Today I'm changing break-in oil at 2500, got all the stuff and proceedure (thanks NAM). Double checking the drain plug location I wonder if I really need to ramp up the front end at all?

Anyone ever not ramp with a shallow pan? Seems ramping even a few inches may effect a complete drain.

Should of posted in bonnet but need a quick response, forgive me Mr. Moderator.

 

I ramp mine, but I don't know if it is kosher or not.

 

i believe some owners have parked at the edge of the curb or driveway and done it that way. but my only question is without the ramp/tilt effect, willl you be draining the last bits of oil that sit at the bottom?

 

On the ramps you will drain just about all the oil from the pan; the engine will be tilted with the drain plug at the lowest point. You will tend to leave more oil leftover in the pan if you tilt the car with one side up on a curb.

 

While we are on the first oil change subject; what type of oil should we use on an MCS for its first change? I keep reading synthetic.

If it is synthetic, is this readily available at the standard Jiffy Lube? You are correct, I am not much of a car expert, let alone a DIY person. I live in NYC in a postage stamp sized apt. Not much room for tools or ramps.

Thank,
Nando

 

eeeek! Don't even think Jiffy (read hack) Lube. Maybe a qualified mechanic like an import specialist or MINI/BMW dealer can do the job properly. Jiffy hack will not stock your filter or have tools or a clue how to change it.

ONLY SYNTHETIC based oil are to be used PERIOD. Castrol Syntec or Mobile 1 are the best auto store picks usually a 5-30 wt. The replacement filter source from the dealer or on-line. How-to instructions are available on-line as well.

The deal is it's your call to wait 10,000 out for the dealer schedule or find a way. Check around for a local garage to perform the job where you provide the filter kit and printed instuctions. I feel your pain, I lived in NYC and there are some space issues.

 

If you take it to a shop that requires printed instructions on how to change oil, you should find another shop.

I've seen super long threads on other sites regarding zillions of details about changing oil. It's not rocket science. It doesn't matter how you change, but just change it...and the filter, every time you change oil.

Good luck,

 

Your right most shops would being fine without instructions. But have you ever checked out NYC shops? I went to four before one would install some after market rotors and calipers on my then cool Olds 442.

Sounds lame but I'd still bring up the canister filter question with the shop before they turn the 18 year old oil change guy loose. I've seen several threads where "pros" stripped out the threads, caused leaks, placed the o-ring on the wrong groove etc.

 

I have been using Redline 5W30 for years and think its the best on the market, although may not be easy to locate. Use the OEM filter. Ramps are the easiest way, if your concerned with getting the last thimble of old oil out (I really don't think that is necessary) if available, do it with ramps on a grade. I you have some doubts about doing it yourself, take it to a dealer NOT any fast lube place.

 

As someone who grew up in my father's gas station changeing oil since I was 9, I can tell you that there will be plenty of oil retained in that engine if the car is not level when drained. You think that by tilting the egine you get the pan to drain more completely, but in effect, you are probably keeping the heads and oil galleries within the engine from draining. Cars are made to drain best in a level position - period. The really dirty oil, which is up in the top of the engine is what you should worry about - not the relatively clean oil in the pan.

If you have an English car, you should be prepared to do your own routine maintenance. I can't go down to my Auto Zone and expect to find a filter for a Land Rover or a Morgan (do they even have filters). You will probably wind up buying them 6 at a time when you find them cheap on line. Buy extra O-rings and drain plug gaskets at the dealer - no one else will carry them.

Now as to oil - my Mini is not here yet, but it is supposed to have free maintenance for 3 years - I assume that means oil changes too. I have always lived a long way from my car dealer and have always changed my own oil. I've always used synthetic oil (even in air cooled VW's where it is frowned upon) and never had a problem. I have been told that any car with a turbocharger or supercharger really requires synthetic to last. The extra heat and high RPM of the turbo requires it. I intend that if the dealer will change my oil with regular dinosaur juice, I'll opt for using synthetic from my garage.

 

Ditto Greatbear's vast wisdom. I use Ramps (or jackstand the front end) for ease of use and location of drain plug.

 

The plug is easy to reach from the front of the car laying down and a shallow pan does the trick. No need to go to the ramp trouble and besides those things scare me. I use Mobil 1 in both my vehicles - good stuff.

 

On the subject of oil changes - If I just want to change the filter, do I need to drain the oil first, or is the filter housing above the standing oil level? I think it is, based upon the position. I actually just had the oil/filter changed, but I need to remove the oil filter housing so I can attach my new oil pressure gauge sender.

I've changed my oil once at home, using Rhino ramps (low profile) it's very easy.

JoeDentist - the free maintenance does include oil changes (on their schedule only - 1st is about 10K miles, then about 15K miles interval - actual interval is calculated by the on-board computer). The dealer does use synthetic oil. As a matter of fact, you can buy the MINI factory oil at the dealer for about $4/qt, which is a pretty decent price.

 

Thanks Lakesands that's what I was looking/hoping for - no rampage. I was laying under there yesterday and thought I can reach that bugger and keep this level.

Bigbrowndog - I think attemping to replace only the filter without a drain is a messy deal. You break the seal on the canister to allow air in to drain off most of the canisters contents while the pan plug is out and draining. So...without a negative pressure pan drain happening pulling the canister may drain down after the threads are loosened (wait 5 min.) or release a qt. of oil into rags when you pull it. I'd have plenty-o-rags for this trick.

