hi I was wondering if it is okay to use just regular synthetic oil like mobil 1 syntetic or do i have to use bmw oil?

 

Any good quality synthetic will work. Mobil 1 should be just fine. Be sure to see the DIY recommendations for pre-fitting the filter to ensure ease of re-assembly.

 

so mobil1 synthetic can last 15,000 miles on mini's??

 

I never liked that whole 15,000 mile thing. Mine gets changed every 5,000 to 7,000 miles depending on my driving habits during that interval. It's up to you, but I prefer shorter intervals.

 

yeah check your oil for cleanliness and viscoscity... 15k is if you turn your mini over to your grandmother and she dives it back and forth to church daily. I drive my car and change it typically at 8-9k. I use Amsoil, a little more expesive but read up on the stuff and you may be convinced. Plus i have a friend that is a distributor

 

Mobil 1 Synth with the gold cap is what I use too. I use the OEM filter as well. Comes with the o-ring.

 

I just started to use Royal Purple. It is more expensive but many people recommend it so I decided to go with it.

 

Anyone heard of AGIP?
A local independent shop uses it.
Compare to Mobil 1?

 

AGIP is common in Europe. don't know much more about it

 

I've switched over to Royal Purple as well. Still take the trip to the dealer for the filters though. I've heard some things about the ones from the parts store not sealing properly.

-Chase

 

The Mobil 1 Extended Life should be good for the ~15k miles interval. In the manual there is information about using oils that meet certain specs (e.g. A3/B3 and LL01 - sorry if the specifics are wrong, I'm workin' off memory). You'll want to make sure you get a version that meets those.

 

yeah I always get OEM filters now. I had 3 filters (maybe wix, not sure) and the o ring would not seat correctly and leak a small amount of oil so for 3 changes I used the factory oring and the other filter.

 

I get my filters off of minicarparts.net

They are OEM and are relatively cheap.

 

For you guys that like Royal Purple, I saw an independent study not too long ago. Some group in Australia did a test on a lot of oil manufacturers and Royal Purple came out on top. They actually broke apart the engines to show the metallic wear. This was independent and was not promoted by Royal Purple. I have thought about switching to it myself. I currently use Castrol Syntec.

 

I have seen a couple of these before, you aren't going to go wrong using RP or Amsoil...

http://micapeak.com/info/oiled.html

 

Ive noticed parts store filters do not fit as snug in the housing..ie you dont have to pre fit them, they just slide right on. Also the O ring is slightly smaller in thickness. I can see how they may leak.

 

That is interesting info on Royal Purple, when I was researching oils a few years ago, they were at the bottom of the synthetic oils, per the BITOG (bobistheoilguy) forum.

 

I f warranty is a concern make sure the oil you use meets BMW LL-01 and ACEA A3 standards -- this if from the MINI owners lounge under "WARRANTY / MAINTENANCE / ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE"

The oils listed below meet MINI's Long-life rating and are acceptable for use in MINIs in the US market with gasoline engines.
Long-life rating LL-01 Approved Synthetic Oils for the US Market

• - Castrol Syntec European Formula SAE 0W-30
• - Mobil 1 SAE 0W-40
• - Pennzoil Platinum European Formula Ultra SAE 5W-30
• - Valvoline SynPower SAE 5W-30

 

I wouldn't go past 10k miles myself.

 

Great link C-Lop, thanks. I'm an AmsOil user too, what a great product! After all the research I've done it was by far the best true synthetic oil out there.

 

Mobil 1 syn and fumoto quick valve ,stop monkeying around with those fragile stock drain plugs , I can open the valve for drain in 2 sec...Wish i would have gotten that thing years ago...also I do this thing every so often change oil run a week then change oil again then run your regular ( personal ) interval till next change . You will be supprised on clarity of oil..and your engine will love you..............

 

Interesting on the viscosity variations. I don't think there is much difference between 5W-30 and 0W-30. Main concern with having the right thickness has to do with bearing clearances.

Whatever grade of oil you choose, stick with it. It's not recommended to keep changing oil brands. MINI recommends Castrol is what I always saw, but I was told our dealership used Mobil 1.

 

I'd be willing to bet that the cheapest Walmart oil you can buy wouldn't make even the slightest bit of difference to the MINI engine in 100k miles, or more. A manufacturer will "reccomend" who ever endorses them.

 

ANY synthetic oil will be prefectly fine so long as it is the correct grade for the outside temperature. Every owner's manual has the chart in it to figure this out. I'm usually amazed that no ones takes the time to figure the chart out. It's not hard.

As for frequency of changes, the days of the 3500 mile oil change are LONG gone. As long as you use a OEM filter element (Bosch, Mann or Mahle) and drive normally, theres no reason why you can't go 10,000 miles between changes.

If you drive agressivley, figure 6 to 8,000 miles between changes.

any major brand synthetic oil will be fine.

 

Can someone explain "pre-fitting" or point me to a link. Thanks.