2012 Cooper S: Oil Change.

Tools Used:
1. 27mm low-profile socket (3/8") (sold by RiteFit and can be bought at PepBoys, Autozone).
2. 3/8" ratchet.
3. 3/8" extension bar (10" long)
4. #8 Metric Allen socket (perfect fit)
5. Torque wrench

Lessons Learned: I haven't seen any pictures of a 2012 Cooper S oil change process, so I thought I'd share my experience.

1. Get a friend -- It helps to have a second person assist in holding back the hoses of the coolant reservoir. The coolant reservoir was detached as mentioned in the original post, but could not be moved as easily though (not sure if the 2012 engine is different than the engine in the original post).

2. Open the oil cap on top -- it aids in the draining process.

3. Get a low profile socket and a 10" extension bar -- there is only so much room to fit the extension bar and socket. If you try to use a regular 27mm socket, you may have issues disengaging it from the filter canister top, since by loosening it, you are in effect creating less space between nearby assemblies and the panels.

4. Once loose -- once the filter cap was loose, I disconnected the socket and ratchet and used my hand. There was still a coolant hose from the turbo system that was in the way, so I couldn't just pull it straight out. I pulled it out slowly by moving the hoses aside carefully.

Other than this, the pictures in the original post of this Thread are correct. I added 4.4 quarts of the new Castrol 5W-30 Titanium Edge oil.

Torque specifications were followed:
1. Drain plug: 22 ft-lbs
2. Oil filter cap: 25Nm (it's specified on the cap itself).

FYI to most people. Oil Filters are a pain to find. Had to try 3 different places before we found it. But it was a good brand so its all good. Put some Castol in her. she is one happy camper. next thing to do is an air filter upgrade.

They aren't hard to find at all. order them online. done.

Filters aren't hard to find; my dealership always has them in stock.
They're cheap enough to not waste my time looking for aftermarket alternatives.

Agree on filters on-line, but why the no on Castrol?

Ok so I am getting kind of frustrated. I changed my oil two weeks ago and the gasket ring on my filter cap has blown three times spewing oil all over the engine bay and draining my car of oil . First time it happened on the freeway and my car had drained 3 quarts of oil, second and third times I caught it right when it happened so nothing was really lost. I made sure that the ring wasn't twisted, primed it to the point of dripping, and torqued it down. Is there some special thing that I am not doing to get that gasket to seat properly? I can feel around the cap after it is installed and feel portions of the ring that are protruding slightly between the cap and the pump but it seems fairly uniform all the way around. Anybody have this problem or have any suggestions to get that sucker to sit in there?

thanks

I've changed my oil and filter at least a half dozen times and never had a problem. I have always used Mini filters, sometimes I bought them from the dealer and other times I bought them online. I always replace the rubber filter gasket and it has not leaked. What filter are you using, is it the Mini filter for the R56 or are you using something else?

My bad guys I just went and took out the filter once again and looked at it, and realized I set the gasket all the way at the top next to the flange and not set in where it was supposed to be. I was in a rush when I did my oil change and must have just slipped it on too quick and didn't realize it. Just goes to show that if you take your time to make sure you do it right the first time, it will save you time and headache. Where is the embarrassment smiley?

Edit: I am using the OEM filter

Hopefully you didn't do any engine damage by losing your oil.
And yes, you have to slow down and double check things before
putting it all back together.
Last time I did mine I changed out the drain plug for a magnetic one
and later that day noticed a drip around the plug.
Tightened it up a little more and checked it later and still a little drip.
One more time and now it's ok. Just seemed like I had to torque it a
bit more than I should have.

No need to be embarrassed, just feel lucky that no damage was done, and hopefully you'll always take your time, and be sure to have plenty of light in the area when working on your baby!
I always use the white diamond pleated OEM filters, clean oil is not one place to step outside the factory specs!

Just did the oil this morning. Its really simple. The only headache is getting to the filter housing. My coolant tank doesnt move too much after unbolting. I just removed the intake hose from the airbox to the turbo and went in through there.

