Forgive me, I might have some of the terminology wrong. We had the Clubman at the dealership this morning because the inside panel of the backdoor fell off. Well when they called to say that the MINI was ready to be picked up the SA told my husband that it was a quart and 1/2 low on oil. It's been 7,000 miles since the last oil change. My husband works with heavy equipment and is pretty mechanically inclined. Basically, he says that it shouldn't be, even given the fact the MINI is a "S". Has anyone ran into this? What should I do? The only service the car has ever had has been at the MINI dealership, so why are they just now catching this. The MINI has 45,000 miles on it. (2009 Clubman S type). Any help you have would be wonderful. TIA!

 

My previous 2002 MCS used to use about that much oil in that time span. Somewhere in the middle around 3500 miles I would add about a quart and if the oil change went a bit over 5K or so miles then I would need to add a little more, which I typically never did since about that time I would be getting an oil change and if it was a half quart low why bother if it is just going to be replaced.

Now, do I think that I SHOULD have to add that much oil? No, but some vehicles do and MINI seems to think that much is OK. I would suggest checking the oil every 500 to 1000 miles to get a good feel for the consumption rate for your car, then you can check closer to that interval in the future.

My 1994 Mazda B4000 pick-up uses about a quart every 2000 miles so this situation applies to more than just MINI's.

 

A quick search on the forum here will reveal many stories similar to your own from owners of the MINI with a turbocharged engine ("S" and "JCW"): some are just "oil-eaters," while others seem to be pretty tight...

I agree with "ACEkraut11:" this probably shouldn't be happening. But MINI is probably not going to do anything more than top off your oil for you (assuming you're still covered under the Maintenance Plan).

Best advice seems to be to keep a sharp eye on the oil level of your MINI! Aside from the obvious dangers of running your engine out of oil, keeping the oil level in check will help you to avoid other related problems (e.g., the dreaded timing chain rattle).

 

Mine burns a little bit of oil. I change the oil every 5000 miles and in that time I will lose .3-.4 of a quart. Turbo cars driven with a heavy foot WILL consume oil. It's not the end of the world. I've worked on small uber high performance engines for 15+ years. The Mini has a very small engine and makes big power for it's size.

I would suggest changing your oil more often and checking the level at least once per month and adjust accordingly. It's no big deal. There are many reasons that can explain it.

 

From what I read on this forum, it seems like the S models drinks oil as it gets older. So it's normal....

Slightly off topic: My friend has an older BMW which also uses the same type synthetic oil that the Mini uses. The guy heard a funny noise coming from the engine and took it in to the local mechanic that works on BMW. Turns out the car was low on oil. And my friend just checked it labor day weekend! The mechanic told him that the BMW's burns oil very quickly as it gets older so he's not surprised. This local mechanic owns a M5 himself for regular driving and races BMWs on the track as a hobby. So I'm guessing he knows what he's talking about.

 

I've made it a habit to check the oil each time I fill up with gas, it gives me something to do, other than stare at the gas pump.

My MINI uses about a quart in 6000 miles and that is when I change the oil.

Dave

 

I'm with DneprDave, change oil every 6K instead of Mini's recommended 10-15K. I check all my fluids at least once weekly. Doesn't take that much time and it can sure head off any oncoming issues. My 07 doesn't use any oil at all. I drive pretty easy however. I do like to bend the curves but that's not totally lead footing it. My SA stated the S turbos can use up to a qt between 800-1000 miles. Maybe I'm just lucky.