MINI one servicing

[jimmy156]

My other halfs MINI (62 plate) is now up to 15,000mi and is just over a year old. The service indicator is still showing 8000mi until the service is needed. Can that be right?

Is it worth doing anything service wise in the mean time?

TIA, James

[helix402]

Engine oil and filter.

[jimmy156]

That sounds sensible, is it actually necessary? Half of me think of BMW reckon its okay to go 23,000mi before a service then it must be. The other half of me thinks it cant be right!

[rigga]

Your car your choice, personally 20k plus between oil changes is not for me.

[Waugh-terfall]

Service intervals are 2 years or 20,000mi, whichever comes sooner. Have a flick through your book pack, Service Intervals and TLC Pack should be explained in a little booklet in there.

[New POD]

Service intervals these days are designed using excel to work out how many engines the manufacturer might have to replace under warranty, vs how many extra cars they can sell if the first buyer doesn't have to pay for servicing ever (usually a hire car company, who might only keep a car 9 months)

[jimmy156]

I genuinely couldn't find anything in the manual about service intervals other then the bit that told me where the OBC tells you how long it reckons you have until the next service. We do have the TLC pack, but i assume that it won't cover any "extra" servicing that we do outside of the scheduled ones.

Mr POD that is a very cynical view!

[helix402]

Serviced a BMW 118i today. 1 year and 12k miles since last service. Genuine BMW oil filter had started to collapse.

[Waugh-terfall]

MINI TLC Pack - click TLC, then Terms & Conditions.

[jimmy156]

Interesting you should say that about the BMW filter. Surely thats the exception rather then the norm?

Thanks for the link mate! Looks like my OH's gently driving style is extending the time needed before the first service! Maybe i should drive it a bit more often.

[Waugh-terfall]

She's driving it wrong!

[jackh707]

I've got 5litres of fully synthetic... A BMW oil filter and A BMW air filter for my R50 cooper for £40 ish quid.

My car isn't due a service for 8000 according to the indicator, but it's probably been 2-3 years since it's had an oil change.

Took a peak at the air filter, it was pretty grotty.

Just thought if do it myself, will take an hour max.

[New POD]

jimmy156 said:

Mr POD that is a very cynical view!

It might well be. But If you intend to keep the car until it's well out of warranty, then you may as well ignore the manufacturer's "educated guess" and err on the side of caution.

[helix402]

Collapsing oil filters happens on any car if the service interval is long enough. Sometimes you pull the filter out in bits.

[watchnut]

I bought a Mini "baker street" in october with 7350 on clock, and it was new July 2012. It is due a service now in about 2300 miles as it now has some 13000 on the clock. For a diesel engine to require such a long interval between oil/filter service is taking a risk I feel if the previous owner drove it doing the miles she was doing. If I had not been doing such high milage on it i would have had an OIL/filter change done, as it is it looks like it will be getting done next month.....there is not an engine around that does not like clean oil. I keep checking the oil level, and it is about 4 5ths up the dipstick, so using very little. I am however unsure what oil to check in it should I need to......any help there?

cheers watchnut

[helix402]

LL04 oil, available in different grades. Castrol Edge is what BMW use, though many other makes are approved.

[watchnut]

TA!

[Taylord1301]

Hi, just about to service my mini one r56 2009. Just wondering if the sump plug has a copper crushed ring? Normally comes with oil filter but mine hasn't so I'm unsure if it needs one, didn't want to start a service without a new one .

Thanks

[MDifficult]

Yes, does need one.

A lot of mini folk advocate using one of the suction pumps in the dip tube rather than messing with the sump plug. Quicker & cleaner and no needs to crawl about under the car.

[RedCarsAnonymous]

Taylord1301 said:

Hi, just about to service my mini one r56 2009. Just wondering if the sump plug has a copper crushed ring? Normally comes with oil filter but mine hasn't so I'm unsure if it needs one, didn't want to start a service without a new one .

Thanks

I struggled to find new sump plugs & washers for mine (I always fit both new on whatever car, saving a few quid vs the potential cost of losing all the engine oil just doesn't seem worth the risk), the consensus at the (apparently) most popular/active specialist new mini forum seemed to be that A) they weren't available, and B) don't worry about it, just reuse it & torque it up

Not satisfied with that, I got a handful of sump plugs/washers from Opie oils (https://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-77342-corteco-sump-plug-washer-ref-220135s.aspx).

I've just measured the crushable copper ring in one of the packets, it's an oval profile, nominal dimensions are 16mm ID, 22mm OD x 2mm high, in case you want to go more generic.