I just did my break in period oil change on my 2013 MCS... no problem moving the coolant tank, but getting the filter back in was a chore to say the least. There are hoses and a rubber grommet / support ring that sit right on top of the filter and make it very difficult to get it back in. Had to horse them out of the way to get the filter back in. After that fun episode my local mini mechanic will be doing the in between factory changes instead of me!

@Tarbot It really does get much easier once the hoses soften. I had exactly the same problem and it has gotten much easier after a few more miles on the car. I'd rather personally wrangle hoses than trust a random mechanic. Don't quit yet!

Did the oil change on my R60 and wife's R56 same day. Thanks to this thread, it was relatively easy DIY. I ended up buying the oil from MINI of Peabody at $5.74 a quart. That's cheaper than buying Mobil 1 at the auto store!

This is a link to my tips and tricks for an oil change and checking the oil level on a R56 Mini with a few pictures and illustrations. I hope it helps.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...00-post13.html

Oceanmini2 / you should be paid a gazillion dollars by BMW for this write up! Thanks

I don't think BMW will pay me howerver I think some MINI owners may thank me some day after 100,000 miles and that is worth a gazillion dollars to me.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...00-post13.html

1) I changed the oil on my 2011 S hardtop yesterday and noticed it was significantly more difficult than the first time I did it. In particular, the oil filter was a chore to remove and even worse getting back on. The space was a much tighter fit than I remembered with hoses preventing the filter/cap assembly from even going in straight. My car went to the dealer for the coolant system recall a couple months ago and I'm wondering if new hoses were fitted as part of the procedure?

2) As a result of twisting the coolant reservoir out of the way to reach the filter, quite a few drops of coolant leaked from the bottom. After reassembly and a test drive, I didn't notice any more leaks. Should I be worried?

3) Is the 4.4qt a magic number or just a recommendation? I filled up with approximately 4.2qts, drove around, waited five minutes and checked the dip stick (using OceanMini's technique) to find it was only halfway between the two bulges. In the end, I used close to 5qts to reach the upper bulge. Am I overfilling?

I also noticed this... the coolant level is fine but the leaking is a bit of a concern.
Is the leak noticed by any other DIYers???

Make sure the pressure is low when moving the reservoir and don't open the cap when the pump is working after the motor is off.

aerodynamics, yes I noticed it was significantly more difficult to seat the oil filter cap after the temp sensor enhancement because of this new obstruction.

I think the new hose with the re-sited sensor is not designed to be sympathetically routed and is more of a 'bolt-it-on-and-shove-it-back-to-the-owner' type of solution. I've still got a large serrated black rubber strip tha I found hanging over the filter cap. I took it back and asked them to re-fit it and found it hanging open over the new hose in exactly the same way...

I'm afraid I'm not a fan of these post sale enhancements to MINI design. Having bought five in sucession R50 R56 R56S R56S R56S I rather expected them to have got it right.

My dealer regularly runs a $69.99 oil service special. I'm starting to think it might be worth it to pay and let them deal with it next time.

I also did my first oil change, that went fairly smooth. I did worry some about some of the coolant finding it's way out of the reservoir, but it seems to be somewhat common. Maybe I'll like the car sit longer next time between warm-up and draining.

I'm glad to hear the hoses do get a bit more flexible, cause that was a little more tedious than I expected. All in all, an easy change (especially since I sucked out the oil vs. the standard draining).

I use the same vacuum pump on the wife's Audi and I am convinced it's the way to go now.

I've been using the vacuum method for awhile now and felt comfortable with it. But last time decided to check by pulling the drain plug, the front of the car was up on stands for a bolt to lug swap and almost a quart poured out!
Trying to be more careful now but it is hard to know when you've gotten all the old oil out.

I use the vacuum as well, but mine has marks so I know when I have sucked out 4.5 quarts......was nervous the first time so pulled plug after suctioning and nothing was left in the pan.