Mini is crazy to have people get there first oil change at 15000. that is f*&kin retarded. I have mine done at 1200, just because when you break in an engine there is little pieces of metal that get distributed to the entire engine.

I was forceed to spend the 70 bucks to have the oil replaced. but now i sleep better at night knowing that tiny pieces of metal arn't going to damage my engine at 37k after the warrenty is over...

I highly recomend servicing the oil within the first 5k range.....

 

Whatever it takes to make YOU happy/comfortable with YOUR car, that's what's important.

 

It's your cash. Do with it as you wish.

 

I had mine done at just under 5k miles by the dealer and it will be due for a full service in about another 3k all covered by the maint. package. I agree though that it is a stretch to go 8, 10, 12, 15 thousand miles but these engines today are not the engines I grew up with but still....

 

I agree with you 100% a 1200 mile change out is a good idea, I'm glad I did mine early as well. For me it's peace of mind. It's really not all that difficult to do it yourself, I purchased the filter and oil from my dealer. I expect I will change mine out a couple of more times before I take it in for the scheduled maintenance.

 

from what i have read over the past on bmw boards, oil analysis shows little degradation of motor oil over the "new" intervals.

from all the worries about long oil changes by bmw, porsche (boxster at 15,000), my previous honda civic 10,000 miles, my sisters focus at 7500 miles. i have yet to read of any engine failures related to oil change intervals.

my 2005 honda civic said NOT to change the original oil for 10,000 miles due to break in additives in the factory oil.

let the well designed oil filters trap the engine break in issues...

i used to get excited about short oil changes..now i sleep well with 7500 mile interval changes

i don't think the goal of bmw engineering is to save a few bucks in oil changes to kill an engine later on...

but as others have said...its your money....

 

I agree with you 100%. I change all my cars every 5000 miles with Mobil One synthetic oil. Very cheap insurance. Even Porsche is recommending 15000 mile oil changes.

Question…. Do Minis come with synthetic oil?

Mobil One recommends Mobil 1 5W-30.

 

MINI's come with Castrol syntec from the factory.
Mine just passed 3000 miles today and I am wondering if it is time for my second oil change.... Hmmm...

 

Are you using Mobil 1, or Mobil 1 Extended? Only "Extended" is rated for 15,000 miles.

Porsches hold a lot more oil than MINIs. I'd be less nervous about a 15,000 interval with a Porsche than with a MINI.

Yes, a European spec. Castrol synthetic that is rated for 15,000 miles. You can buy it at your MINI dealer for less than the typical Mobil 1 (5,000 mile rating).

 

I use Mobil 1. Yeah, each Porsche holds over 10 qts. The 911 has 2 oil filters and takes me 2 hours to change the oil. There is no doubt that I could go longer...

 

Dude, that's the wrong oil for German cars. It's no ACEA 3 or 01 certified. It's the US made Group III oil.

This is the oil you should be using: http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/...l_1_0W-40.aspx

 

Then why does the manual specifically call for Mobil 1 5W30? It also specifically mentions oils with an SJ or higher rating which Mobil 1 5W30 has.

 

Also, be sure to change your spark plugs at 10,000 miles. Might as well stick in new points and condenser while you have the hood up. Don't forget to check the ignition timing.

Hit all the grease zerks... Pack the wheel bearings... Maybe rinse the crankcase with Marvel Mystery Oil...

If people would just take care of their vehicles, they could -- maybe -- get 100,000 miles out of them.

 

I did my first change at 4k miles. I mean, it cant hurt to change the oil earlier than the recommended 15k, could it?

 

Has anyone seen metal fillings at their first oil change? I've seen this in the last 2 "new" engines I've broken in, 1 motorcycle and 1 truck.

The truck had a ton of metal pieces at the first change (4k miles). They haven't come back since then (50k on it now; with no oil buring or other problems). I use Quaker State, with their 250k mileage warranty (oil related failures; requires 4k interval).

