Changing your own oil is easy and fun. Just TAKE YOUR TIME and be methodical.

Here in NorCal, KRAGEN will take your used oil and filters. Call the store ahead to make sure they have room for BOTH oil and filter. Since Kragen is going to take your old oil, go buy one of those modern oil pans that will also hold and store your oil. That way you aren't having to pour oil from one container to another. It truly simplifies the task and the pan is pretty much a lifetime item.
If you don't have a Kragen, grab the phone book and call some local auto parts stores.
What works best for me, even with a low pan, is to run the driver's side of the car up on my LOW RAMPS, and the right side up on a couple pieces of 2x4, to give a little extra clearance. Make sure you get the pan set out far enough to the RIGHT because the oil is coming out to the side and will not being dropping straight down until it's a dribble.
Congratulations to all owners who undertake their own oil changes and then recycle properly!

 

In California, I believe the state provides oil containers.
http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/USEDOIL/
All the auto supply stores in my area carry them, but are often out. Got one at Jiffy Lube (wouldn't go there for anything else ) when the stores were out.

We have WM for trash and recycling pickup. They will pick up used oil.

 

Robin~ Thanks for the info! We usually send our oil containers to the local high school auto class, and the teacher kindly accepts it. Now we won't have to bug him or haul it over.

 

Is there anything holding the oil filter in the housing or is it just an open/pull out/put new one back in process? (i.e. is it connected to the top somehow or is just sort of floating in there?) I have yet to tackle this but have all the tools lined up. Thanks.

 

Nothing holding it in.

 

there is sort of a tab that holds the filter to the top of the filter housing so they come out as one unit. however, it only takes a light tug to separate the two.

 

thanks!

 

Hi gababo,

Did you have much trouble with moving the coolant tank out of the way? Did the tank leak or spill at all? Did you have to completely remove the tank or did you simply move it out of the way?

BTW, is 5W-40 Mobil 1 synthetic oil MINI-approved? The auto parts store we were at didn't have any 5W-30 Castrol synth. We live in Northern California and the weather is mild right now, but gets hot in the summer.

 

no leakage or spillage. you should not need to disconnect any of the hoses or open the tank. if you remove it from the mount (there is a tab on the bottom) it's much easier. You maybe able to do it without but you still need to reach down and remove the oil filter.

only mobil 1 approved by bmw/mini is 0W-40. this is the oil i use when i do the mid cycle change (1/2 before the oil service is due or every 7500miles)

 

Ooops, we did get Mobil 1 0W-40 (not 5W-40), so I think we're okay. Thanks for the reply.

 

Just noticed the Castrol Edge advertising banner here on NAM so I thought I'd check it out. I was disappointed.

After wading through their hype, I see that Castrol Edge 5W-30 has an ACEA A1 and A5 rating. Unfortunately, these are not as robust as the ACEA A3 rating recommended for MINIs in the UK owners manual.

The MINI (or BMW) branded 5W0-30 Castrol available at MINI & BMW dealers is rated A3. Mobil 1 0W-40 is also A3. Note that other grades of Mobil 1 do not meet this spec. Typically, the MINI branded 5W-30 is less expensive than Mobil 1. IIRC, I paid $5.40 per qt. at MINI of Mountain View, CA. I can't find any grade of Mobil 1 for that price in my area.

 

That's a very useful find. I never knew about the ACEA grades of oil. Thanks, Robin!