2013 MCS


1. Tire rotation. MA said Mini didn't rotate runflats. Despite finding no reason not to, I said nothing. Result: front tires gone in far too few miles. Good part: I ditched the runflats and put on Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3. Rotated regularly (as runflats should have been). Way better drive.


2 and 3. See photo. Cabin air and engine air intake filters at 30,000 miles (2 years). Yes, those are chunks of stuff you see in the photos along with extreme particle load. No mention at service and when I asked got vague answer as to when due. Should be no more than 15,000 mi/ 1 year; more in dirty driving conditions.


At least I used my brain for oil/filter changes: every 5,000 period, despite I pay for every other one (and OCD change at 1,500 miles)


Next oil/filter change will include gas filter and maybe tran oil and.......

 

Sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands.

 

They aren't that bad. The cabin filter is a grayish black color anyway.


And not for nothing, but you actually listen to the service advisers? lol


They only care about getting the car out of warranty. Period. If you are going to keep your car, follow an old school maintenance schedule. (if you don't know what that is, join the BMW CCA and email Mike Miller, he'll send it to you.)


As for oil? I'm basing my 8,000 mile interval on science. After 8 oil analysis samples through Blackstone labs, the oil is still good at 8,000 miles, but due for a change along with the filter.


You are, as always, free to do what you like. it's your money...

 

Just wait till your out of warranty, they will tell you to replace things like oil & filter changes twice as often when it's on your dollar. Do yourself a favor, end your relationship with Mini dealers the second your out of warranty. Smartest move you could make!

 

My dealer never suggested an accelerated OCI once I was out of warranty.

 

I laughed at my SA when he told me about the 15,000 mile oil change. I do it @ 7,500 and I still cringe a little inside

 

I used to laugh at jiffy lube every time they walked up to me with a air filter a little dirty, I say well it's doing it's job, stopping dirt, if it was clean then is would be a FAIL. A little dirt is normal so long as it's still flowing air.

That cabin filter looks like it came out of car that has 4 2 pack a day smokers in it, Mine never looked that bad after 2 years.

 

I will admit that not all dealers are bad, consider yourself lucky is you find a dealer that is looking out for you and your wallet.

Even though your oil was still good I can barely watch the dirty oil coming out of my engine after only 5000 miles. Recently I used BG Engine Performance Restoration and drain my oil twice sacrificing 5 quarts of new oil for the second flush/drain, it looked like marble pouring out even on the second drain. There was the oil and then there was this absolute black swirls mixed in, I wish I had a second hand to video the whole process because it would have turned heads! Guess I'll have to wait another 55,000 miles before I get another chance.

 

I once saw someone reading chicken entrails for bad omens.


But that has as much to do with anything, as the color of used oil. But if a lab says that the oil is still good and doing it's job at 8K miles, I don't give a crap what it looks like when it comes out.


When I worked for Hess oil, (terminal manager in Baltimore), our tractor trucks had a 30,000 mile oil change interval. Backed up by oil analysis, that got bumped to 35,000 miles. Cummins tore down an engine with 1,000,000 miles. Yea that's right a MILLION miles and found virtually no wear.


So for me, if a lab says it's good, it's good. (it may not look pretty, but as long as it works...)

 

Was Blackstone Lab's able to determine the levels of contamination in the oil after 8000 miles? I'm going to send Blackstone Lab's a sample of my oil change after using BG's EPR and see what really came out or what that black stuff was composed of and also send them a sample after 6500-7500 miles.

 

Welcome to the club of ignoring factory maintenance intervals. I avoid buying German cars with factory maintenance history--what I want to see is OCD preventative maintenance.

+1. You're wasting good oil (and a bit of $) changing every 3-5k unless it's due to age, or it's dino oil.

 

The oil is fine at 8000 miles, I'm more worried about the deposits left behind from dirty oil (sludge). Have you seen inside an engines that had long service intervals you'll see a lot of black sludge and hard carbon deposits.

 

Where did you purchase your BG EPR? I have used one bottle of BG 44k and Plan to use at least another. Did you split the bottle into two tanks, or just a super concentrated single tank?

 

I actually believe 15K for these cars. Only because you have to add 1 QT every 1k, so at 15k you really don't have oil older than 5k miles

Seriously though, Lexus IS350 says 10K oil changes on it and it is a NA, top tier brand. You can't possibly tell me that a turbocharged 1.6 has a longer change cycle.........do they think we are idiots? I have 2 Mini/BMW service tech friends and they don't even use the Castrol they get cheap! Much less change it every 15K!

 

I'm not sure about the EPR, but I get my 44k from a dealer and it comes in a can. So I'm not sure if that is the same size as a bottle or not, but I use the entire can when putting it in my gas tank.

 

" I ditched the runflats and put on Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 3."

What did you do about a spare wheel/tire?

 

Run without one. You can get a donut spare and drive with it in the back if you really needed too. But I think most of us just drive without.

 

Ditto. I have donut for long trips to isolated areas. I carry a Slime 12v airpump that also injects stop leak which fits could the way under passenger seat and a DynaPlug puncture repair tool.

 

I ran into the regional manager for BG Corp in California at a BG dealer, he saw me pull up in my MCS. He sent me 3 bottles of BG products, BG EPR, BG 44K and BG MOA which I don't plan on using. I pour entire can of BG 44K into gas tank and refill the gas tank when half full, the instruction say to do this. He told me the EPR was partially intended for direct injection engines, when you have blowby gases passing through the piston rings it leaves deposits (oil deposits which is why our engines burn oil) in and around the piston rings/landings. There's a thread here on NAM showing hard black deposits in the ring landings, ever wonder why some engines show excessive ring wear? These oil deposits stick to the valves and piston heads as well.