Picked the car up for our daughter end of January with no service history and car had 45,000 miles.

Did an oil change and replaced air filter, also had it in the shop to replace driver side window regulator and while it was there they replaced oil filter housing, power steering pump fan and power steering hose.

Like to do synthetic oil change every 5,000 miles so I am curious if there is any other maintenance items I need to consider and start researching?

Thanks!

 

Only 45,000 miles on the car and the oil filter housing had to be changed?

What was wrong with it?

 

Actually, nothing, they replaced the oil filter stand gasket. Read the invoice wrong.

 

Your MINI is still relatively fresh, so some of the items outlined below may have yet to come into play, but eventually - you'll have to deal with gaskets, o-rings and seals that harden over time and begin to drip. Keep an eye on the oil pan from time to time and inspect for oil leaks, as any of the leaks below will end up there. There's plenty of reading on this forum that deals with all of these.

---

From engine top to bottom, this is the list of items prone to leaking oil on an R53. My R53 is at 135,000 miles +/- and I've replaced everything on the list below within the past 18-months, and I'm happy to report she's dry.

• Valve Cover Gasket
• Camshaft Position Sensor o-ring
• Crankshaft Position Sensor o-ring
• Timing Cover Gasket
• Timing Case Internal Oil Seals (upper & lower, inside timing case while you have timing cover off)
• Timing Cover Crankshaft Seal (need to remove crankshaft pulley to change)
• Oil Housing Gasket
• Oil Housing Heat Exchanger o-rings (2 of 'em)
• Oil Pan Gasket

Also keep an eye on the plastic coolant expansion tank, as it will eventually split at the center seam, losing pressure, which will cause the engine to overheat. Dried coolant residue that has run down the sides of the tank is the tell-tale sign that this is occurring. If that becomes the case, swap out the tank with a new one.

As to other things to look at, such as suspension components and bushings, I'm sure others will chime in.

 

All of what AoxoMoxoA said. Also, you shouldn't be worried about an oil change with full synth for at least 10,000 miles. Do whatever makes you comfortable, but BMW (Mini) regularly recommends much higher mileage between synth oil changes. My Z4 was something like 13,500 recommended. The Mini recommendation is upwards of 11K, I believe. Unless you live and/or drive in dirty or otherwise tough driving conditions, changing your synth oil under 10,000 miles is just not necessary.

Oh, and remember to change out your interior's cabin filter. You'll be amazed...

 

bmw has been lowering the service intervals, they were just too high

there was a service bulletin from bmw lowering it to max of 10k miles on the oil due to engine failures for quite a few models

 

At the time these Gen 1 cars came off the production line, MINI recommended a 15,500 mile interval between oil changes, with full synthetic oil.

FWIW, I've always thought that to be a bit much to ask of oil in a high-revving supercharged 4-banger - and thus, have cut that number in half, changing it out every 7,750 miles.

 

I can't - and won't - argue with any others' recommendations or reasoning. Oil (and additives) is a common hot topic on every automotive message board I've been on, and people just get ANGRY when their claims are doubted.

The one thing I have learned is that those who are in the business of selling oil or oil change services routinely call for lower mileage intervals between changes. Now why do you think they do that? In the '60s & '70s (and beyond) we all thought conventional oil changes had to happen every 3,000 miles; anything longer was completely careless and irresponsible. In most cases that was a complete crock, perpetuated by oil companies and repair shops.

Ultimately, I just say "different strokes for different folks," and do what you think is best for your own driving conditions.

 

Regarding the oil change interval, I used to be an every 3,000 mile guy but have since changed to an every 5,000 mile guy. I'm sure it is more often than necessary but we do drive our cars pretty hard and it does get pretty hot in the summer here in Florida. I also like the every 5,000 mile thing which makes it easier to remember.

 

Thanks, will add that to the list.

 

Yup. This is what mine looked like when I bought my car:




Also, be sure to check the engine air filter. This is what mine looked like:

 

If I remember correctly Odessa is near Wimauma (would love to hear some non locals pronounce that). That is also where the Gulf coast chapter of PATCM is located, but that is another story.

When I bought my Vert, it had about 45k on it. I changed the; waterpump, tstat/housing, the crank sensor o-ring, 2 of the three power steering hoses, passenger side motor mount, the belt, the belt tensioner, the coolant overflow tank and changed all the fluids (oil, brake fluid, trannie oil, clutch and coolant). I am going to change the crank pulley/harmonic damper and the crank oil seal later this summer. The pulley has 10 years on it and I have seen other pulleys of that age suffering from dry rot.

 

bmw/mini paid for oil changes I think that's why they pushed the interval out so far so they would not have to pay for as many changes.

Lesson learned on their part, they dialed back the intervals

 

I wouldn't say that was the reason. They're not stupid enough to let an engine fail or wear unnecessarily while it's under warranty. And let's face it, their cost for the oil is minuscule compared to what we pay retail. Miscalculated? Maybe/yes. And, say, 7,500 miles' interval is a "better safe than sorry" number, and I would agree that's a lesson learned.

 

I think you underestimate the power of bean counters

 

 

The air filter was the first thing I checked when I got my MINI.
This is what it looked like. Amazing that air was able to pass through.

 

r53coop: its pronounced why-mama

Sorry I mis read you were just commenting.

old age sucks

 

I lived in the Tampa Bay area for more than 15 years. So the next word of the day is "Lutz".

 

Funny that just yesterday local AM morning talk show hosts Jack Harris and Ted Webb were talking about all the strange and different local area cities that people have a problem saying, including Wimauma and Lutz.

 

Those guys are both pushing 70. I miss the days of the QZoo when Wheeler was around.

 

I installed the below shown tank at 90K miles. An easy job and the cap moves right over.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2002-2008-Mi...BY17sz&vxp=mtr