Bought the Clubman S in April of this year and the oil change interval showed 15,000 as I had been told. Two months later the 15,000 changes to 13,000, which lasted for a while, then it went to 12,000 miles, then to 11,000 miles last month.

I got ready to drive the three hours to my dealer when it reached 11,000 miles and all at once it changes to 10,000 miles. I now have 9800 miles on the car and Baton Rouge is in the middle of where Hurricane Gustaf is headed.

Not sure what I should do, and when I should do it, but I am utterly confounded that this oil change mileage keeps changing. Just reset the computer like the owner's manual said and it shows that oil should be changed at 10,000 miles or 2/2010 whichever comes first.

Really confused about what is going on, and could use some ideas from you people on what is happening. This should not be happening. Not sure what gives?

 

Changes with your driving habits....

 

If I'm reading your post right, I think you may be confused with how the system works. Yes, the system changes depending on your driving style/habits. However, it's a countdown to service, meaning that when it reads 10,000 miles, that number is how many miles you have left until the next service. The system has nothing to do with the odometer reading. Does that make sense?

 

Thanks for the information. The owner's manual does not explain it that way, as I was assuming that reading as the odometer reading where the oil needed to be changed.

So I guess that you are saying that since I have 9,800 miles now and this shows 10,000, I will not be changing oil until I have something like 19-20,000 miles on the car.

Is that correct? And thanks for the information setting me on the right track as far as oil changes are needed. I've never owned a car that needed its first oil change at something like 20,000 miles!

 

some do change it much sooner

 

I know I will get banged on this, but I do my own oil changes. I run Royal Purple and change it every 10k. Well, thats my plan at least...when we get more miles on the car. I changed the oil at 1500 miles and put RP in at that time. Ive got another 2000 miles until another oil change.

 

I'm pretty smart and have always changed my oil often. However, I'm betting the BMW engineers are smarter, that times have changed and I change my oil when my computer says to. When I do (or did . . . I've only had to change it myself once) it was clean and viscous. Hey, it ain't my father's DeSoto.

 

I am not into working on my cars, change the oil, etc. I have a Jiffy Lube mentality I guess. I had the same problem trying to figure out the intervals. I think I finally figured it out. I let the OBC tell me. I had my year in service oil change but the OBC is not asking for it. That was at about 15,000 miles. July 1, 2007 to July 1, 2008; hence the one year anniversary. The OBC was not asking to have the oil changed though. They did not re-set the OBC when they did the oil change. At that time, the miles before service started to change more rapidly. I just hit "480" miles until service and you can set up an appointment for service only after 500 miles or less is flashing (doesn't really flash and is a static number). My first service was performed and included the computer flash, some interior filter and another oil change. So the first oil change was done at 15,000 miles and the second done 3,000 miles later. Somewhat inconsistent don't you think but not complaining. As other posters have said, do your own changes at consistent times and there should be no confusion. BTW, the OBC after my first service shows "7,000" to next service and has not changed from this figure but has only been a few days. We shall see.

 

You should do some more searching. Smarter (or at least more ****-retentive) Motorers than me have done used oil analysis on S-models and have determined that the oil is well and truly shot by 5,000 miles. My impression is that this is due to the operating temperatures of the S and stress on the oil from the turbocharger. Beyond that suggestion, I can only say that I changed the oil on my non-S Clubman at 16xx miles. I have 2200 on it now, and it still says 15,000 miles to service. I'll have to see what the computer recommends, but I can tell you that I'd change it sooner than 20K, no matter how smart BMW/MINI's engineers are.

 

Since I'm not sure, and feel like no one should wait until close to 20,000 miles to change oil, I'm going to call my dealer that I purchased it from later this week. Maybe their service manager can give me some guidelines.

That is, if they are still there and still open, since they are in Baton Rouge, LA!

 

I'll just about guarantee you that the SM will toe the MINI party line. They can't lose, really, because if you wait, they don't have to do the service until it's part of the scheduled maintenance, and if you go ahead and have it done, it's "out of pocket" for you. It's not hard to do, BTW. Poke around and you'll find good DIY threads with photos.

 

Uh, I gotta ask. Drive 3 hours to get an oil change? Each way?

How about just paying a local shop do it instead of burning up all that gas and time?

 

I would not drive three hours each way unless I had other problems to be taken care of when I have the oil changed and another reason for going.

1)Spend the night in the French Quarter of New Orleans if anything is left.
2)Hopefully, have them fix my moon roof retraction mechanism so that is will retract .... been wacko since I bought the car.
3)Fix the auto lock/unlock on the driver's side door.

So a three hour drive can combine business with pleasure, but the other post is probably right in that the dealership will let the oil change go for as long as possible to keep the costs down.

 

Use the OBC. Changing it sooner than 15K miles is just a waste of time. This isn't your father's Ford.

And I don't need to see no oil ****-ysis.