General MINI Talk Shared experiences, motoring minutes, and other general MINI-related discussion that applies to all MINIs, regardless of model, year or trim.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

What brand of oil to use and how often to change?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
  #1  
Old 08-22-2010, 09:11 AM
Sajuuk Khar's Avatar
Sajuuk Khar
Sajuuk Khar is offline
2nd Gear
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 58
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
What brand of oil to use and how often to change?

06 MCS JCW.

This is my first car that needs synthetic oil.

What brand do you guys recommend and how often do you change it? Still every 5k or 10k like bmw recommends?

Im not sure what brand is in the car at the moment, all I know is they put synthetic in for me. Is mobile 1 a good choice?

ANy info would be greatly appreciated.
 
  #2  
Old 08-22-2010, 09:44 AM
hunter99's Avatar
hunter99
hunter99 is offline
4th Gear
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 441
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I use the Castrol euro syn that MINI recommends and change it every 5k. It might be fine to do it when the service indicator recommends but I feel better doing it more often.
 
  #3  
Old 08-22-2010, 10:33 AM
Agarwaen's Avatar
Agarwaen
Agarwaen is offline
5th Gear
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Mountain Home, AR
Posts: 896
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 1 Post
Mobil One, Castrol Euro, Royal Purple are all good.

I change mine every 7500, half of recommend cycle. And in fact, tomorrow is time for a change.

There are also tons of threads on oil, do a search and you will find tons of info.
 
  #4  
Old 08-22-2010, 10:47 AM
SunnySideUp's Avatar
SunnySideUp
SunnySideUp is offline
3rd Gear
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Occoquan, VA
Posts: 245
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I use castrol synth...I don't do my own oil changes but I do buy the oil myself it saves a ton...I get my oil changed about every 10k but I do make sure I check it. My mini has 98k milles and there have been a few bumps in the road but overall it's been a pleasant motoring experience.
 
  #5  
Old 08-22-2010, 11:47 AM
Porthos's Avatar
Porthos
Porthos is offline
OVERDRIVE
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: None yours!
Posts: 6,455
Received 13 Likes on 11 Posts
I used Amsoil for the first time right before MTTS and I like it but I am do fo another change cause of mileage.
 
  #6  
Old 08-25-2010, 07:29 AM
Sajuuk Khar's Avatar
Sajuuk Khar
Sajuuk Khar is offline
2nd Gear
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 58
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Are you guys posting in miles or km?

Im from Canada

Is changing it every 5000km too soon? thats about 3125 miles.

10,000km is about 6250 miles, that seems a little better for full synthetic?
 
  #7  
Old 08-25-2010, 07:34 AM
quikmni's Avatar
quikmni
quikmni is offline
6th Gear
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Orcutt, CA
Posts: 2,486
Likes: 0
Received 7 Likes on 7 Posts
I change every 7,500 miles. I am currently using Redline 5-40.
 
  #8  
Old 08-25-2010, 07:41 AM
Agarwaen's Avatar
Agarwaen
Agarwaen is offline
5th Gear
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Mountain Home, AR
Posts: 896
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 1 Post
I was posting in Miles, Sorry.

Well, there are a lot of different intervals that us MINI drivers change our oil. Really the only way to determine the interval that is best for your vehicle is to send your old oil off to be analyzed. But that's on the far end of **** car care. Both 5000Km and 10000Km would be acceptable intervals. Really its your call on that one.
 
  #9  
Old 08-25-2010, 06:22 PM
Speedwing's Avatar
Speedwing
Speedwing is offline
4th Gear
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Southeast PA
Posts: 509
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I use Royal Purple Synthetic and change at 12K miles or 1 year....and an OEM filter and new WELL LUBED O-ring.
 
  #10  
Old 08-25-2010, 07:04 PM
ellcapitan's Avatar
ellcapitan
ellcapitan is offline
4th Gear
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Beacon, NY
Posts: 326
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes on 3 Posts
Originally Posted by Porthos
I used Amsoil for the first time right before MTTS and I like it but I am do fo another change cause of mileage.
Could you be specific about what exactly it is about a particular brand of motor oil that you "like"? Do you believe that you can feel a difference in engine performance from one brand to another (assuming the same type and weight)? ...Or that one oil lubricates any noticeable or measurable amount better than another in any particular given engine?

This tends to be a very controversial, and surprisingly sensitive, topic.

FWIW, I actually trust the car's computer oil counter. I believe that the people who designed the car and it's oil counter know more about the car's engine and about oil than I do. I also believe that oil-related engine failure (other than starvation...from not maintaining proper oil level) is the absolute LEAST likely fatal failure any modern car will face in it's lifetime. That's not to say engines will not and do not fail, just that the failures will likely never be attributable to whether the oil was changed at 3000 mile intervals or 15000 mile intervals (or to which brand of the proper type and weight of oil was used, for that matter).
 
  #11  
Old 08-25-2010, 07:22 PM
kb30's Avatar
kb30
kb30 is offline
3rd Gear
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 183
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
pennzoil ultra 5w-30 or royal purple and third of a can of lubro moly mos2. Change every 5k. alot of short trips and mostly stop and go. I wanted to use mobil one 0w40 as recommended but the car seems so sluggish on it.
 

Last edited by kb30; 08-25-2010 at 07:42 PM.
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
CM2011RG
MINI Parts for Sale
4
04-12-2016 12:44 PM
MINI VINI
MINI Parts for Sale
3
10-13-2015 08:57 AM
blackie
MINI Parts for Sale
8
08-25-2015 09:08 PM
sprp85
MINI Parts for Sale
4
08-22-2015 06:16 AM
FLYM1N1
MINI Parts for Sale
1
08-16-2015 01:17 PM



Quick Reply: What brand of oil to use and how often to change?



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 02:46 AM.