Are there any maintenance tips available for maintaining a Mini Cooper ourselves? The inspection services look pretty large, but a large part of them are "checking" things, and I'm curious to see what I could do on my own.

Is anyone doing this? I know how to do an oil change and rotate tires, but it would... say... be a learning process otherwise.

(I'm asking because my car is due for a major service and it's just out of the three-year free service period.)

Best,
Jamie

 

http://www.bentleypublishers.com/product.htm?code=mc06

I think this thing would be a great buy for anyone looking to do their own maintenance which is what I plan on doing. The stuff they go through on those services are actually quite ridiculous...things that could be easily checked/inspected by anyone. They just try to justify the price they charge you..

I think the service 2 costs $650 to $700

 

Thanks for the response! Yeah, I'm having second thoughts about bringing it in for maintenance this week. I may cancel my appointment and say to heck with it.

It looks like all we have to do for these cars is change the oil, the filter, and the microfilter. (At least at 26K miles, which is what I have.) And I think I should do the brake and coolant flushes, too. But those don't look difficult either.

 

Or take it to a reputable import shop give them the list, ask for a quote and see what they would charge for similar major/minor service interval.

 

my dealer changes all fluids, the brakes (if needed) and the serpentine belt on the 2nd scheduled mtce. that's why I was trying to squeeze it in before my sched mtce ends in Oct, but since I plant to sell/trade my R53 for an R56 this is moot...

 

I think you could do all of the service yourself rather easy. I just flushed out my entire brake/clutch system using ATE Super Blue last week; my stock brake fluid was starting to turn dark and, after all, had been in the car for two years. I usually changed it every 18 months in my previous cars (MGB and MG Midget).

Definitely get the Bently Manual, I bought mine off of Amazon.com a bout 5 months ago and got it for $75, so you can find deals out there. It's a great maintenance manual, much better than the Haynes (which I also have).

I also do my own oil and installed a Fomoto to make the next oil changes easier. I switched to AmsOil; I found it exceeded the oil specs of the MINI/Castrol Syntec the dealer uses. There are a lot of great posts here on NAM, I would search those as well.

Doing the maintenance is easy and it helps you get to know your MINI better.

 

Thanks! I decided to give it a shot myself after reading all of these responses, and searching (like a total nut) through hundreds of archived posts here in the forums.

I'm going to order a Mann filter from Minimania.com, a microfilter from someplace (lots of options, though the factory one is expensive at $56), and get whatever few tools I need. And I'll buy some Mobil 1 full synthetic 5w-30 and give it a try.

 

Pepper, how did your oil change go? I am thinking of doing it myself as well to save a few coins.

I figure I need oil, oil filter, wiper fluid. Just had my tires replaced, wheels aligned and brakes checked. What else do I need to look into? Air filter, fuel filter?

I've got 47K miles and my ticker is down to 1,850 on the dash. I believe the previous owner had the major service at the dealer shortly before I purchased it last year.

 

Corney.....I just started to take on my own maintenacnce schedule. Just went over 55K and I refuse to shell out $250 for and oil change and cabin filter.

I'm just going to say this: Be prepared to get really pissed off and set out a block of time that will be sufficient to get the job done. It took me 10 hours to do my first oil change. I also replaced my air filter with a K&N and replaced my cabin filter. So if you haven't gotten familiar with your Mini yet...you soon will.

I am not by any means an auto mechanic, but I'm no slouch either when it comes to doing my own work. Not having the proper tools can suck up some of your valuable weekend so I suggest you get them ahead of time.

The BIGGIE here is the oil filter socket. On my 06 it's a 36mm. I've seen an oil filter kit at Minimania that comes with this socket. Please don't assume you can go to HD and just pick up a 36mm socket and expect it to be short enough to fit down over the filter with the ratchet. I wish I would have gotten this tool right off the bat instead of thinking I had the tools to do it. It took me over 2 hours to grind down a socket so it was short enough to get over the filter with the ratchet. That being said, it was then that I found out how OVERTORQUED it was in the first place. It literally had to be hammered loose. And you can't get a hammer down in there without using some sort of pipe to fit over the ratchet to be able to slam it from a decent angle.

I had gotten the Fumoto valve ahead of time and it's good that I did. My drain plug was also so freakin' OVERTORQUED that it literally had to be destroyed to remove it.

All I'm saying here that there is a learning curve with this car. I've changed oil on past vehicles and never had this much trouble. Of course this is the tiniest car I've ever owned.

I would also look into some car ramps...which I already had. You will need some room to work under there especially if your dealer gorilla'ed your drain plug.

