I have some extra Mobil1 and brake fluid that I just got from a gift certificate. I just had an oil change about a month ago and wanted to know if there is any reason not to change the oil in less than the recommended time frame?

Same question goes for brake fluid.

thanks!

 

No matter what manufacturers say...I chg my oil mwith Mobile One between 3-4000 miles....It is also dependant on the climate and conditions where you live....Here in the High desert of Nevada...lots of dust and stuff in the air....

Break fluid can be another story,....not my area of expertise but I do know the system has to be bled properly or you will have problems!

Increasing the freq of maintenance is a good thing....but wasteful if overdone! Manufacturers can take that 10,000 oil chg interval and keep it to themselves. (old school I know but.....)I just do not reset the Computer so they get to do their freebie ON MY SCHEDULE! Besides, I hate driving I-80 to Sacramento from reno just for an oil chg!

 

Save that new stuff until you need it. Unless you have driven several thousand miles in the past month, the oil in your MINI should be fine.

I do the brake fluid on an annual basis unless I have a reason to change it sooner.

 

I've said this before, but I'll say it again:

Oil is cheap. Engines are expensive.

Change it more often than the recommended 10k miles. I won't go more than 5K, even with full synthetic.

 

Scott's advice & mine are the same. 5,000 miles max.

 

Just to make sure that we are all in alignment with our expectations, don't forget to change your oil filter when you perform an oil change.

 

As true as the above statement is, there is still no reason to change the oil every month as the original poster is suggesting. Unless you have driven at least several thousand miles, wait to use that new oil. . .

 

I agree with that. I would not change the oil just because I have new oil on the shelf. I'd wait for 4-5k miles.

I got on my 'change your oil often' soapbox a little too quickly.

 

I don't mean to hi-jack the thread, but I was wondering what oil you guys are using as I'm getting an oil change tomorrow morning. Thanks.

 

I've used Mobil 1, Royal Purple, and the MINI branded Castrol.

My frank opinion is that any quality fully synthetic oil changed regularly is about the same.

If you buy the Mobil 1, you need to buy the extended protection stuff, as they have changed their formulations to create some cheaper oils that appear to have the same label.

 

Here is no harm in doing an oil change too soon aside from unless its starting to get dirty its just exessive waste. I'd shelf the oil for a bit. Brake fluid well my driving has that stuff wearing down exponetially quicker than manufacturer reccomendations so I'll take a high DOT 4 or DOT 5 whenever I can get it.

 

I'm not trying to be mean here, but some of you guys should go out and educate yourselves about how often you really need to change your oil when using synthetics. If you want to spend the money and change your oil every 3-5000 miles, that's up to you, but changing it every 10-12 miles is actually conservative for a synthetic type oil, which are typically designed to last for about 20,000 miles.

To answer the thread, by following the most conservative means of changing your oil by the car manufacturer, you should get many, many, many trouble free miles.

 

I hear you davisflyer. I still change it around 5k, but I have the peace of mind knowing that I really could go longer if necessary and sometimes I do go longer between changes.

 

I never change mine unless the car sits around a bunch. One of my Porsche only sees about 1500 miles a year so I change it every year. Kind of expensive at 14 qts. When you drive all the time, it should be okay to stay at the recommended intervals.
The thing that I wanted to say is that the EPA has mandated a change in the oil composition. They have removed the zinc and some other important properties out of the oils - including Mobil 1. What my Porsche engine builder has been finding is a gauling on the cam followers. Something new to watch out for. He builds only Porsche motors, but the application might be everywhere in any engine. He said that the only motor oil that has the correct "old" properties in it is Motul available in USA. He was a big fan of Mobil 1 and Swepco. I tried to find info on the web about the reformulation but with no luck . He also said that in Japan and Europe that they have the old formula still. Go figure.

 

Me too.

But my philosphy is that the oil is there to protect the engine and changed to keep it clean and the chemials new enough that they protect. SO if it starts to go black (usually around 4-5k) I'll change it to get the contamenats out of the engine. And when I pass 500k miles on the original engine I'll know its because the car was properly cared for.

