i'm hitting 1,500 miles this week and was wondering what people's opinions are on a break in oil change. i'm planning on changing it between dealer services, but i'm wondering if i should change it somewhere around now and 2k miles.

opinions ?

 

i did at 2000 miles

would have done at 1500, but i was waiting for the oil filter socket i ordered to arrive

i did another change at 4500 miles

now coming up on 1st "free" oil change at 8200 per the OBC

 

I did mine, just after break in at 1200 miles.

Again at 7500.

My 2/2012 build MCS still is programmed for 15k changes (yeesh), with 11.7 showing it's reading out 4000 miles to go.

I'll be curious to see if it resets to 15k more at the service, or starts with the <new> 10k interval that activated with 3/2012 builds.

 

Wow, how hard do you drive the car? My OBC says i have 7k until an oil change. I currently have 8k.

 

First one at 1500. Next one at 6500. Then another one when the oil pump solenoid was replaced at 8500 (had to remove the sump). Now waiting for the "free" one when I reach 13000 .

Will maintain a roughly 5000 mile interval. Can't see oil lasting 13000 miles in a high rev + high heat turbo. So $100 to the local Mini mechanic for peace of mind is fine with me.

 

my 03/2012 build OBC started at 9,000 miles to first change, as i have driven the car, it has reduced from 9k to 8200 with time

scott

 

just had my dad's 09/2011 build 2012 cms all4 in to the dealer tuesday, oct 2, 2012 for the coolant temp sensor "recall"

while checking in, the SA said they would also do the "annual" free oil/filter change (low mileage change at 6400 miles)

when i started the car, the OBC showed 8000 miles to next scheduled oil/filter change

scott

 

This topic is an interesting one as old habits that my father gave me still resonate. My dad was a 3K mile oil change regardless... but the advances in chemistry around oil, and the synthetics especially, have changed the rules. I read numerous articles on how long todays oils last and it was very eye opening. "regular" oil for most manufactures now calls for 4-5K changes vs. the oil industry 3K. My moms honda has an oil sensor and she usually goes in for a change at 20% oil life, which is between 6-8K miles. So for our synthetic, 10K is very resonable and 15K isn't too crazy, although my brain wouldn't let me go that long as it'd drive me nuts worrying it was losing its ability to properly lubricate. I found lots of drivers who swear by a "break-in" oil change, stating it gets the bits left in the engine cleaned out, etc. That too appears to be somewhat of an urban legend as modern manufacturing doesn't leave crap in the engine when the put them together. I think the biggest thing I see with longer cycles between changes, assuming the oil is as good as all the research shows, is its good for the environment. The amount of oil "wasted" on shorter intervals has to be recylced, or illegally dumped in some cases.. sadly, and that process uses resources, fresh oil, etc. I'd recommend doing some reading on the net and see what makes sense to you. I plan to stick with a change every 8-10K miles.

 

My first change was around 5K miles, when I had my first free annual oil change. I had to add 1/2 a quart of oil in that time. My second oil change was 4K miles later, at my second free annual oil change. It used no oil in that time. My MINI now has 12K miles and hasn't used any oil since the last oil change.

I don't think it is necessary to change the "break-in oil", if there is even such a thing, at a very early mileage, like 1500 miles.

Dave

 

As someone who has been working in and around automotive manufacturing for the last decade, I couldn't agree more. I have heard a million theories about break ins, and most are being way over cautious. I have yet to have one person tell me they changed their oil at 500 miles or 1500 miles and found anything in their oil, and if they do, they need to take their car back to the dealership immediately... Having said that, if it gives you piece of mind, go for it, it wont hurt to put fresh oil in the car.

If a manufacturer is telling you a certain oil change interval, than its more than the car needs, its called a safety factor. If you drive fairly normally, go by what they recommend, if you throttle your car daily, you should probably be much more wary of the life of your oil.

 

then tell me why bmw/mini has reduced the OBC oil change interval from 15,000 miles to 9,000 miles and now to 8,000 miles?

scott

 

Pressure from their dealers for more frequent oil changes, it's a revenue thing not an engineering decision.

The only way to tell if oil is wearing out is to get it analyzed.

Dave

 

there is more to it than that, i was talking to a couple of mechanics at the mini dealership

they are finding sludge blocking the oil passages to the timing chain and timing chain tensioner when there get a mini in with the death rattle

when they find sludge, they drop the oil pan and remove the valve cover and find more sludge there too

these are mini's maintained by the dealer at OBC intervals

15,000 miles is to long on these turbo motors

scott

 

I tend to agree 15K is too long, but 5K is probably too short. However, if it gives you anxiety and you have the time or money, change it more often. As long as its being recycled at least it isn't being dumped into the ground. My OBC shows 7K to a change and I've got 2200 on it so far. I may do it before that, will depend on if I continue to drive it on the rough side or if I mellow over the coming months.

 

+1. Couldn't agree more.

 

interesting opinions.
i'm going to do my first before i hit 2k miles. then probably stick with once between service intervals. i've always been pretty religious about oil changes and have taken some vehicles to over 350k miles with no issues. if i can attribute at least a small portion of the extended life to oil maintenance then it's worth the price.
/2cents.

