I just got my first service done.....10k. Now my service indicator reads "inspection 15,000". You mean to tell me my next service is at 25,000 miles!!!!????? What the hell? Not only is that a long time to go without checking the brakes, tires, ect.... but that means MINI basically only covers two services?? Anyone have any ideas on this?

 

Very perceptive, that's it. period. Its why some of us change our own oil and filter every few thousand Ks and rotate our own tires, etc. MINIs are almost no maintenance according to BMW, but it sure don't look rignt.

 

Yeah, but what about belts, brakes ect???

 

My first service came up at over 12k miles, and now my next one will be at about 30k or even more. The only thing I will do inbetween is rotate tyres. I'm ok with oil changes at the specified intervals (I can almost hear you cringe, MGCMAN, and would have never done that of course on me ole MG), but the tyres do need rotating! Unfortunately I waited a wee bit too long and only swapped at methinks 13k. I think the track day ate about half of my former front tyres, and now being on the rear they are almost as balde as me own top :smile:

 

That would/will trouble me too. The computer doesn't calculate in real miles, though...supposedly it compensates for driving style and probably other things, too. Maybe it will recalculate one of these days. (...wishful thinking!) If it were me....and it may be in 500 miles...I'd double check this with the service advisor. (...but you'll be very lucky to get a straight answer, right?)

 

I was sceptical, so I paid to have the oil/filter change, fluid levels checked and an overall inspection by my local forign-auto mechanic at 5000 miles, and again at 17,500 miles. He finally had to admit that I was wasting my money. With the high-priced filter and synthetic oil, the car can go that long without changing it. At least the way I am driving it, which is NOT stop-and-go city driving. At the 25000 mile inspection, it checked out fine. I'll continue to check the oil infrequently, just to make sure. But otherwise I plan on waiting for the next 15,000.

 

Generally belts should last 3 to 5 years for auxiliaries. The timing belt is a +/- 60k mile change (out of warranty = you pay). Brakes are anyone's guess, as driving conditions and usage vary. I've had a set last 60k while I lived in the flat area and another set last only 10k on the same vehicle when I moved to the mountains. But all that is different than regularly scheduled maintenance, which BMW feels only needs to be addressed at 10k and then at 15k increments.

 

I thought you were am MA antsmini????????

 

I am, for only two more weeks...but still I have nothing to do with the service end and never realized that the second mantainance was at 25,000 until I saw it on my on my own car. Was just very surprising.

 

Wow, this is enlightening. I thought the first service was around 10K and the second was around 15K, not 15K MORE!!!

I had planned to do an oil change every 5K or so regardless, but now I'm totally confused.

 

Yeah, I just did my first service at 11,500 (Which was at -2,200 Miles-to-service, so I could have brought
it in at 9,300 Miles)

And after the service, it read 15,500 Miles UNTIL THE NEXT SERVICE so I'll be at 27,000
for the second service.

I'm pretty sure I'll change oil once before the 27,000 Mile service, but that's it for me.

Oh, I rotate tires when I change to winter tires in the fall and summer tires in the spring.

 

>>I just got my first service done.....10k. Now my service indicator reads "inspection 15,000". You mean to tell me my next service is at 25,000 miles!!!!????? What the hell? Not only is that a long time to go without checking the brakes, tires, ect.... but that means MINI basically only covers two services?? Anyone have any ideas on this?


Yes that is the way it is. Keep in mind though that the service interval could be either kept at 15K or below that depending on your driving habits and conditions.

Why people complain so much about the 15K mile oil change intervals????

YOU HAVE SYNTHETIC OIL IN YOUR MINI!!!

If you don't trust the synthetic oil technology and feel the urge to follow the "old book" of 1950's car maintenance, then switch to dyno and change every 3K miles.

Changing synthetic before the 10K to 15K mile mark is wasteful and totally diminishes the purpose of having this expensive oil in your car.

I did my first ever oil change at 10K and ZERO problems.

 

I will be doing my first ever tire rotation and balancing this coming week @ 11.7K miles.

I just did my 10K mile service a bit over a month ago and since I do a lot of stop and go city traffic driving, the computer already has adjusted the next service interval to 12,975 miles!

It really works!

 

>>Generally belts should last 3 to 5 years for auxiliaries. The timing belt is a +/- 60k mile change (out of warranty = you pay). Brakes are anyone's guess, as driving conditions and usage vary. I've had a set last 60k while I lived in the flat area and another set last only 10k on the same vehicle when I moved to the mountains. But all that is different than regularly scheduled maintenance, which BMW feels only needs to be addressed at 10k and then at 15k increments.

