So far I haven't done any maintenance on my 2010 mcsa, and I am not familiar with the dealer maintenance program.

 

The dealer may or may not do an oil change at a year or sooner, depending on your miles driven. I have 4,600 on her now and plan to do my own and the first oil change at 5,000. The oil consumption is getting it down where I would have to add oil soon anyway. Already have the unique tools, filter and Mobil 1 ready and waiting.

Only other maintenance thing I have done so far is upgrade the noisy OEM wiper blades with curved PIAA's.

 

Just did my first oil change yesterday at 3,950. Man was that oil black and I mostly drive highway and have never tracked it. I bought the tools also and used mobil-1. It is so simple I cannot believe I had never self-changed the oil in any of my other cars. It is so rewarding knowing that for about $50 my car is being protected by new oil.

 

I might get flamed for this one, but why wait 'til 5500mi. to do the 1st Oil Change, I've paid for 1 per year, the Dealer has paid for the other. It's piece of mind knowing that you've taken care of something that in my case I want to last as long as possible!! I don't rely on mileage either, except for the first one, Molly's first Oil Change was at 1500mi. or there abouts and the rest fall every Oct. and April 19th (Molly's Delivery Date).

 

Not sure what you mean - today's oils and engines can go many more miles than that. Time is a factor too, I picked 6 months or 5K for my comfort zone. 5K came up in 5 months. But I know full well 1 year and 10K would have not hurt a thing, especially with make-up oil added due to consumption that would replenish the additive package.

About the "free" 1 year oil change....... Which we all paid for it in the purchase price....

 

I believe MINI has reversed the policy about the one-year oil change if over 6k miles.

At 5,500 miles the only thing I'd do is rotate tires.

 

I'm with you RJ. Did mine at 1000 miles, then my second at 5500

 

That's good to hear, then my MINI will get a change every 6 months on my dime in my garage, then on my dime again in their garage - since the "free" maintenance is included in the purchase price.

Tire rotations have 2 schools of thought, I subscribe to the no tire rotations school. (Which is right out of the MINI manual page 102). When the fronts are shot, time for 4 new tires.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...rotations.html

 

A lot depends on how you drive... more 'spirited' driving will cause the front tires to wear MUCH quicker than the rear tires. I'd hate to replace all 4 with only two worn out and two with 60% tread left. By rotating, I get to use all of the tread on all four tires.

As for the other idea of only replacing the front two when they are worn out, then eventually replacing the rears when they finally wear out... I could not do that because I like the look and feel of 4 new tires and I also try different brands and types of tires. Then again, I buy a lot of tires so I like to get maximum life out of them despite my driving style.

Since my OBC only gets me a "free" oil change about every 18k, I change every 6k and rotate the tires at each change.

 

I've been changing my engine oil myself between dealer changes also. I changed my Mini's oil at twenty-five thousand miles and the oil had five thousand miles on it.

While doing the oil change, I took a sample and sent it to Blackstone Labs and had it analyzed. They found the oil still had additional life on it and recommended increasing the oil change interval to sixty-five hundred miles. I plan to do that except it looks like a dealer change will be coming up next.

Obviously everyone's driving habits and conditions are different, so this might not work out for you. I am using the Mobil 1 0W-40 European Formula and a new Mini filter with each oil change.

 

oil every 5-6k

rotate the tires each time. I dont care what Mini's manual says, they rotate just like every other car. My stock runflats are still perfectly evenly worn, with 47K miles (yea I had them off for a winter lol)