Hi all this is my first time here so don't know where to post, I have a 2009 and lately I notice that it's being burning oil, I had an oil change 1, 000 ago and already needs oil someone told me to top it off with more oil since I can't afford to have a new service done, can any one tell me how much oil should I add and what's causing that to happen? Thanks .

 

Any amount of oil that results in a level between the dipstick marks is acceptable. Most wait until it is at the add mark and then add a liter/qt which usually brings it up to the full mark, but you can add more incrementally if you wish.

Oil consumption varies dramatically between cars depending on a lot of things. Most burn more as they accumulate miles, but sometimes a new car has high consumption and sometimes there are very old cars with low consumption. It's a bit of a "luck of the draw" how much oil an engine uses. Generally speaking, the harder they're driven, the more they use. A unusually aggressive or passive break-in is sometimes a contributor to high oil consumption.

I'd first make sure you don't have an oil leak, then I'd confirm you're don't have a PVC or other crankcase breather issue. Assuming this is not the case, there's not a whole lot you can do about the problem except monitor and add oil as necessary. If you're not out of warranty, you can attempt to press Mini to do a major fix, but they'll push back hard unless the consumption is very high; typically 1 qt/1K miles or higher is the threshold for action.

I'm certainly monitor regularly and keep track of how much you're adding so you can get an accurate oil consumption figure and figure out whether it is trending higher.

- Mark

 

Thank you Mark for the info

 

I recently traded in my 2008 MINI S, 2-door hatchback w/auto transmission, a car that I bought new… At trade in, it had 75k miles and never again will I own a MINI! It consumed so much oil that there was no way that I could take it on long trips (over 500 miles) for fear that it would run out of oil. The problem started at around 30k miles and just got worse over time. I'm happy the car is gone because it was too expensive to maintain (run flat tires, timing belt, carbon problems, check engine lights, etc.). Basically, I had a lemon on my hands and was advised (professionally) not to do a private party sale...a trade in or donation was my only option.

 

The other thing that was bizarre is the dealer felt my oil consumption was normal. (08 Mini Cooper S, w/auto transmission)

 

Consuming some oil is not unusual is yours an S.

Here's some suggestion running from cheapest to most expensive.

1/ If it hasn't already let the level drop to between the two ***** on the dipstick them monitor it and see how you go. Top it up to maintain it in the middle of those marks.

2/ Find out what grade of oil they put in most likely 0W-30 or 5W-30. Next oil change replace with 0W-40 or 5W-40.

3/ This ones a little expensive. Check you have the latest version valve cover it should have a pressure valve on the back.

Carbon buildup can also contribute to oil consumption.

Good luck

 

Step 1 - learn to measure and track your oil consumption. How much oil have you burned over the past 1K miles?

Step 2 - you can add more oil between oil changes, but do track the oil burn rate and any changes in the pattern. You can add the stock 5W-30 synthetic oil, or any other weight close to stock. Experimenting with the oil weights rarely produced positive results, unless you run oil chemical analysis: http://www.blackstone-labs.com/free-test-kits.php

Step 3 - Do run at least one oil analysis (see link above) if your burn rate is worrying you. It is an inexpensive way to find out what's going on inside your engine, and which parts are wearing out.

BMW has long claimed (as does MINI) that 1 quart / 1K miles is within "normal". In over a dozen BMWs, I've never approached that level of oil burn, the highest being my old 325i with 250K miles that was burning 1 qt/3K miles on the original engine. My '08 MCS was not burning any oil between 7K oil changes ... until the engine burned an exhaust valve on #4 cylinder, and the new engine went in.

HTH,
a

 

Provo,

As you can see there are lots of opinions about oil consumption especially with the Gen 2 cars. Since you are new to this environment, lets not try to scare the daylights out of you just yet.

The reality is that you will find folks who have oil consumption problems and some that don't. Doesn't matter what is going on in their car, it matters what is going on in yours.

Excessive oil consumption is a sign of a bigger problem so you need to get into the habit of checking your oil regularly. Many people check it at every tank of gas, some every 2nd tank of gas. As others have said, MINI says it is ok to consume 1 qt every 1000 miles.

Learn how to read the dipstick. It is another quirk of the car. You can search the forum for tips on how to read the dipstick correctly. There is a process that actually gives you a pretty good read, or you can buy an aftermarket dipstick that is somewhat easier to read.

When your 2009 was built MINI set the oil change interval to 15,000 miles. Maybe they had faith in their motor. Maybe it was because of the high cost of oil in europe and the taxes and fees that go with it. However, today MINI has a shorter change interval which a lot of folks would say is still too long.

I change mine every 5000 miles. And yes, I still lose oil at that interval.

So, check it often. Keep it between the marks on the dipstick and have fun with your car.