The timing belt is a +/- 60k mile change (out of warranty = you pay).

The timing belt is a chain so it will not need to be serviced at 60k.

Check out this thread Timing belt or Chain?

 

The scary thing is that when I called Castro and asked about oil change intervals for Syntec, they told me 7500 miles! Mobil told me 7500 also (for Mobil 1) unless I plan on getting rid of the car before 90K. Why does BMW think they can run this oil to 10 or 15K?!? I have already changed mine once at 3K and will wait until 10K to do another change, and after that I'll stick with 5 to 7K intervals depending on how rough I am with her.
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Alta pulley, Stebro exhaust, Pipercross intake, Progress rear anti-sway bar.

 

The Oil changing has been a big issue. The way I look at it, I'll eat the cost (65 bucks to have someone do it) every so often. In the big picture it's not much money to protect my baby.

 

Are you sure that the inspection interval is the same as oil change? When I first got my car it would say "Oil Service" and started counting down from 10k. After my first service, it changed to "Inspection" and started at 15k. It seems to me that "inspection" is different from "Oil Service" and that I was still entitled to an oil change at 20k. I may be wrong, but thats the way I thought it was. Ants, see what Maria has to say about this.

 

You're right weekend racer, I looked at the owner's manual again an oil service is every 10K, though I'll still stick with my 5-7K plan, 10K is just too long IMO.

 

If you distrust the recommended 10K and 15K oil change intervals, I recommend for you to switch over to chaper Dino oil and replace every 3K to 4K. It makes ZERO sense to spend $65+ on synthetic oil to replace it every 7K miles...totally wasteful.

 

Oil change intervals, now here's a topic I can enjoy. I change my oil every 3k miles, just like I've been doing for the past 30+ years. I know synthetic oils are superior, but they still get contaminated. It totally depends on the conditions just how contaminated and how quickly. Oil is cheap, engines are not. My first used motorcycle, a 1964 BMW R69S had 35k on it when I bought it. I sold it 13 years later with just over 200k. It was still running pretty good. Why? 3k mile oil changes. My current BMW bike, a 95 R1100RSL has 63k miles on it and it doesn't use any oil between 3k mile oil changes. My other car, a 90 BMW 325is has about 140k on it and it doesn't use any oil between 3k mile oil changes. Same reason, frequent oil changes. I have NEVER sold a car or motorcycle because it was used up. I sell them because I get tired of them. When I go to the MINI dealer for my 3k mile oil change, they make jokes like, Who's turn is it to get MB's oil this time. Some of you guys will probably make fun of me too. It's okay, I'm getting used to it. Synthetic oils are very, very good, but the internal combustion engine (especially supercharged ones) is an extremely violent action, and as long as it remains that way, so will the 3k mile oil changes. So there. All of you non believers, give me your best shot.
MB

 

OK guys, do some homework & you'll find out I'm reght. Use Redline Oil ($7.95 qt) change every 10K mile to comply with Mini warranty and don't worry about. I think Castrol Syntec sucks... just about the poorest synth, oil on market.

 

I just had my service done at 13,300 miles. Next on is scheduled for 15,500 miles from that.

I found out that the indicator goes by fuel consumed and NOT miles driven. Hence the problem with the number not decreasing by the number of miles motored.

Can anyone confirm this?

 

I was told by my dealer (Down Town MINI) in Orlando, that it depends on how the car is driven as to how long until the next oil change interval. Hope this helps,
MB

 

>>I just had my service done at 13,300 miles. Next on is scheduled for 15,500 miles from that.
>>
>>I found out that the indicator goes by fuel consumed and NOT miles driven. Hence the problem with the number not decreasing by the number of miles motored.
>>
>>Can anyone confirm this?

That would make sense. For the first 2K, I averaged below 20mpg, now I get in the low-mid 20s. I'm not yet at 9K and the OBC says I'm due for an oil change in another 100 miles. Do I have the earliest oil change coming in before I hit 9K?? Damn NJ traffic :evil: :evil: :evil:

 

>>I was told by my dealer (Down Town MINI) in Orlando, that it depends on how the car is driven as to how long until the next oil change interval. Hope this helps,

Sounds about right. So if you get crappy fuel economy (by driving it hard or in stop and go traffic a lot), then your maintenance will be sooner.