Threads like this may be irritating and repetitive to some but as a future owner this kind of information is gold. The chances of me just doing the normal routine of pull, wipe, insert, pull, check and not being aware I could be getting a false reading would have been very likely. Really, who expects checking oil to be anything but a simple operation?

Thanks to all the posters that *labored so hard* to get the point across amidst all the sarcasm. I appreciate the determination to give us newbies the heads up.

 

I've dealt with a few cars that have sucky dipsticks. What I have found as a solution is to use 5w-40 weight oil, and check the oil when its hot(I.E. viscosity at the higher end opposed to cold 5w). The thicker the oil, the better it sticks to the dipstick thus a bit easier to read. I pull/wipe and insert, wait 5 seconds, and pull again....i get a solid reading. The more you do it the more oil will run along the tube and maybe skew the results.

 

the oil does not get thicker as it gets hot, nor does it get thinnner as it gets cold

a multiviscocity oil does exactly what its name says, exhibits the viscoscity of multiple oils

a 5W40 oil will have the approximate same viscoscity of a 5 weight oil at low temps and will have the approximate same viscoscity of a 40 weight oil at high temps

but a 5W40 oil will still be thinner at high temp than at low temp, it just does not change as much as a single weight oil would

scott

 

That's what I'm talking about!!! It's what I'm like, "Whaaaaa?" when Craven makes a $70 dipstick.

 

Interesting. Good to know I guess. I found when checking the oil when cold the oil seemed to run down the stick, and when hot it stuck to the stick and seemed more of a distinct markation

 

Thank you for your kind statement. We made these threads/posts to make new owners aware of the problem and give them solutions. There are thousands of views on these threads, so hopefully the word is getting out.

Morris, 2011 MC, PW/B

 

Scott -

Did you request your dealer reset the OBC service interval to 8,000 miles or is that normal for your year and model Mini?

I'm at 15,600 on my 2012 MCa Hardtop and mine keeps telling me 900 miles to service in 9/2013, but it has been there for over 900 miles (?). I changed my initial oil at 2,500 and again at 10,000. My next oil change (this one by the dealer) will be done at about 17,500. I plan to just go to the dealer at 17,500 to see if they are willing to do the free service regardless of what the OBC says (the car will be about 1 1/2 years old at that point - past the typical 1 year or # miles timeframe). It would be great if I can have them set the OBC service interval at 7,500-8,000 at that time.

 

I think your menu is showing another service schedule. Many times when there is a date it can be for registration or inspection due date. Mine did it a few days ago after toggling through the menu and I noticed it wasn't changing, waiting for my brake warning, so I went into the service menu and took it through the checks and back home. The dated notice is gone. The date it was showing was my inspection date due in July 2013.

 

my 03/2012 build cms all4 originally had the OBC oil/filter interval set to 9,000 miles (interestingly, the window sticker says 10,000 mile oil/filter interval)

at 7,900 miles, my counter hit zero and the dealer changed the oil/filter while i waited (and watched) ...

when i picked up the car, the SA told me the OBC oil/filter was now set to 8,000 miles as that was the new standard and all minis with the OBC were set to 8,000 miles by them

my dad liked my cms all4 so much that he bought an ex-demo/loaner cms all4 2 weeks after i got mine ... his is an 09/2011 build 2012 and the oil/filter interval showed 13,000 miles when he took delivery with 2,500 miles

2 weeks after my oil/filter change, dad's came due at 1 year with 8,000 miles on the odometer and 6,000 left on the OBC

like my car, after the change the OBC was set to 8,000 miles by the dealer

scott

 

I'll check my manual and do the same to better understand what is showing when I start the car.

I'll also ask my dealer about setting my oil change interval to 7,500. That's the schedule I'm using for oil, filter and tire rotation; all on my own so far.

Thanks folks.

ADDED: It looks like it is the oil change mileage and expected month/year for it, but the oil can doesn't show on the screen. Funny thing is that it was 900mls 9/2013 (originally 800mls). When I checked all the items individually it jumped UP to 1,200mls 9/2013. Then when I pulled the key and put it back in and turned the car on it now reads 1,000mls 9/2013. WTF? Sure glad I'm tracking this stuff manually. I'm not sure I can rely on this computerized gizmo. It appears the computer is trying to push the oil change out to between 1.5 and 2 years so they will only have to do ONE oil change under warranty, because that way the next one will fall after the 3 year mark. Call me skeptical!

I'll just call the dealer for an appointment when the next oil change is due and go from there...

 

BlackIce,

My service indicator showed the first service needed at 17,000 miles or about 2 years. I did not know that there was also a scheduled service at 1 year, so I took my MC in for the first oil change at 7,000 miles. I asked why the mileage was not reset and was told they do not reset the mileage on oil changes before the scheduled mileage. They also said that initial 2 years max to next service was not for the oil. Since I changed my oil before I reached the 1 year or computer generated mileage, i.e, not a scheduled service my mileage was not reset. My 1 year of ownership came up before the oil change mileage indicated service was needed. I took the MINI in for the 1 year service. They changed the oil and reset the mileage. The early oil change was at my expense, the sheduled oil change cost me nothing. Since I only drive about 12,000 to 13,000 miles a year, I take my MINI in for an oil change every 6 months. This makes the oil change interval more even and is below the 8,000 miles some of the dealers are recommending. If my dealer changes the interval to 8,000 miles, I will only do scheduled oil changes.

Morris, 2011 MC, PW/B

 

I can't remember exactly but I think the service indicator for oil change showed 10,000 miles when I took delivery of my new 2013 MCS Roadster last August. I paid for an oil change at about 5,000 miles. The indicator adjusted to my driving style until it showed the free oil change due at 9,400 miles. I just had that done last week and the indicator was reset to 9,000 miles. My dealer must not be resetting to 8,000 miles like others have experienced. I will watch my indicator and probably pay for a change after another 4,000 to 4,500 miles.