I am a new R56 owner (base model) who plans to keep the car for a good long while. (I had my last vehicle for 20 years.)

Are there any high mileage owners - let's say at least 140,000 miles on the motor - who can report what kind of oil was used?

Thanks in advance.

 

Personally I would use the best oil from the start. As the miles pile on I would continue to use the oil that had gotten me that far.

As far as what oil, there are hundreds of opinions. One thing whatever oil you use, do not use BMW/MINIs intervals. If you want your MINI to last a long time change every 5,000.

 

There is a guy with like 300000 miles on his car. I have not seen him post for a bit, but then again, he is driving most of the time.

 

That is my intention - to find a good oil and stick with it. Presently, it has in it whatever the factory uses - presumably "MINI" brand oil, presumably made by Castrol.

Since the nearest dealer to me is some 200 miles (one way), I'm trying to decide if I want to commit to a lifetime of mail-order oil, or switch to something I can get locally.

To follow your advice to use "the best oil", I would need to know what the best oil is. Actually, I don't need the best (if there even is such a thing) - what I need is something that is adequate, given my goal of keeping the car for a long time.

But as I discuss in this thread:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...conundrum.html
... MINI is not very helpful when it comes to choosing an alternative oil.

Yes, there are many opinions - which is why I started this thread. Who can back up their opinion by saying "My MINI has xxx miles on the motor, and the only thing I've put in it is yyy brand oil"?

 

I'm using Mobile One 0W40 that I believe meets the specs for your MINI. Easy to find at most places. Many top quality oils will work for you. One thing, use a factory filter.

EDIT.....My MINI has 80,000 miles & has run Mobile One 5W30. I have recently switched to the 0W40, 3 oil changes ago. My MINI seems to like Mobile One.

EDIT #2..... I run a bottle of Techron through at each oil change also.

 

I have an 06 S with 105,000 miles. I use the recommended Castrol Synthetic oil and change it every 7,500 miles. I also run some bg44 through the gas tank twice a year to clean out the carbon build up. Car runs superbly!!!

 

As near as I can tell, Mobile One 0W-40 is the only commonly available synthetic motor oil which is on MINI's "approved" list, and which also clearly indicates it meets MINI's requirements for API SM and BMW LL-01. As you probably already know, only the 0W-40 meets MINI's specs - the Mobile One 5W-30 does not.

In addition to Mobile One 0W-40, there are 3 other oils on MINI's current "approved" list (website 9/2010):
* Castrol Syntec 0W-30 European Formula - in stock at my local Auto Zone; meets LL-01, but is API SL - a lower/older spec than SM.
* Pennzoil Platinum European Formula Ultra SAE 5W-30 - website is confusing - I can't differentiate between several similar products, and after giving specs, the site says "specs may vary with viscosity".
* Valvoline SynPower SAE 5W-30 - meets API SM, but says noting about LL-01. The 5W-40 version (only) does say: "SynPower 5W-40 also meets the engine performance requirements for BMW..." but the website doesn't mention the LL-01 spec.

 

Please clarify: Which Castrol product and where do you get it?

I have never seen a bottle of "MINI" oil - does it have a unique MINI label on it, or does it carry a Castrol label?

 

Total 10/50 and change it every 3k.

 

Where are the "approved list" and the "website 9/2010"?

 

It's actually "Mobil 1" not "Mobile One". I don't mean to be pedantic but this is a subject I'm particularly interested in.

I know some of the chemical engineers who developed and refined Mobil 1 and they have an almost religious devotion to the product. That says a lot.

 

Hope I didn't start a holy oily jihad...

Those fellows should be glad that I use their Mobile 1 or Mobil One oil in all my cars.

 

and he also stated he used mini oil and changed at the normal mini recommended intervals too.

 

Just a thought on oil and it's evolution.

When I started driving, oil should be changed at 2000k miles for longevity. We still did valve jobs, and seals, rings and all sorts of stuff that is pretty rare now.

Tolerances in engines are much much smaller. Machining is much more precise.

Add to that that Mobil 1 claims the oil is good for 25K miles. Back then no one suggested oil was good for that sort of time frame.

So now, we have very different oil, much less slop in engine internals so it make sense that you don't have to change oil every 2k miles anymore. It sure won't hurt anything but your wallet, but the time/distance just has to be longer than in the old days.

