to be more realistic about their oil maintenance schedule... Especially for a vehicle that has a turbo which means it runs much hotter then normal vehicles....

2008 MCS - I had a HEX oil pan drain plug...

 

Thanks for mentioning THIS (8mm Hex) I've been following along on this thread and I was afraid to ruffle feathers.
It is a Hex socket, NOT a Torx Socket, it will work ...then again a regular screwdriver can also work with a Phillips head fastener in a pinch, but not highly recommended given a choice between proper tools. The same applies here.
Everybody who likes to wrench on their own vehicles should at the very least own a Metric (Allen) hex wrench set along with standard.

PS, I'm not trying to be on a high horse or anything like that.

 

For those changing your oil, make sure you have a 1/2 driver extension so you can remove the oil filter...

You are not going to be able to remove the filter just with the 27mm socket... 6 inch extension is perfect fit....

 

Can I assume the R55 Clubman will also use filter kit 11-42-7-557-012 ?
WayMotorWorks didn't show any clubman item.
RealOEM shows that kit to not include the Crush ring.

 

Filter kit 11-42-7-557-012 was what I got at a MINI Dealer (Orlando) and it included the copper crush ring.

You may need the 27mm Socket extension for the 'S' version and you may need to move the coolant tank.

For the just'a-Cooper, as long as you get the Short (not deep) Socket (27mm or 1 1/16" are same size),
you need no extension and don't need to move coolant tank.

 

Yeah, I'm not sure about regular Mini's but on the "S" you do need move the coolant tank & need to have on hand a 1/2 driver extension.... On "my" R56 ne ways....

 

On the 'S', the TurboCharger is where the 27mm Socket Drive handle (or Torque Wrench) would be, without the extension.

On the just'a-Cooper, (no TurboCharger) extension is not needed and would need coolant tank moved for even the three inch 'extension' of the 'deep' socket.

Important note on oil filter cannister removal is to unscrew it but leave it in place to drain (while sump is draining), or you will make a mess.

I like to pull sump drain and loosen filter cannister and allow them to drain overnight, next morning the engine has cooled and no oil spilled.

 

When I had my VW Jetta TDI, I lurked on the TDIClub forum constantly. Those guys are some of the most intense maintenance freaks around. It's like sitting in grad school for Mechanical Engineering every day. Those guys know more about oil than anybody.

First off, you can't judge oil condition by appearance AT ALL. How it looks to your eyes is totally irrelevant. If you want to know the condition of the oil, you have to pull a sample and have it analyzed. Second, most modern synthetics can easily go 10K miles in a turbocharged engine before they lose any significant lubricating properties. The oils used for extended drain intervals with oil monitoring systems can go up to 20K miles.

We've all been conditioned by the lube industry to change our oil every 3K miles to preserve our engines. That was designed to lube their bank accounts, not our engines. Even conventional oils were good for well over that distance, synthetics considerably more. The last thing that any automotive engineers want is for engines to fail due to inadequate routine maintenance. If the lube engineers and mechanical engineers have determined that the oil can go 15K miles without undue wear, I'm going to trust them. If you don't want to trust them, trust your own sampling. It will cost about $25.

 

I'd like to agree with Kenbob; I've never seen any real data that supports frequent oil changes in modern auto engines; only advertising from the oil companies and oil change places.

If I may, I'd like to add my knowledge of this topic.

As an aircraft mechanic, I've had training in oil analysis. The tests were first developed for the aviation industry to provide a tool to predict engine wear. What they do with your oil is run it through a spectrograph, which burns the oil in a chamber and records the resulting colors and intensities of the light given off. Since each element in the oil burns with a identifiable color, they can tell not only what's there, but also how much by using the relative brightness of each color seen.

To be meaningful, many such samples over the life of the engine need to be analysed and trends noted. The theory is that all engines experience wear when they are operated. This wear results in a certain amount of material being worn off of the surfaces of the engine at a predicable rate, and end up in the oil. This rate is determined by averaging many test results. When there is a sudden increase in a material, that means the part that is made of that material is wearing at a higher rate than before, which is usually a trustworthy indication that the part is nearing failure. Knowing which parts are made of what material gives mechanics a clue as to which parts to look at.

Note that there's no way to determine an oil's lubricating properties by burning it. A Spectrographic Oil Analysis Program (aka SOAP) does not test the quality of the oil, only the oil's contents. Note that an oil's contents will not only be effected by wear rates, but also by the oil change interval; the longer an oil is used the more material it will contain. Changing types or brands of oil will also change the test results; when the lubrication qualities of the oil change, that also changes wear rates.

The SOAP test does not measure the lubricating qualities of the oil, nor it's viscosity, film strength, flash point, etc. All of these items are critical characteristics of oil and without that data, any judgement of oil quality is based on incomplete information.

Oil analysis is a useful tool, and should be used by anyone interested in the long-term condition of their engine. But like any tool, it needs to be used and the results interpreted correctly, based on what is being tested, as well as the intent and technique of the test.