Ok here's one for you all.

I have 9,971 miles on my Mini as of this morning.(!) I THOUGHT tht the oil change interval was 10,000 miles which means (through a process of simple math...) that I should have 29 miles on the 'you need to change your oil' display when I start up. However. This display reads 1,404 miles until my scheduled oil change on start-up. This would give me an interval of 11,375? Not even BMW is weird enough to pick a number like that for an oil change.

Is the computer screwed up? Is it sunspots, aliens, crop circles, the California recall? If someone has the obvious and simple answer I am not seeing could you please pass it on? I'm going to change the oil at 10K anyway, it would just be nice to know what is going on.

Thanks

 

Everything is fine, the interval is based on driving habits so it may be more or less than 10K before it recommends your oil change.

Your next oil change and inspection will be approximately 15K after your first oil change

 

Yup, it does depend on how the mini is driven.
I had my first oil change done around 4000 (oil was looking darker than I'd like and it was running below the hash mark when warm). Weird thing when I picked it up from the dealer, I would have sworn the service interval was reset at 15000; however, the next day it read 15450. I kept an eye on it to make sure it was counting down, which it is. Then I remembered that the computer must have readjusted itself taking into account how it was being driven.
(ps-dealer did not charge the oil change)

 

Lucky you, from what I hear most dealers are in fact charging if you want an oil change before the car tells you to...

 

All true, The onboard computer actually analyzes things like time spent at idle, avg. speed, avg. fuel consumption, to determine if the car is being run hard or not. It then automatically adjusts the service interval to compensate for the driven conditions. Cool huh? Flog it and go to the service bay a little earlier. Drive it like your mother was in the passenger seat at all times, and you could probably go 30k without any service.

 

Thanks for the answer guys.

And by the way, my mother IS Shirley Muldowney.....or at least she thinks she is

 

>>Yup, it does depend on how the mini is driven.
>>I had my first oil change done around 4000 (oil was looking darker than I'd like and it was running below the hash mark when warm). Weird thing when I picked it up from the dealer, I would have sworn the service interval was reset at 15000; however, the next day it read 15450. I kept an eye on it to make sure it was counting down, which it is. Then I remembered that the computer must have readjusted itself taking into account how it was being driven.
>>(ps-dealer did not charge the oil change) <<

I had my 10k service done last week (at around 9600 miles, which is when the indicator said to do it), and they reset the countdown to the next service at 15,500. When I called to ask why, he said that this was normal now, and that the new cars were programmed for a first service interval of 10,500. Interesting.

I switched to Mobil One with about 2,200 miles on the car, and I'll do another change soon to get that complimentary Castrol out of there. I prefer a real synthetic oil.

 

Don't mention that Castrol (BMW) Syntec isn't a 'real' synthetic around the MINI2 board, people get very very upset

Seems they are under the illusion that it's a comparative product to Mobil1

Are people using the OEM oil filter when doing their own oil changes, or is there a 3rd party one available?

Many thanks,

Chris.

 

>>Oh well, everyone's entitled to their own opinion, even if they're wrong
>>

>>

haha chris, i need to put that in my sig ur so right

i am going to chaging mine to mobil one at about 2700 miles, over thanksgivign weekend for piece of mind.

do you guys know when i go in for my free service circa 10K, if i can bring my own oil..aka mobil 1..to give to the dealer..to use that?

 

>>I prefer a real synthetic oil.<<

 

If you top off the oil with a different one than what is in there, is that bad? Like I have the MINI oil in there, but I want to top it off with mobile one or castrol syntec...

 

I believe it is anywhere from 8500 miles to 12500 miles depending on how you drive it. Mine ended up being 10.5k.

The same with the 25k service. That 15k miles interval is anywhere from 13.5k to something like 17k. I currently have 25k and my MINI is telling me to wait another 1750-1900 miles (I'm not sure which).

 

Use Amsoil and change it every 25,000 miles just to be safe.

 

I change oil every 4000 miles and then go for the free oil change whenever my computer tells me. If you drive hard and enjoy the cooper s is better to change oil more often. For me there is not oil that good even synthetic that would last that long.

Your engine with clean oil will last longer, specially if you have mods (Ecu, pulley exhaust, headers etc.) A car that is mod to be a high performance unit and is drven to the fullest should be change oil every 3000 miles.

My 02 of the day

2003 cooper s , Pulley by Randy, Alta intake, magnaflow exhaust, Pack 1 pack 2 Aero kit, 17 rv90 wheels, Lapiz blue leather seats, sun roof ( Drives like a Rocket)

Mustang 65 289 HIPO 4 speed, Headers ( Shelby 350 Clone)

My cars http://www.msnusers.com/ppanther

 

I have had 2 oil change done by the dealer so far 1st @ 9500 even though the computer said 11500. service advisor comments was that BMW will still pay if its within 1000, I asked for this change because I was about to go on a very long trip NY to Florida. The second @ 18650 when they did the JCW upgrade. conter now reset next oil change should be @ 33K miles