OIl level is supposed to be checked on level ground but have you ever noticed that our vehicles have a negative rake? This causes the engine to be somehat lower in front than the rear. I'm wondering if the engineers took that in mind when they calibrated the dipstick. Could that be the reason that they specify 4.5 qts trather than 5?

 

For me 5 quarts in puts the level to the top of the dipstick good zone, maybe a smidge higher. I like to check it at known flat ground, usually a big gas station like a truck stop. The 4.5 vs 5 quart thing is both puzzling and somewhat annoying. Most cars seem to take 5 quarts. Willing to bet most of us buy oil in the 5-quart jug. That leaves you half a quart reserve, which you can either leave in the big jug in the garage, throw it into the crank case anyway (not really a good idea), or in my case transfer it into a quart bottle for a roadie top-up. My car doesn't seem to use much oil between changes (3K) maybe a half quart for a lot of city driving, usually nothing for mostly highway miles. So sometimes that bottle goes unused and I end up with a full quart extra after two oil changes.

 

I thought my owner’s manual specified 4.8 quarts for my r50 with a filter change. Isn’t the r53 even more? Or am I misunderstanding?

 

All our MINI's have the same block and the same oil change capacity specified ..4.5 qts., although most of us just fill with 5 qts.

 

Then why does the manual have something different?



Oh, and doesn’t the r53 have a tiny oil cooler?

 

Obviously, your owner's manual reads differently than mine and the Bentley Service Manual. Not that it's the definitive source, but a GOOGLE search will also show 4.5 qts. The cooler to which you refer is actually a heat exchanger in concert with the oil filter. No additional oil is required.

 

Hmm. Odd. I've always used about 4.8 quarts. It's also what is specified in the factory (or so I thought) docs that I have. I always ignored the 4.5 spec'd in my Bentley because I figured the factory knew what it was doing, and I never showed as overfull.

I'm mostly curious about the discrepancy. I'm unaware of any change during the model run that would alter capacity.

Oil coolers are by definition heat exchangers, aren't they, regardless of what fluid the heat is moved to?

 

Interesting.
I do oil/filter changes @ every 3.5k.
I've always filled w/ 4.7 qts. = max level. (R53).

I remember blowing out a rear main (porsche 914) by over filling my crank case by 3/4 qt. R&R those mid engines were a big pita. I'll never forget making that mistake.

 

I see 4.8 “LITERS” in those manual quotes…. Except in post #5 where it says 5.1 quarts

4.8 liters = 5 quarts

 

4.8 liters is 5.07 quarts, which rounds to 5.1.

My car takes 4.8 quarts, however. 4.75 quarts if you’re converting from 4.5 liters.

 

I stumbled across the 2003 owners manual a bit ago, and it specs 4.5 liters or 4.7 quarts for both the R50 and R53, like @Here2Go said. Interesting. I wonder what - if anything - changed.

 

I stumbled on a GP1 press release document dated June 2006 yesterday and saved that for future reference (pdf with related press image moved to new topic here). Very interesting stuff contained within, however this partial specifications page screenshot from that likewise stated 4.8L/5.07qts which seems definitive.