After the 10K miles annual oil change by dealer, my on board service indicator is now 2500 miles to the next service? Oil on the dipstick is very dark (as dark as last time I checked on 9K, which is already awful).

On the dealer invoice it is clearly listed the oil filter/5 quarts oils have been used, so what's going on with that oil change?

 

I think some pictures of your dipstick would help the group out.

 

Did you check it immediately after they did the oil change to see what color the oil was? I would make sure I did this before I drove my car off the lot in the future. Freshly changed oil should be about the color of maple syrup... maybe a bit lighter than that...

I hate to say that the dealership may have lied on your invoice and said they did the change when they didn't.. but... that might be the case.

 

I didn't check the oil at the dealership, so this is the oil after 4 days 120 miles running. It' raining atm but I'll try to snap 1-2 pics before I go back to the dealer tomorrow.

 

What was it before the service? They don't reset the countdown for an annual, so you can have the oil change then get scheduled for another one quite quickly.

 

Original indicator 12K, 1 year. They did it @ 11k, 1 year, with the service indicator on. Now it's indicator off, but 2500 miles(2400 today), 6 month to next service.

 

I live in Ontario Canada. My MINI SA told me last time I took my MC in for a warranty repair that MINI was changing service intervals, and that oil changes were going to become more frequent. He told me specifically that there would be new programming for the computer that set the intervals lower.

Clearly this is an attempt from MINI to get more money out of people. My SA admitted that as well. Quite shady if you ask me.

If the oil in your engine is indeed "fresh" then the service indicator does indeed reflect the new programming.

 

But Mini comes with "Free Maintenance", shorten the interval won't do much good to them.

Will it be an attempt to closely monitor the effectiveness of the latest cold start fix? or a more realistic approach to engine oil longevity?

 

I guess that explains why my computer ready 1st service (had a 1 year with 4K left on computer) done back in feb left an indicator of 9K miles till next service. If under warrantee, then that is good, but yes definitely there to take more money. Maybe they realized that these computers have way to long of an interval as well?

 

Just because they changed your oil doesn't mean there isn't any service due for the next year. There could be microfilter or some other thing due soon that wasn't due when they changed the oil.

 

None of the above. The OBC has various things it monitors that indicate the next service, like brake fluid flush and brake fluid. When you start your car the service indicator that gets flashed on your odometer is the next one due, which may not be the oil change, but maybe something else.

Your SA can say for sure by reading the key, but there is also a procedure you can do (in your manual) to access the OBC and see which service is next and display it in your service indicator display on the tach.

 

MINI does not come with free maintenance in Canada. Owner pays for everything. Only warranty items are covered by dealer, all scheduled maintenance is done at the owner's cost.

I have 23000km (14260 miles) on my Canadian JustaCooper in 11 months. My service indicator tells me I still have 3000km (1860 miles) until my first scheduled oil chg/service.

That would make 26000km (more than 16000 miles) and one year, more or less, from purchase date 'til my first scheduled service. Seems like a long time to me, but there you go.

If MINI has indeed changed the programming in Canada to make oil change/service intervals more frequent, I will certainly notice it. I will also certainly ask (again) why BMW and MINI treat U.S. and Canadian customers differently re: maintenance costs. I don't expect a satisfactory answer, but I'll ask (and complain) anyway. I suspect a money grab too - but we'll see.

BTW - I changed my oil myself at 3500, 10000, and 18000 km. My next change will be at the dealer during the scheduled (by the service indicator) 26000 service, just about right according to my schedule..



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while you're asking ask them why the US doesn't get Xenon headlights standard. We want some of the perks you get too!

 

Those weren't standard in '08 when I bought mine - they were a $700 option.

Another point of discussion with my dealer!


edit: The Xenons aren't standard in '09 - I just checked the mini.ca website and they're a $690 option. I think they were standard in '07 here in the Great White North.
So my dealer's off the hook on that one..

edit #2 - Xenons are standard on the '09 "S" in Canada, but optional on the Cooper. Just clearing that up!!


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I drove close to 28,000 km before my first scheduled maintenance so you and I are on the same track! When I got my car back the OBC was saying 2010 14,000 km.

I now have 33,880 km on my odometer and the OBC is still saying 2010 14,000 km, so the countdown has not really changed for the past 3 months.

BUT. I do know that when it starts to go down, it can go down quickly and the next time I start my car it could very well say 10,000km. I am not sure if my car has been programmed with the new maintenance schedule or not. I didn't think to ask my MA when Canada would be making the switch. Perhaps it is 09 models and up? My MC is an 08. Would be interesting to find out.

 

Ummmm.... I certainly don't feel that my "standard" bi-xenon headlights justify the fact that the base price of my car was $30,000 before taxes (so really, closer to $35,000 once you add in freight and PDI).

Yah, we get the xenons as standard on the MCS. Who cares though. We are being charged A LOT MORE for the same car, which is ludicrous considering almost every other auto manufacturer that I can think of has dropped pricing on their vehicles by THOUSANDS of dollars to be more competitive with the USA market, and the strong Canadian dollar.

I don't consider my xenons a perk. I think of them as the reason my MCS base price started at almost $10,000 more than yours.

 

Just come back from the dealer. It's all good news:

This is a "low-mileage oil change" because my car is yet to reach 14K miles(Air filter change etc.), so they only did an oil change at this point but will do another oil change @ 14K miles mark together with other service items. Basically I got an extra oil change for free.

My SA said the oil will get "dirty" once the engine starts running, it is normal.

 

I just figured I'd toss my 2 cents in with this....

I got my first oil change at 6 months/6500 miles which I paid for myself. My car turned a year old on 4/25/09 so I brought it in last week for its second oil change at 12,400 miles. This oil change was free because it was a year since purchase. Each time, my numbers were NOT reset- it now says that my next service is due in 4900 miles or 11/2009. My advisor said that at that time, a light will go on and they will change the oil again for free and replace some filters and do whatever else needs to be done to the car all free of charge. At this time, the numbers will reset.

So basically, I drive just enough that I should be able to change my oil every 6 months/6k miles or so and have them covered. My advisor said they are free when its the anniversary of purchase date or when the computer ticks down to 0.

 

be thankful they forgot to reset the service schedule!

 

Not trying to hijack this thread - but I'm wondering about something... Did a search but found nothing relevant.

I live in Canada, and as I'm sure most of you know, we have to pay for our service here. No free anything - hardly seems fair, considering also that our MINI's cost significantly more in Canada even taking currency exchange rates and different options etc. into account.

Whatever.

My '08 MINI is coming up on one year (about 2 or 3 weeks away) and the service computer says I have 2900 KM (1800 miles, give or take) until my first service is due.

My question is: What kind of cost am I looking at for this service? There must be some Canadian MINI owners out there in NAM-land who've had to pay for the first dealer service. Should I start looking at second mortgage rates, or is it reasonable?


I hate surprises of the financial kind.


ps. I'll start a new thread if y'all think I should - as I said, not trying to be a hijacker...

 

This doesn't sound right to me. Every car I've owned the oil looks like maple syrup after an oil change ...running or not. I check the Porsche's oil while the car is running (that's how you have to check it). The oil is always clean with a nice light brown/gold tint to it. I've never heard that oil gets "dirty" after you drive your car. Sounds very odd to me.

 

Probably means that they don't fully drain the old oil.

 

Yep