One word: Fumoto. Gonna put mine on this week!

 

RandyBMC,
You did a great job on the instructions. Three things I think you might want to add:

Prior to removing the canister, loosen it until oil drains out into the engine and through the sump into the drain pan. (This recommendation is included in the TIS from BMW.)

Don't use a twelve pointed wrench/socket on the drain plug if there's any chance that the plug has been overtorqued during previous oil changes. (I had to use a six point impact socket and 1/2" breaker bar.)

Use a wood or plastic implement to pry up the O-ring seal until it can be grasped by pliers. These materials will not score the groove in which the ring sits. The aluminum canister is very soft compared to steel tools.


Yesterday, I also replaced the air filter and it is worthy of a write-up for the less technically adept in order to explain the details. Things such as how the battery terminal must be tucked down toward the passenger side and how the filter housing can only open about a 2 inch gap between top and bottom. And the path the filter will take along with orientation changes as it goes out of or into the housing. I didn't have an assistant to take photos or I might have made one myself.

Regards.

 

In regard to removing/replacing the air filter, I would say that no such tutorial is really necessary nor any concern of doing anything wrong. Trust me, whether technically adept or not, that air filter is going to be swapped out without any fuss or muss. Not deserving of a pictorial tutorial. Just my two cents... Deserving of one: oil change, fuel filter replacement, and the one I'd really like to see -- the O2 sensor replacement. That's All Folks!

 

so i changed my oil today, but used the old filter. the tech said i was given the wrong filter. I checked the part number after I got home and it was the right filter. The hole in the new filter seems to be smaller than the old one. Do I just force it in? I don't want to blow my engine..

 

The hole in a brand-new filter will seem a little small, since it hasn't yet been expanded by placing it into the filter housing. Just put the new filter in the housing (the end *without* the black rubber gasket goes in first) and press the filter firmly into the housing until it seats over the post at the bottom of the housing. A little force is required, but it should seat fully without being crushed or anything like that.

 

anyone have a problem with pictures from first post on how to change oil as pictures wont work for me,and also i want to change oil myself for the first time on a 03 coopers with 6800 miles and want to know if using a oil suction pump to pull oil out of dipstick worth doing as car has no miles just old oil from no use, i want to change oil that way as i dont think oil that might not come out of drain hole will not make a difference,i will change filter tho
thanks a bunch
ron

 

Randy is no longer in business and that site is dead so linked pics don't work for anyone.
The text is still dead on.
My 2¢. Topside oil changes are for lazy *****.
Oll that old is crap. I'd avoid driving the car much particularly at high speeds or revs.

 

I agree that top-side oil changes are not the way to go. Doesn't get the old sludgy oil from bottom of pan.

 

Die UTI spambot

 

If the oil in question won't flow into the inlet of the top-sider's suction tube, I don't think it would flow out of the oil pan drain hole under gravity either. As long as you position the suction tube inlet at the low point of the pan, a topside oil change won't leave anything behind that a conventional drain wouldn't leave behind as well.

 

Let's see;
Since the MINI's oil pan already has a slope to improve drainage you could jack the front of the car up a bit to improve flow or...
get x-ray glasses or a fiber optic scope and an anti gravity pickup on the end of the tube to make sure you remove as much oil as using gravity. Yea, I like hi-tech too.
Feels like old times.

 

I'm 50 years old. My father, a machinist and car enthusiast got me involved in cars at a very young age. I was rebuilding small engines by the age of 10. I don't even want to guess at the number of cars I've owned over all those years. After I bought my Mini, that was the first time I brought my car back to the dealership for a scheduled oil change. I've always done them myself. This morning, I went out to the garage to do it's next scheduled change. I've done oil changes on canister-type filters before. Couple of Benz's and one or two others. But the design of the Mini's set up is absolutely awful. It's placement is awful and the quality of the parts are awful. Very disapointed in Mini/BMW. And the "mechanic" that did this car's first oil change at the Mini-stealership should be shot. He rounded off the oil plug. Right from the moment I first crawled under the car I knew I had a problem. But I came up with these two pointers. 1) when you get the filter canister off, take some emery-cloth and dress up the threads on the canister. They are rough and have "flashing" that make it difficult to screw on and off and 2) after cleaning the threads, screw the canister on and off it's holder a few times without the filter or o-ring in place. This will help "seat" the threads and will aid you in learning the angle to hold the canister to get it on easier. BMW/Mini - I'm very disappointed. This is a third rate design more appropriate for a Kia, not BMW/Mini.

 

Excellent tip on cleaning up the threads. On my '02 they were just as you described. I deburred them with a brass wire brush on a Dremel first and followed up with 1000 grit. A little more course than emory but it worked. Light touch and don't rush. Did a final clean with Blue Magic metal polish. More just to remove grit than do a hard polish.
Over torquing the plug at dealerships must be in the manual.

 

Is there a downside to replacing the filter with a filter from autozone or advanced? Do you have to go through mini parts to get a new filter?

 

I don't know what brand filter you are referring to when you say autozone or advanced. There are some things I NEVER cheap out on, and oil and oil filters are two of them. Stick with high quality parts. I purchased my filters from Moss Mini. I had to buy 2 since the cost of one was under their minimum order. They were about $9 each and I recieved them within 3 days of ordering them. When it comes to oil (engines life-blood), filters, brakes, coolant, etc., buy high quality stuff. For a couple of dollars more, it could mean the difference between disaster and a car that can give you 100,000 trouble free miles.

 

Buy BMW or buy Wix. Other brands are crap.

 

Finally got rid of my money pit mini. Good bye all!!

 

Uh, ok.

 

Any chance of getting these photos again?

 

Someone needs to create a new walkthrough with new photos. Bummer that these are gone, but at 2003 I suppose the missing pics may have been low rez anyway

:(

 

I have some new pics/comments along with an archived copy of Randy's instructions here:

http://www.billswebspace.com/mcs.htm#R53OilChange

 

Nice! Thanks...

 

Has any one tried to use a MityVac? I had bought one when I was doing my own Mercedes oil changes because of all the plastics underneath the car, and it is how most dealers do it, you never need to remove the oil drain plug or crawl under the car. They make a model with a bicycle type pump attached, or if your real lazy like me get the one that hooks up to your compressor. the just suck the oil out through the dip stick hole. and getting rid of the old oil is easy just poor out like a big pitcher. They also give you the attachments to bleed your brakes.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...8374_200008374

 

[QUOTE=RandyBMC;54953]SMKKVK,

"I haven't researched whether or not there are benefits to using a canister, but I know that BMW has used this method for some time. My personal opinion is that they do it to keep you going to the dealer for parts."

In over 40 years of workin with engines, I've never had a problem removing a canister filter unless the bolt holding it on was stripped, or rounded.
Spin on filters can be a beeatcsh if over torqued.
If it is such a pain, to get to the filter, has anybody made an aftermarket remote filter kit?

 

How come I can't see the pictures? That would be very helpful