I'm not expecting the next oil change to be so cumbersome. Normally the first time always takes the longest but this was ridiculous.

And just one word about dealer maintenance. I'm sure there's good ones and I KNOW there's bad ones. But just because you have the dealer do your maintenace, doesn't mean it's being done right. My cabin filter was squished in there with no attention given to the curved track that's in the filter box. It was basically doing nothing for the whole time it was in there. It's alot of money to spend per hour to have these don't give a crap knuckleheads working on your car. At least if we do it ourselves, we are more likely to pay attention to some of the details because it's our baby. We can make mistakes but then we can learn by them too. Some of these mechanics just don't give a sh*t. I'm sorry, but that disgusts me at any hourly rate. I have had nothing but lousy service from the dealer which I won't name in West Chester PA. Shall I mention when they dried my car after a wash with a towel that had metal shavings in it? Nah...I won't do that.

Anyway, good luck and I hope yours goes better than mine did.

 

The basic maintenance on the MINI can be done by anyone with a general familiarity with cars.
Oil changes: not too difficult, tho the oil filter socket (36mm) should be no longer than 2". Just remember to loosen the cap a few turns (don't remove!), then drain the oil. That will prevent oil from dripping down from the cap.
Brakes: No different than any other four-wheel disc brake car. Need to rent/borrow/buy rear caliper tool to turn the caliper pistons in. Torx bit to remove the screw holding the rotors on if you need to turn or replace them.
Belt: Need a tool to relax the tensioner. (I didn't have one the first time, and used a bottle jack. It works, but...) They say change at 60k miles, but I bought one at the dealership for $38 and changed it at 30k and then again at 60k. Cheap insurance, IMO.
Flush and fill radiator: Some times it's a PITA to get all the air out of the cooling system, but persistance pays off.
Brake fluid: A good vacuum pump to bleed the system makes all the difference.
Pull and clean battery cable clamps. Check tire pressure and reset tire monitor if you've got the older ABS-triggered style. Spark plugs -I don't believe in 100,000 mile plugs, and they're cheap and easy to replace.
Replace the wiper blades. Refill the washer fluid. Check your motor mounts for leakage if you've got the hydraulic style.
Check for mushrooming on your strut towers (plenty of info on the NAM site to walk you through it.)
Look for any CV boot leakage while you're doing the brakes.
Vacuum out the interior. Detail the interior. (Don't forget those MacFries that fell under the seat.) Wash the car. Wax the car.
Go motoring and enjoy the car.

 

i think once you're past warranty, at least a little bit of diy is a must, 'cuz when you go to the dealer you'll probably be confronted w/ questions prefaced by "how long do you plan to keep the car..." which i also find slightly insulting

you're at 26k so you're still covered somewhat, but i'd go to a good non-dealer mechanic if i were you, for anything you don't want to do yourself. and if you love your car (hence plan to keep it for a while) the bentley book is pretty good. nice holies

 

Thanks guys! I'm on Mini Mania's website now and I have amassed the following:
Oil Filter
oil filter socket
drain plug
Paper Cabin Filter
Air Filter

I guess I will buy 5-30wt Mobil 1 Oil at my local auto store and I need a new batt, so I plan on picking that up at the dealer.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks for your warnings/ advice/ and well-wishes!

 

your oil needs to be full synthetic .... no matter when you plan to change it. MINI calls for fully synth... I believe this has to do with the standard operating temps.....

I didn't run out to check MOBIL 1 .. you may be OK there...just wanted to mention

and my recommendation is to replace the bung with a Fumoto ... giving the dealers a benefit of doubt...the design of the drain plug on a GEN1 MINI seems to result in a bung that's damn hard to remove/replace.

I've found that a 1/2 inch actually fits bette than the recommended metric


The problem may be the way the 'plastic' gasket grips up, but many have found the bung a ***** to get out.....

 

Thanks captain.

Another member has mentioned fumoto. Please excuse my ignorance, but what is a bung and what is a fumoto.

 

The Fumoto valve is a brand name for a valve that replaces the drain plug. Next time around, you can drain your oil by simply opening a valve instead of wrestling with a bolt. You can find out where a local distributor for the valve at this site. Mine cost $31.

www.fumotousa.com

I think the term bung is a little British for oil drain plug.

 

Bung = a plug in a barrel.....the oil drain plug = the oil drain bung

Fumoto is a brand of valve that replaces the standard 'plug' on an oil pan. Once installed, you never again need to worry about how tight the plug (bung) is, or cross thread yada yada

http://www.quickoildrainvalve.com/

avalable from many MINI parts dealers, or direct at the link above (you want an F-106) I recommend them highly.

