RANT

MINI does not equal Mini

Find a Mini that does not need oil added every month and then you have something

I'm Bi-Minual

2007 and 1979

 

I am an auto tech and have been working on cars for 13 years. I have never seen a more poorly designed dipstick yet. Its not that i can't read it......its that oil seems to make its way all over the dipstick when you pull it back up through the LOOOOOONG dipstick TUBE.

 

I just the same issue with my Mini. When I first bought it I thought the oil was low but was told is normal - just needed to break in car.

6 months later at 8k miles (oil change around 6k) I'm told by dealer I'm a quart oil which is causing my engine to sound as if it's knocking.

Does this car really have these kinda issues.

 

I think I'd be surprised if an engine as tightly wound as a MINI S didn't use a quart in 8K miles.

Still, I can't understand why folks are upset about this? Add a quart of oil if it needs it and motor on......what the heck is the big deal?

 

Mine is actually not an S model and I think it's frustrating because you would think a car of this kind engineering you wouldn't have to put oil in it unless your drag racing. A new car shouldn't require that - if so I would bought an American car.

I'm just saying.

 

Oh really. And what car exactly is 100% designed and made in the USA ?



Heck the most powerful small truck engine in the USA, the GM Duramax diesel, is designed by Isuzu.

 

It's not that serious. Enjoy your Mini and motor on.

 

Be happy you have a dipstick.. new BMW's don't. FWIW BMW allows 7/10L per 1000KM for non-M engines, M engines are allowed 1 1/2L per 1000KM

 

I just changed mine a couple days ago.
I was a little late; it had been 8K since the last change (I'd planned for 5K-6K, but didn't get to it).

I'd seen no noticeable drop in oil level, in that 8K miles.

 

Mine doesnt use any noticeable amount either, though I have heard, like the others are saying, that it can be normal.

Probably my grandpa-like driving style lol

 

Some will some won't, nothing is perfect. Just check it, add some if needed and move on. This is nothing new with any car.

 

It's ALL about the break in. Proper break in procedures will bed the seals properly, and you won't "use" oil routinely. Those that ARE "drinking" oil, I'll just bet you didn't follow the prescribed break in procedures for the first 1200 miles or so. I know you'll scream from the mountain tops that you did, but I'll bet you didn't.

This is my second Mini, and I'm also on my 4th BMW. I have never used a drop of oil in ANY of them, all due to proper break in. Friends of mine, who bought BMW's or Mini's about the same time I did, all had a little too much fun during their first 1200 miles, and now all "use" oil, which the dealer says is "normal".

Burning oil is NOT normal, and can be avoided.

 

Not necessarily.... That is a fairly big assumption to be honest. Some engines will burn oil even if they followed the procedures.

 

I'm just sayin' our Chrysler minivan burns a quart about every 1k miles and according to Chrysler, this is normal.

 

Not in my experience. And I have a lot of it in BMW engines. But, to each his own! I guess there is some solace in thinking that some random perturbation in the manufacture of the engine block is causing it. I think the simplest explanation is usually right though....

 

Point taken however the issue is related to Mini's and the history behind the making of this type of automobile. Burning oil in this manner is not something that's expected.

I'm certain most if not all vehicles whether American manufactured (The Big 3) or import cars all have something unexpected that most buyers don't realize until after they've purchased the vehicle.

Take it for whatever it's worth. I didn't expect to burn oil on a brand new car that rarely hits the highway but it is what it is. I love my Mini and as long as it's nothing serious I'm good.

Let's Motor and have fun...

 

Point taken however the issue is related to Mini's and the history behind the making of this type of automobile. Burning oil in this manner is not something that's expected.

I'm certain most if not all vehicles whether American manufactured (The Big 3) or import cars all have something unexpected that most buyers don't realize until after they've purchased the vehicle.

Take it for whatever it's worth. I didn't expect to burn oil on a brand new car that rarely hits the highway but it is what it is. I love my Mini and as long as it's nothing serious I'm good.

Let's Motor and have fun...

 

Hate to rain on all of you, but ALL turbo charged engines burn oil, period. If you were gentle on your break-in period, it won't matter, the R56S engine burns oil. All of you out there who think your engine isn't burning oil, you'll find out eventually that it does, so don't risk it and check it often. I'm just sayin'......

 

Well, if mine is burning oil, the oil fairy must be coming around here at night and topping it up. The dipstick read full when the oil was changed 8K miles ago, and it read full just before I changed it, the other day.
I do periodically check the level, and I hadn't added any at all.

 

I'll say it again some will, some won't. It just depends on a lot of different factors. Either way, it is not a big deal unless it is burning a lot of oil.

 

my 09 S has thrown oil thru a ruptured turbo aux line, a series of bad valve cover gaskets, and a warped valve cover, but it hasnt burned a drop of oil. The level is always steady throughout my 6-8k changes--even with all the above problems. Break in is everything--I followed mine to the letter. But it's all moot as these engines are shitte anyway.

 

I have an '05 Mini Cooper S that I bought last October, (4 months ago) and now I am replacing the motor. I bought the car and it was a quart low with 8000 miles until a change is required. I added the oil and drove the car 4500 miles. It started knocking badly. I checked the oil with nothing showing on the dipstick.
The car took four quarts of oil....yes! four quarts low. Crank shaft shot as well as a connecting rod. 42,000 mile used motor just cost me $3000. Quite an expense after only owning the car for four months. No, it did not have a leak. it had 67,000 miles on the car so of course the dealer wouldn't cover it. I towed it in there just as an off chance that they would.

Curiosity made me ask, "Why would my mini go through four quarts of oil in 4500 miles?" I got a response from the mini mechanic of, "According to spec, that motor will go through a quart every 1000 miles because it uses the oil to cool down the valves which vaporizes the oil, but I've never heard of anyone going through the spec oil consumption."

Well, I did, and I drive my cars hard. So, yes, check your oil every other week to prevent what I am going through. It obviously isn't out of the ordinary for these cars to go through oil.

 

I was brought up that vehicle maintenance is what keeps the wheels turning. I was always taught to check the air in the tires, check the oil level, check the coolant level(If possible), check the brake fluid and clutch fluid, or trans fluid in an auto, and the washer fluid. I was taught to keep em topped off and full to the required levels. So, even tho in my last 2 cars doing this was a bit superfluous, I still did it. For me it is just natural to do the same checks on my MINI. If it burns oil or not, I love this car and will do whatever it takes to keep the shiny side up and the rubber spinning! Although I do agree that the dipstick is a bit difficult to read, but whatever, I just have to learn the best way to read it right lol.

Motor On!

 

All manufactures say one quart per thousand miles is normal.

Break in procedure isn't very important. These care are machined so closely, there isn't much breaking in to do. Not like in the old days when it took five thousand miles to break in a car. In those days, the driver was actually doing the final machining!

I romped on my accelerator even during the drive home from the dealer, and my MINI doesn't burn oil, I've noticed a few ounces in my oil catch can, and that is reflected in the oil level on the dipstick.

Maybe your oil consumption depends on what day of the week your car was built. Friday cars have problems because the workers are thinking about the weekend and not their job, Monday cars have problems 'cause the workers are hung over from the weekend!

Dave

 

Jtrick learned the hard way. Check your oil at least every other fill up.