My Mini is at about 8K and the service indicator forecasts the first service to happen at about 12K miles. I guess that's a result of a lot of open road driving, but 12K miles seems like very high number for the initial dealer visit. Seems like most folks are getting serviced at around 10K [?]. I've done an oil change at 4600 and doubt if I'll go the full 7400 miles before the freebe dealer oil change. Perhaps I'll just dump the oil w/o a filter change...
-B

 

Hello out there... Has anyone else gone much over 10K miles for the first service...?

-B

 

Hi,

I wouldn't freak out, since the car's computer is what keeps you in good standing with the warranty compliance.

However, the incentive for what's best for your car shouldn't come down to what's 'free' and what you have to pay for. That's a financial question, not a mechanical one.

Even though it wasn't free, I felt it prudent to have my first oil change at around the 2500 mile mark. I got a free oil change from the dealership for having to wait too long, so I had that done at 5000. I then paid for another oil change at 7500, and I'm not 'officially' due for an oil change until about 10K--in about 2K miles from now.

In general, I'll probably keep with the schedule of two 'additional' oil changes between free service, as indicated by the car's computer.

At additional oil changes, don't let the tech reset your service interval computer, or the 'free' service will never come around.

Also, don't forget to have your oil changes stamped in your service book. I have the dealership stamp a blank page at the back of the book for the additional changes.

All this matters to me, since I firmly believe when you document the special, obsessive, care you give to your car, you increase its resale value, can find a buyer quicker, and have a clear conscience at sale time. Or, if you chose to keep the car for a long, long time, you keep it in tip-top condition. I'm very obsessive, so this works for me.

The reason for the variability in service interval is that different driving styles place different demands on the vehicle and the fluids within it. Still, I'd recommend establishing a service routine that YOU feel is appropriate for the car, and not just based on when the service is free.

P.S. With synthetic oils, it's probable even the service interval is being conservative. Definitely change the filter with the oil, since the filter is where the debris goes. If the filter ever gets blocked up, it is bypassed, meaning unfiltered oil circulates. Given the choice of one or the other, I'd change the filter more often than the oil, but you may as well just change both.

 

My service indicator reccomended 13k for first service...

 

Our 1st dealer change was over 12k miles (and that was with 2000 miles still on the indicator). I changed it myself at 5-6k to get the break in gunk out of there. Since then, the indicator seems to have steadied at 18-20k miles for the last 2 services. I change it myself at 9k and then let the dealer do the free one. Now that I'm out of free servece, I'll continue every 9k miles. We do mostly highway miles. It might go down a bit since my dad is now driving the car and he sits in more traffic than I do.

 

mine was bout 12k miles too. next one is scheduled 28k miles
im at 18.5k and indicator during startup shows 10k miles to service!
i check fluid levels often, just in case.

 

I'm in about 99% agreement with you [no way I'm going to run 12K miles on a load of oil], except for the reason to change the oil filter. There's probably some debris and break-in material that needs to be filtered out for the initial oil change, but if the filter ever becomes saturated enough to clog, something in the engine is dying an early death. Most modern engines, in a healthy state, have essentially nothing circulating around in the oil that's large enough to be trapped by the filter. Notice how small oil filters have become in the last 10-15 years? That doesn't mean an oil filter is superfluous, but it's more of a safety net than anything else. And I guess if something in the engine is grinding itself down to pulp, at least the grinds don't do damage elsewhere. IMHO, primary reason to change the filter is to minimize dilution of the new oil. It's also insurance for a good night's sleep.
-B