 

What you guys all need is the lifts the nice site sponsor has for sale. That way the car is elevated AND the drain plug is easy to get at.
I had the pleasure of changing oil on my F350 the other day, sucker has such ground clearance, it is "easy" to get under it. The problem came after I loosened the filter, (2 QT!) it slipped out of my hands and the result WAS NOT pretty......oil all over my drive way, the mechanic, bent pair of glasses and oh yes.....synthetic HD oil with 10K on it tastes awful!! good thing i had let it drain a LOT before doing the filter, otherwise I would have had burns to contend with as well.:smile:

 

C'mon. No sympathy here. We all know that hypoid fluid tastes FAR worse than engine oil.

 

I can solve this dilema real easy. Check out this link http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...goods&n=507846I got this awhile ago and I will never crawl under my cars again. Gets out as much if not more oil than the drain method. Has a stiff section at the end and it is real easy to get it right at the bottom of the pan. A few strokes of the pump and all that oil sucked right out of the pan.

 

So for those who think that the car need not be jacked up or ramped, consider installign a Fumoto oil drain valve (replaces the drain plug). A simple flick of the levere and the valve opens to drain the oil. No mess.

Do a search for Fumoto oil drain valve if you're interested in getting one. Actually Moss Mini sells them.

 

zgocart... yeah, those quick drain valves look like the deal.

I did the job rampless and the drain wasn't bad but using the Rino ramps would improve wrench handle swing ala above d-valve. The caniser threading was no problem I even spun it back and re-threaded to see why people were detailing starting the first thread techniques.

The real fun was the new filter fit. One of the how-tos recommends enlarging the filter holes before pressing onto the guide. The filter is totally different from stock. It has a fixed seal and half-inch holes on both ends. The canister has a guide pipe to slide over at about 1" diameter. So I cut relief slits in the 1/8 thick filter end material - nope doesn’t fit. So I tried various tools of destruction to cleanly open them up. Looked like a dog chewed it into round. Hey she fit only 15 minutes grrrrrr.

 

All you guys have me quaking in my boots about my first MINI oil change.....I think I'll let the dealer handle it.........oooops, they done done it already, when they did the JCW kit......

 

AAAAND ANOTHER THING..... HD oil with 10K miles on it DOES SO taste worse than hypid oil.....of course hypoid oil WILL kill you (all that zinc in there)

 

Be warned, that not all synthetics are the same.

Mobil took Castrol to court for continuing to call their product synthetic, after they had changed the base components from synthetic to natural oil products.

Castrol continue to use the synthetic label, claiming that the oil has synthetic components.....

Mobil 1 is however fully synthetic.

Worth bearing in mind.

Chris.

 

Not all of the Mobil One products are now fully synthetic. Some of them are only partially synthetic. They recently changed this in order to increase profit margin on the products.

I'm not sure about details, but I've read quite a lot on this subject on another enthusiast site. It seems that of the more common weights that you see on the shelf, the one with a Red cap is the fully synthetic. It is called a performance blend and I have only found it in 15W50 which works well in Texas, but it would not be a good weight for the colder climates.

 

This is absolutely NOT true, it's Castrol that went the semi-synthetic route to increase profits.

Mobil 1 is a fully synthetic motor oil for automotive engines. It is made from a unique combination of high-performance fluids, including polyalphaolefin (PAO), plus the SuperSyn™ anti-wear system for protection under the most extreme use. Mobil 1 with SuperSyn™ is available in five viscosity grades:

Mobil 1 with SuperSyn™ 10W-30 –
Higher-Mileage Vehicle Formula

Mobil 1 with SuperSyn™ 5W-30 –
Newer Vehicle Formula

Mobil 1 with SuperSyn™ 15W-50 –
Performance Driving Formula

Mobil 1 with SuperSyn™ 0W-30 –
Enhanced Fuel Economy Formula

Mobil 1 with SuperSyn™ 0W-40 –
European Car Formula

Mobil 1 with SuperSyn™ is truly a global formulation, exceeding the latest standards from the government, the oil industry and vehicle manufacturers. For instance, the appropriate grades of Mobil 1 with SuperSyn™ exceed ILSAC GF-3, API Service SL/CF, European ACEA standards and Japanese valvetrain requirements. In addition, some viscosity grades exceed specific OEM standards. One example is Mobil 1 with SuperSyn™ 0W-40, which exceeds Mercedes Benz's 229.3 specification. As a CF rated oil, Mobil 1 with SuperSyn™ can also be used in diesel engines calling for a CD oil.

What's the difference between a fully synthetic and a semi-synthetic motor oil?

All motor oils are made up of base oils and additives. In general, fully synthetic motor oils contain non-conventional, high-performance fluids. Semi-synthetic oils (also called "blends") usually use a small percentage of non-conventional, high-performance fluids in combination with conventional oil. Castrol 'synthetic' is just such a blend.

Chris.

 

I really don't understand this problem.... I just changed my filter a couple days ago. The process I used was to put the new filter into the threaded cover and press it all the way on. It didn't just drop in there, but it wasn't what I would call a "force fit" either. I didn't need to cut the filter material.

I ordered OEM replacement filters from Brian @ Classic MINI.