Ok, my 13 clubbie was on the lot 10 months when I bought it and the oil monitor said 12/2013 and 7000 ( I have 1500 miles) so I called for valet service, free from my dealer for 3yrs 36K for scheduled maint, they come get your car up to 30 miles and leave a loaner and go fix your car.

Dealership called and said the date on oil change just means it could be due oil change ? I'm like then what is the date for if it tracks mileage. He said most people need oil change by that date , 1 yr from last change or new in my case. I assumed like many vehicles its every so many miles or time. He said yes it is confusing but he would just bring my car back. I said well it's broke in now so might as well do the oil change, he said no problem, $69.95 , sounds like a good price for a MINI oil change and piece of mine that any break in residue will be removed.

Plus I get to drive a BMW X1 for a day. Still like my MINI better.

 

That's not a bad price. I do my own oil changes unless my car is in for bigger work, and then it only costs me about $30 in parts.

I change my oil every 6K miles. Full synthetic only. General thought is MINI's official intervals are too long.

 

I know for them using mini oil that cost me $7.50
A qt plus mini filter and labor the $69 was a
No brainer. Cuz I believe the old school of break
Them in like your gonna run it. So after 1500
Miles getting the oil and filter done while they
Had it was an easy decision. Plus the oil was
A year old and it does collect impurities just
Sitting. And it will be documented that I do take
Care of my car.

 

MINI's website has the approved oil brands, but OEM oil is just Castrol brand Synthetic 5W30. The metal piece near your dipstick even proclaims "MINI recommends CASTROL" or the like.

 

$69. Awesome! I don't like that Minime says 7K until next oil change. I think I'll stick to about 3-4K. Anyone else out there wait that long? Why 7K?

Is it because you have to keep adding oil to it about every 2,000 miles, so fresh stuffs are continually added?

 

Castrol edge , and I believe it is also designed
For turbo's and has a different spec. But edge
Is pricey even at pep boys

castrol edge which is what my dipstick holder says is $8.99 a qt or $36.99 for 5qts . And since it's new
I plan to use what MINI says and MINI branded is cheaper at my dealer than pep boys so my oil change is a great price since filter is atleast $12 , that's $50 in parts and less than $20 labor . And a documented oil change . I feel pretty good.

I used to change oil after 500 miles on new cars. Either way since they don't come with "break in " oil any longer no way it's hurting it to change oil at 1500 miles.

I'm just miffed as to why have a date oil change is due if they won't change under maint at that date.

 

5/30 or 0/30? I've heard many things back and forth. Synthetic of course. What's best for bitter cold?

 

Synthetic oil last quite a bit longer than regular oil.

http://www.edmunds.com/car-care/stop...-your-oil.html

 

How is synthetic in cold? I imagine better than typical oil. Still; what's the best grade of oil? This is my first winter with my baby Mini. Brrrr. -3 on Saturday morning! Sucks! I'm looking to get out of Nebraska when the situation arises. Just tired of it. I'll have to do this winter though. Actually looking forward to trying the snow. Anything is better than freezing rain. this morning is like somebody sprayed superglue on all the windows. Took 20 minutes to scrape off! That's when I said screw it and took the 4x4.

 

Move south like I did. But I think mine came with 5/30 , and in TX I'm sure 10/30 would be fine. The low numbers are more about emission control because I don't think 0 is zero.

I have never ever used a 0 anything, just not right to me. In north I would run 5/20

Is yours a turbo or not ? There is a spec , I think they refer to it as European
synthetic . I just found the good synthetic cost as much or more from auto stores as my dealer so I buy "MINI" branded oil. Amsoil eurpean would be my second choice.

 

UPDATE, got my car delivered back. Invoice is 5 qts of oil 37.90 , filter 14.99 and
LABOR 12.00 , they can do my oil changes for 12.00 labor and I don't get dirty and spend anytime and have to get rid of oil. That is a great deal.

 

I try to get at least 12k per oil change, but prefer to go longer with the right oil.

 

12K?! Holy smokes! The bottle only says 'up to 10,000 miles!' on the bottle and that's... quite optimistic!