Also spending a few hours on a Sat. afternoon to change fluids is relaxing for me, as well as a MINI bonding experiance

 

Education really isn't an issue here. I have no doubt that synthetic oil doesn't break down and will last much longer than 5k miles. It's the oil filter that I worry about. The filter become less effective over time and the oil gets dirty. It's even worse if you live in a dusty climate or have an aftermarket intake or filter than flows more air. At 5k miles, the oil has gone from the golden brown color that it is when new to a dark brown, almost black color.

Dirt in the oil increases wear and reduces the life of the engine. And as I noted before, engines are very expensive. I've not yet met a mechanic who waits 10k miles between oil changes. The only people pushing the long intervals are the manufacturers, who will be happy to sell you a new car when the engine in your current car fails.

 

It is also a question about where you live...The Nevada Desert has an over abundance of dust and dirt in the air....does not help the oil much and is trapped by the filter (hopefully) as said...the filter loses efficiency quickly under difficult conditions!

Heck, even my snowblower which uses synthetic oil, recommends a change at 20 hrs!

The math is simple...$25 for 5 qts of Mobile One at Walmart + $7 for a filter + your few minutes of time....Cheap at half the price!

Also if you follow the manufacturer's intervals and the engine blows after 50,000 mi...what do they care...they sell you a new engine!

I also wish they Made a magnetic drain plug for the new Mini...even the Austin has one available. Had one in my 81 porsche and it was always coated with metalic particles when i changed that oil (BTW: it took 12 quarts....for the racing sump!! THAT WOULD BE EXPENSIVE USING SYNTHETIC!)

 

The particles that make an oil dark tend to be too small to do any damage inside an engine. I'm going to second what was said about filters. That's what really matters as far as particulates go.

Has anybody ever installed a bypass filter on our cars?

The condition of the hydrocarbons making up your oil is also critical. Next time you check it, smear some around on your finger and smell it. Burnt is bad.

my $.02...

 

Dark oil does not indicate the need for an oil change. The way modern detergent motor oil works is that minute particles of soot are suspended in the oil. These minute particles pose no danger to your engine, but they cause the oil to darken. A non-detergent oil would stay clearer than a detergent oil because all the soot would be left on the internal engine parts and would create sludge. If you never changed your oil, eventually the oil would no longer be able to suspend any more particles in the oil and sludge would form. Fortunately, by following the manufacturer's recommended oil change interval, you are changing your oil long before the oil has become saturated. Remember, a good oil should get dirty as it does it's work cleaning out the engine. The dispersant should stop all the gunk from depositing in the oil pan.
The only real way to determine whether oil is truly in need of changing is to have an oil analysis performed. Since most people don't want to bother with this, it's acceptable to err heavily on the safe side and simply follow the manufacturer's recommended change interval for severe service. There are still a few cars that specify 3K intervals for severe service, but not many. If you look at countries other than the U.S., the oil recommended change interval is much higher than even the normal interval specified by vehicle manufacturers in the U.S.

 

do you guys find amsoil as a good brand? Would you use this in your MINI?

 

I have no personal experience with Amsoil, but have heard good things about it. What I've been using for 18 years is Mobil 1 synthetic. Works well for me & easy to find locally.

 

I use Redline and change 5-6 k miles and before and after track days. Brake fluid gets changed before and after track days also

 

I change my oil every 3k or every 3 months if i havent put 3k miles on it within 3 months. Granted the stuff claims to last alot longer, and it very well may. But just because it isnt broken down doesnt mean it is clean, oil gets dirty, and so does the filter. I dont want to take any risks, especially if you are driving the car hard, autocross or tracking is a good excuse to change oil/brake fluid everytime you go. If you drive the car hard, as in banging off the rev limiter a few times before you shift, or holding high rpms to reach that next turn. Then i wouldnt go no longer then 5k before an oil change. But thats just my .02

 

I wait until I am bored and want to do something to my "ride du jour", usually every 2 to 3 months or so, sometimes a bit longer. Have changed it with as little as 1000 miles or as many as 3500 to 5000 or so, pretty easy job really.

 

A gift certificate? How cool!
Wait until 5K, maybe 3K if you're tracking it. Spend that time waxing it (again) instead.
Brake fluid at 1-2 years depending on conditions (i.e. track)

You can never have oil too clean, or too much money. But if you have the former, you may not have the latter.