With that said, aside from highway driving at speed limits in moderate climates, I think 15k is just too much of a jump. Most folks are perfectly safe at 7500miles I would say and some need 5k changes. The area you live in, how you drive, where you go will tell you the category that is most likely to be right for you. No doubt some are fine at 15k, but not most in my opinion.


PS, Harold is on his second engine, but lots of original parts.

http://www.waukeshanow.com/blogs/com.../98614144.html

 

The approved list is on MINI's website - I just put the current date on there to remind future viewers that the approved list is subject to change.

Here 'tis, but I'm warning you, it ain't easy:

First go to http://www.miniusa.com/ and wait for the glacial Flash website to load.
From the "Stay in the Loop Menu", select "Become a Full Insider" then "Become a MINI Insider"
Fill in all the blanks, password, etc, etc.
Now, when you are on the MINIusa website, you can click on a link in the lower right corner "Owner's Lounge", then a redundant link "Visit the MINI Owner's Lounge" and log in. Are we having fun yet?
From the Owner's Lounge page, click on "Your MINI", then "Warranty, Maintenance..." and scroll down a little ways until you see this:
----
If I need to top off* my oil between services, is there specific oil I should use?
For starters, let us remind you that required maintenance work and services should be performed by your MINI dealership. That said, we suggest you check your engine oil level whenever you fuel up your MINI. If you’re low, top off with MINI High Performance Synthetic 5W-30 Oil (MINI part number 07 51 0 143 829) — the very oil we use for scheduled engine oil changes. If MINI High Performance Synthetic Oil is unavailable, we recommend using only the following approved synthetic oils. (For information on checking your engine oil level refer to your vehicle’s Owner’s Manual.)

*Excluded from the Maintenance Program.

The oils listed below meet MINI's Long-life rating and are acceptable for use in MINIs in the US market with gasoline engines.

Long-life rating LL-01 Approved Synthetic Oils for the US Market
- Castrol Syntec European Formula SAE 0W-30
- Mobil 1 SAE 0W-40
- Pennzoil Platinum European Formula Ultra SAE 5W-30
- Valvoline SynPower SAE 5W-30
Use only synthetic oils with an API rating of SM or higher. In other words, the good stuff. The choice of the right SAE grade is based on the climatic conditions in the region in which you normally drive your MINI. To best determine which SAE grade is best suited for your vehicle, contact an authorized MINI dealership.
----

 

I know this is an old thread, just wondering if any of you high mileage owners have tried 5w 50 or 0w 50 oil.

 

No need to go to a heavy oil even with high mileage.
Use a major company syn with an SN rating and you will have a high mileage oil. Stay with 5w30 or 0w30.

 

I second thulchatt, but with more emphasis. Not only do you not need the xW 50, but I believe it may provide less lubrication until the engine is full warmed up.

Some people claim the European ACEA A3/B3 specification is more important than the (US) API spec (SL, SM, SN, etc.) because it's a harder test to pass.

MINI/BMW's official position is that the BMW "LL-01" (aka: Longlife-01) specification is even more important than the API or ACEA specifications, but you will find very few oils that claim LL-01 approval. Besides the MINI brand oil available from MINI dealers (and the same oil branded for BMW), I know of only two LL-01 oils which are available in the US: Castrol Syntec 0W-30 European Formula, and Mobil 1 SAE 0W-40. That doesn't mean there are no other oils that *might* meet the LL-01 spec - if they were tested.

 

Pennzoil Ultra Euro 5W40 is LL-01 certified.
Valvoline SynPower 5W30 is supposed to be LL-01 certified (can't verify as the Valvoline site isn't working for me).

 

Let's meet some of my friends:



I posted this to help everybody identify what is and what is not a long-life oil. Remember, not all synthetics are. If you are changing your oil at shorter than the recommended intervals, this may not matter.

On the left we have Amsoil European Car Formula 5W-30. Right on the front it says it meets the BMW spec. It's going in the wife's R50 in a day or so. The price was nice and the Amsoil dealer is right up the street from me. She doesn't drive much (works from home) so I change her oil yearly. She's got about 6k since the last change.