Do you change your oil yourself? I hope it doesn't smell burnt. =X

 

I don't recall any of the oils I've tried indicating "up to 10,000 miles!" I seem to recall Amsoil advertises their top of the line oil as good for up to 25,000 miles. When I was using Royal Purple, they recommended a 12k mile interval (which I assume was conservative, but I went with it).

I do perform my own oil changes. No burnt oil smell.

 

another update , they did not reset the oil change service, so when I get to 8K or there abouts I'll get a free change. SO I'm at 1500 miles, all broke in with fresh oil/filter I feel confident I can run 7K till my next free change.

 

Mobil 1 0w40 Euro Formula, CHEAP at Wal-Mart... BMW Spec approved and super good for hot turbo cars.

I do it myself/Alternate between free dealer service.

I let them do the filter. I just suck out the oil. That filter is fine. I use a MityVac kit to suck it out from the top of the motor VIA the dipstick. Takes all of 20 min, I stay clean, oil gets fresh..

 

Crazy, you'll smoke a turbo with 20 weight oil. 0W40 is fine here in the North, you WANT the ZERO in the cold, thats the point of it. It flows when its cold out, then it equals a 40 when its hot.

Heck, I use it year round, served me good for over 100K in my 1.8T Audi.

 

Same here. Mobil 1 0w40 Euro spec. My local Wallymart doesn't carry it but the Discount auto store does. Still cheaper than the dealer and the filters don't cost $15 either. My last receipt from the dealer was #13.63. My local dealer will do the oil change basically at cost of supplies but they are 1.5 hour drive from me so doing it myself is much cheaper factoring in the cost of fuel and highway tolls. And I change it every 5K. This engine gets synthetic oil dirty way to fast and runs way too hot for me to push it further than that. Anyone going 10K+ on an oil change in this engines is really living "on the edge" and probably doesn't intend to own the car long. My oil temps are consistently in the 240-250 range with street driving. Start pushing the car hard and they go even higher. That is hot even for synthetic oils. The turbo probably has a lot to do with that on my car.

Also, try this # PF462G - looks to be identical to the MINI filters I've been installing from the stealership. I will probably go with a WIX filter at the next change. RockAuto.com

 

Well after getting home it through po171 lean bank
One , ran it back to dealer, they found oil fill cap
Loose causing vac leak . Good to know for future.

 

What is the difference on Service Engine Soon and the Check Engine Light. The first one just popped up. Not happy.

 

SES means a schedled maint i d do. CEL means something is broken.

 

being my first turbo I stand corrected . But my many decades of car care I find the multi grades are not really as labeled, as in 10-30 will not measure 10 in cold and 30 in hot . Most of my experience comes from MC oil which is a whole different animal since the oil is also the tranny fluid and subject to crushing ( forget term) from gears. But we run on modern ( aka not HD) 10-50 to 10-40 synthetic and found amsoil to be the best.

 

well Jan 2nd the red service light came on, says Oil change needed. So my guess it was saying that it expected that 12/2013 the oil would be 1 yr old , sure enough now it says or shows oil spicket with 12/2013 date.

Called SA said yes bring it in , now I'll get my oil changed at 2100 miles for free after my paid for at 1400. Should never have an issue do you poor oil, 2 changes in 2100 miles.

FYI the car was built 12/12 so the oil was one year old at 12/13 and now is officially over 1 yr old. Not that I don't trust them but I don't know them yet,
so instead of the valet service I scheduled an appt and used a paint pen to mark drain bolt to ensure they do a change and not just rest it.

I feel pretty good about a good break in and and all the debris removed I should have a long lasting engine.

Plus I can go see my sales lady while there

 

Poor MINI.

 

mini recommends you change the oil at least once a year, regardless of mileage. engine operation will turn your oil more acidic and in the winter time condensation will form that can thin out your oil. not as acidic as coke-a-cola, that stuff will eat concrete pipe, and not much water either, but you do not want that stuff sitting in your crankcase forever. for a classic car, it is recommended that the oil be changed in the fall before its winter nap so that all the nasty stuff does not sit there and start to corrode things from the inside. for new cars, although they run a lot cleaner, the stuff is still there.