What are the thoughts of buying a used Mini that has had the oil changed according to the service light. Upwards of 12k miles.

This seems way to long to me. But is the case with all the used Minis I have looked at.

TIA

 

Nothing wrong with it at all. Just have it looked over by a decent MINI mechanic before you buy. I stick to the oil change pattern given by MINI and have had my oil checked by a lab in the past. I was told the oil was fine but starting to wear and that was at 15K.

 

Must be good oil.

Do the Minis have a low oil light? Because most people do not check their oil.
Running low on oil & old contminated oil is hard on the engine.

 

Mobile 1 at the time but I use Amsoil now.

Synthetics can go the distance nowadays. Oil changes in the USA are cheap, but in Germany a liter of oil could cost 30 Euro.

MINIs have what all cars generally have, a low pressure light. However, if you wait to check your oil until that light comes on you are asking for serious trouble. As with all cars, you should check it regularly. MINI is no different.

 

Guess I will have to find a low mileage Mini.
To me 12k is to long, only time will tell.

 

Where are you coming up with a 12k interval. Unless the 1st gens are that different my wife's Mini went to over 18k miles before the reminder came on. I changed it earlier than that on my own though.

 

1st Gen is 15k. Time will tell but don't expect those times to get shorter. More car companies are heading that direction.

 

Is it typical to have to add oil between oil changes?

 

It is in most cars... Especially cars that are boosted. Our Subaru generally get a quart between changes.

 

You add oil as needed....
Some use a bit...some leak a bit...
So you must check it regularly.
IMO change your oil at about 7500 miles....
Most owners seem to do this...and never have it done at a quick change place!!

 

My MINI is getting a new motor, because 15k on a low-mileage car is too long to go without fresh oil. It's only been about 11k since the last O/C, but that was about two years ago. Old, deteriorated oil, even synthetic, doesn't lubricate moving parts very well.

 

The only argument that i have heard about waiting to what mini reccomends is the synthetic oil can 100% last that long, the problem is the oil filter, many ppl believe the filters NEED to be changed before then... I agree, i cant see any filter going over 12,000 miles...

 

Yeah, I posted a question about this as things are not adding up in my mind. Before you blame the oil I recommend that you take a sample and send it to the labs for testing.

 

Yup....just a general reminder to folks...it is the additives that get worn out...the contaminates do/can build up, but tomput things in perspective...BMW/Mini longlife oils are very stout stuff, and are loaded with additives...more so than most standard oils...so if you are using a regular syentic oil, most folks do more oil changes....
But to put things to perpesctive, it is not uncommon for a heavy duty truck (with a bypass filter and oil samples every 15k) to go 100,000 miles between oil changes...sure the motors are different, but in many ways heavy duty trucks make the oil much dirtier than gas motors....
To say you went to 15k on mini/BMW approved oil a few times as recommend and you need a new motor is kinds crazy unless you never checked the level....a common issue with long oil change intervals.
IMO just do what you are comfortable with...I don't like going more than 6 months or 7500 miles...oil is just to cheap to chance it...but many folks have gone tens of thousands of miles using the recommened oil change schedule (with approved oil...the key item to extended drain intervals).

 

An engine that has not been properly stored for period of time will rust and corrode internaly no matter what brand of oil is in the car...
Mini says to change the oil yearly..I got extra oil changes for free under the free mantiance plan...and a cars oil should always be changed prior to longterm storage...even just a couple months...fogging the motor is even better!!

 

Most MINI's you'll find in the used market are by people that just did the MINI recommended oil changes so a car with 60k has probably only had 3 oil changes.

I don't really care what anyone says I recommend changing the oil every 5k, even in my own car.

 

I'd buy it. I ran mine to 10K and tested. Was good for another 3k.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blitzcat/4483072598/http://www.flickr.com/photos/blitzcat/4483072598/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/blitzcat/, on Flickr

 

if you buy one from anyone but a mini dealer, just to be safe make sure to change with the correct spec oil when you get it and reset the minder. I bought mine and didn't think about it and ran it to the interval and it was sludged bad. The drained oil had some metal flakes in it and i think they used dino oil in it.It was around 20k when i bought it. Shes fine now but that scared me..