In the middle we have Mobil 1 European Car Formula, also meeting the BMW spec. I've changed oil with this, too, but it's somewhat expensive compared to the other two. I got this out of the back of one of the cars because it's available everywhere and we probably had to add some on a trip.

On the right is the MINI branded oil, available at the dealer, and also meeting the BMW spec although I'm not entirely sure it says it on the bottle. This is what I have been running in my R50 for a couple of years. I go the 15k/countdown between changes. I'll be doing Blackstone reports on both engines when I change the oil next to see how they are doing with the extended changes.

Val

Edit: Here's the Blackstone report on the wife's R50:


Iron and Copper are somewhat elevated indicating a bit of engine wear; TBN was fine at 3.9 so they suggested that I could go to 11,500 on this next oil change. Engine has 101,000 on it and this oil was in there for 10,000 miles. Oil was predominately the MINI branded oil. As you can see, extended oil changes, even on an engine with over 100k on it, can be a reality.

 

valvashon - Thanks for the photos. I can almost read the labels, but not quite. When you say the Amsoil says it meets the BMW spec, does it specifically say "LL-01" or "Longlife-01"? (There is another BMW spec, LL-04 - which is not for the MINI.)

As for the MINI branded oil, the last bottle I bought did NOT have the LL-01 spec listed on the label - which just astounds me. Look down near the bottom of this page, and click on the image of the back of the MINI oil bottle to make it big enough to read:
http://garywright.smugmug.com/MotorC...5973451_bTQbF5

I'm pretty sure BMW part number 07510017866 is the same stuff as what's in the MINI bottle (MINI number 07510143829). A MINI service tech told me that both MINI and BMW use the same part number for the 55 gallon drums they supply to dealers.

 

Love Mobil 1 - 0W40.

Great stuff, "cheap" and easy to get. (often scored for $35 for 4 qts + filter at FALPS).

Meets specs, holds up great.

 

Amsoil is LL-01 and API SN/SM rated.

http://www.amsoil.com/shop/by-produc...?code=EFMQT-EA

 

I do 80% highway driving at speeds between 65 and 75MPH, plus a few autocrosses year and some rallys on the weekend that tend to be driven at 9/10ths, I am giving the Castrol 5w 50 a try and I have to say the engine is less buzzy on the highway, with a 5W on the front end i doubt there will be any cold starting wear issues, as this time of the year it is about 60 and my car is in the garage. The heavier weight I believe will do a better job filling in whatever gaps are in the engine after 130K, and I am curious to see if I burn less oil.I do my oil changes every 2 months as i tend to average 500 to 600 miles a week. So we shall see what happens.

 

elscotty - Yes, your link shows the Amsoil 5w-40 is recommended for vehicles requiring LL-01.

Valvashon's photo shows 5w-40, but his text refers to 5w-30. The 5w-30 is recommended for vehicles requiring LL-04 (and not LL-01) http://www.amsoil.com/lit/databulletins/g2808.pdf

Two points:
1. Don't assume LL-04 is an improvement which replaces LL-01. I found several references to BMW literature which specifically states LL-04 is NOT for gasoline engines outside of Europe.

I don't pretend to completely understand the differences, but LL-04 seems to formulated to reduce emissions in diesel engines. Apparently the anti-corrosion agent in the LL-04 has a short life when exposed to the ethanol in most US gasoline. This might not be a big issue if you follow short drain intervals and/or can avoid ethanol, but it's easier for me to just follow MINI's recommendations and stick with the factory oil -- one less thing to worry about.

2. I'm not sure what to make of the word "recommended" - recommended by who? Amsoil is not claiming their product has been "approved" (by BMW) or that the oil meets the BMW specification, only that they recommend it.

Mobil uses stronger language, with this chart showing the Mobil 1 0w-40 (and only the 0w-40) as having "BMW Approval" for Longlife-01
http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/...duct_Guide.pdf

I couldn't find a spec sheet for Castrol's 0w-30 European formula (German), but the back of the bottle says "exceeds the ... standard ... BMW Longlife-01" Even so, if I use the oil finder on Castrol's US website to search for a recommended product for the MINI, there are none. I confirmed this on the phone with Castrol -- they told me they have *nothing* in their US product line which they can recommend for the MINI.