There are many threads of people having trouble with their GEN1 bung. A Fumoto eliminates 99% of the potential problems.

Some folks don't trust 'em ... had 'em for years w/out problem and they are used widely on commercial trucks and farm equipment (according to the company site)

 

I also remember reading somewhere in here that if using Mobil 1, use the stuff with the gold cap. I used Amsoil 5w/30 based on other stuff I read in here.

 

Excellent. Thanks all for the pointers. I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

I too bought a Fumoto valve and it is really great. I paid $19 for it through Moss MINI last year.

I also use AmsOil, simply because of all I have read about it. Another guy in our club (graywolf) uses AmsOil and being a jet engine mechanic, I trust his opinion on that stuff.

I do all my own regular maintenance work on my MINI. It isn't hard to do, I used to own a couple MGs and it was a requirement so I learned quickly how to do various tasks. My goal is to eventually buy all of the special MINI tools so I can do ALL of my own maintenance once the warranty is gone.

The Bently Manual is a definite must have; it is light years beyond the Haynes Manual, which I also have.

Good luck, you'll have fun getting to know your MINI!

 

I'm proud to report that I sucessfully changed my oil, (albeit with the help of a friend who normally works on American muscle cars, diesel trucks and Jeeps). It was, as you all have mentioned, very do-able. Granted, all I did was change my oil, cabin filter and air filter I so appreciate the numerous posts on how and what to expect.

Here is what I learned and what I used FYI:

-Royal Purple oil; that stuff realy is purple. I put 4.7 quarts in as recommended but the dipstick reads like it's only barely there. Shall i put in the rest?

-plug was diff to get out, but not impossible and old plug looked fine, but replaced with new to be on the safe side.

-oil filter was simple, thanks to all the posts on getting the right tools and allowing it to drain before pulling it off. Re-threading properly was tricky and I can see how it could have easily been done wrong.

-OEM filter sent from Mini Mania was wrong size even though part # said it would fit. My MINI has 47K on it and I can't believe how mucked up the filter was!

-Original cabin filter was also black. Replacement filter (MANN from Mini Mania) was not as solid with hard plastic casing like the one I pulled out and therefore hard to run into the guides, but I'm sure it is doing it's job.

Now, with one oil change under my belt, I'm confident in doing it again. Next time, in 10K miles instead of the 15K. I may tackle to fuel filter next, as I found a great thread on how to do that.

All-in-all, it was a lot of fun getting to know my MINI. This car is awesome. After pulling out the nasty air filter, my buddy said that I would be getting more HP with the new; suddenly I felt the mod-bug... uh oh...

 

First, let me say Congrats! Welcome to the world of MINI maintenance!! I changed out my cabin air filter this weekend as well, well I tried; I'm a big guy (6'2") so my wife JJo did it for me because I wasn't able to get up under the dash good enough to get that puppy properly lined up.

Definitely put enough in to properly register on the oil dipstick with the MINI sitting level.

Good idea. I would order the Fumoto Valve from Moss MINI ($18 give or take a bit), you will never have to remove the drain plug again.

Yeah, the filters do get yucky fairly quick. A-Z Autolites and More sell the TYC activated charcole cabin filters for $8.34 each, and they are sealed in plastic and are exactly like the ones I pulled out of the MINI!

I would change the oil in about 7500 miles and have a sample analyzed. That will give you a pretty good indicator of what interval to change the oil at.

Yeah the mod bug is a terrible beastie! Put a cold air intake (CAI) on and you will really see and hear the difference! With many CAIs you can hear the supercharger whine really good (if you have an MCS). Otherwise you will just feel the difference!

 

Cheers lawmann! Thanks for the answers and the recommendations. I will definintely check out the CAI and look into the Fumoto valve for next time.

Where do I get oil analyzed?

 

Go here: http://www.amsoil.com/lit/g1465.pdf and it will tell you what to do.

Best of luck to you, have fun doing your mods!

 

How significant are the changes from the R53 to the R56? Will that service manual be accurate for a 2009 MCS? It doesn't look like there is one for the R56's yet. At least, I can't find one.

Thanks,
-C

 

The changes between the R53 and R56 are pretty significant, nearly every aspect of the MINI was changed (i.e. engine, electrical, sound system, body, interior, etc). I would look for a manual to be available next year sometime. You could write or e-mail the folks at Bentley and ask them. The current Bentley Manual is for the R53 2002-2006, but will also work for the 2007 and 2008 MCS Cabrio (R52) which is still the same as the 2005 and 2006 R52. That will change for 2009 when the Cabrio takes on the title of R57 and inherits R56 type styling.