 

Dude that's great! I LOVE the sarcasm.

My sentiments EXACTLY!

 

I meant that the 5W-30 is for the Mini. For the BMW, Porsches and the kids Audis A4 and Passat (All with 1.8 or 2.0 turbos) I use Mobil 1 0W-40. The Tundra gets Mobil 1 10W-30 and the son's Lexus get Mobil 1 5W-30 as will the Mini.

There have been many debates on the differant boards that I lurk on regarding oil and oil changes. It's nice to see that the passions run deep here too.

 

You can actually do MORE damage to a motor by chaning the oil TOO OFTEN than you are doing good. Oil out of a can, believe it or not, is NOT optimal for the engine, it takes time to break down and "smooth" out a bit. Then it is good for the engine. By constantly putting in new, "rough" oil, you can actually damage an engine.

For the guys talking about Quaker States 250 mile "oil related warranty", your kidding right?? HOW would you proove a "major failure" is oil related!! Good luck!!

For the guys

 

All the cars in my family get 6000-7000 mile synthetic oil change and they are all like brand new at close to 100,000 miles. I don't think I have damaged them.

 

I just called Ralph Schomp Mini in Littleton, CO. For the R56, they stock regular castrol syntec 5w30 with an API rating of SL/CS and no listed ACEA rating or BMW LL01 or LL04 rating. It's $5.40 from them. Since the parts guy had to run back to check stuff for me twice, I didn't want to take up more of his time. If there's a spec that says what oils are compatible with the R56 engine, I didn't find them with the google either.

 

If that's actually true and I know you can go a lot longer on synthetic oil, then you would almost never need to change out the oil. I wonder how long you could go on the same oil with just changing out the oil filter every 3-5k or so.

 

Have it analyzed:

Blackstone Laboratories - Standard Analysis

Car Oil Analysis for determining whether oil changes need to be more frequent, less frequent, etc.

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/standard_analysis.html

Blackstone's standard analysis will tell you what you need to know about the condition of your engine and how it's wearing. The standard analysis costs $22.50 and includes the following:

Spectral Exam: Establishes the levels of wear metals, silicon, and additives present in the oil. Also checks for coolant.

Viscosity: Determines the grade of oil.

Insolubles: Quantifies the percentage of solids present in the oil.

Flash Point: Determines the flash point of the oil. We use the flash point to determine whether any contamination is present in the oil (determined when the flash is lower than the "should be" range).

 

Thanks! Will do!

 

6 to 7k is ALOT further/longer than 1500, 3000 and others mentioned. And remember, it makes a BIG difference on how the engine is used (high speed for long period = more wear...). And just out of curiosity, HOW do you know the motors are "like brand new" at 100k? Because they are stil running? And how do you know they would not run even better if you had not changed so often?? Answer: You don't. I'm not saying to not change the oil, or am I suggesting at what interval is best for the mini or any other vehicle. But what I'm pointing out is, there is a whole LOT of "pontificating" about what is best and what is fact. When in fact, there really are no facts in most of the oil threads.

Well, from my VERY limited knowledge, oil usage graphed is in the shape of a bell curve. The higher the curve, the better it is for your motor (softer, more lubricating...). It starts out low, and gets better and rises to a peak, and then starts to break down. The curve then slowly sinks as the oil then starts breaking down and looses it lubricating features.

But I bet your right, I bet you could leave alot of synthetic oils in ALOT longer than we do. Hey, some of the new trucks have 100k oil changes. I think we change it, just to make sure everything is ok (no water in it....).

 

BMW computer recommends oil change interval beyond 15000 miles but I changed the oil at 6000 miles or even sooner depending on my mood. The engine was buttery smooth the day I sold the car. If changing oil more frequently than what is recommended damaged the engine, my engine and my dad engine would be damaged quite severely by now. If someone provided me with enough money to prove you wrong, I am willing to change oil every 2000 miles on my MINI until the car is dead.