 

If you plan on keeping it for the long run, it's probably a reasonable plan.

My friend put 20k miles on her R56 before her first oil change because that's when the car told her it needed it. I thought that was crazy but long term effect will remain unknown because she turned the lease in at 36k miles.

I have always done a break in oil change and halved the service interval recommendation on post 1997 BMW brand vehicles. That's the model year where servive intervals magically increased which also coincides with the launch of the included maintenance program instead of owner pay.

I think intended length of ownership plays a role in people's opinion in regards to oil change frequency. To those who plan on keeping their car for the long haul, an oil change every 7 to 7.5k seems like good insurance. To others who don't plan on keeping it much past the warranty period, it seems like a waste of money, time, and materials.

At the end of the day it's your car and you can change the oil whenever you feel comfortable. An extra oil change here and there with the correct oil and filter won't hurt it.

 

Back in the days of my SHO's I would change my oil every 3k using the PEP boys synthetic used to be under $3 a quart, or mobil 1 at $5 on sale, ... Thats when I did a daily commute between Baltimore County, MD and my then JOB in Long Island, NY at the time gas was cheap $1.20-$1.35 premium. It was approximately every two or three weeks I would drain her and start again. On that motor never a knock no a leak nor a noise... I put over 350K on that motor and sold her to an older gent who still has her last time I checked. Up until a few years ago I was still maintaining her at 400K plus miles... and the motor was the same, quiet and when you got on her would wake up and pull hard with a wonderful roar all the way to 8K.

I did the same for my first GTI 3k, then it graduated to 5k when using strictly synthetic 0w30 mobil 1. Again no noise failure or sludge build up, Along came my Cayenne that said 1 year 20K (mind you Cayenne = 9 qt.s of oil, 5w40) , I still have not passed more than 7k on an oil change. Skip ahead again now to the Mini. I did change her oil a few weeks after I picked her up she had 6500 miles on her, had to order a few OEM filter kits. I think I have put maybe 2.5k on her already since I last changed the oil and am ready to change her oil again and its running mobil 1 5w40. Next may try 0w30, or 5w30 at the next change as I don't like how the oil is looking already.

It is not my first turbo car, and my old 2.2 turbo's and 2.5 turbo Dodges that I truly used to run hard never tarnished the oil as quickly as how this mini did. (those were high 13' second running mopar's run a lazy 14.1 and when you really squeeze 13's they ran on the old pep boys synthetic 5w30). I really cant see how 15K is possible without sludge and future failure knocking on the door. Even with laser cut blocks, laser cut pistons, and the chemistry geeks constantly formulating in my simple brain 15K oil change it don't compute on a small displacement high temp turbo motor.

 

Did mine at 2,000.

 

I cant answer that since I dont know their motivation for doing so, as of last week my mini dealer was still saying every 15K miles.

I personally dont let cars go more than 7-9k miles on a oil change, but I am an aggressive driver.

My main point was that the break in oil change on most modern vehicles is not really necessary.

 

I'm going with the dealer on the recomended oil change.

Like was said before its hard to get away from the old way of thinking, but I use to change my Cummins at 15000 and get an oil analysis done and it would still be good.

As a mechanic its hard for me to hold off but I will.

 

you may want to try a different dealer that keeps up to date on the current mini service policies

as of 03/2012 the oil change interval was 9000 miles/1 year, all mini's serviced by my dealer have the OBC set to 9000 miles/1 year to next oil change

as of last week it has been further reduced to 8000 miles/1 year

my dad's 09/2011 build 2012 cms all4 was in for it's first annual oil change and the sa made a big deal out of pointing out the next oil change interval has been reduced to 8000 miles/1 year in the OBC

scott

 

so the dealers want to do more Free Oil Changes? This doesnt make sense.

Increased Intervals from multiple manufacturers come w/ very specific types of oil approvals.
Newer synth oils can certainly last longer than 3-5K, but 10-15K might be excessive.
Increased intervals came from the industry marketing of Free Scheduled Maintenance with no mention of reduced warranty periods as well.
(so, manufacturers advertise the nice free maintenance but quietly reduce warranty periods & somehow the Oil Change Schedules increase as well? kinda suspect to me (*3 free oil changes for a shorter warranty, now thats good busines)

When dealerships started seeing failed filter elements(15K, 12-15mos in heat soaked oil) along with sludge build up in emissions/breather systems (did you know emissions components have a long but rarely mentioned separate warranty?) they reduced oil intervals and requested Filter manufacturers to produce 'fleece' (not paper) based filter elements.

think of the last few years as yrs the 'testing' period for interval changes & the fight between engineers & penny pinchers.

I'm approaching 4900mi & will likely change my oil @6k.
It's now finally just become a tad dark( I know this is not a statement of oil life). Just saying..
It also has not really consumed any oil. it just maintains the 'natural level' about 1/4 down the dipstick.

 

No, you only get one free oil change per year, the rest are on the owner's dime. Many people who drive 15,000 miles a year or more have to change their oil more often than previously, many will do so at the dealer, thus increasing the dealers revenue and increasing the dealer's chance at selling other services.

Dave

 

that is flat out not true!

you get free oil/filter changes every time the countdown gets to zero in the OBC OR once a year at the minimum

scott