MINI/BMW recommend using thier own oil, which is rebranded Castrol Synthetic. (It is actually quite a good deal when it's on sale at my local BMW dealer) But that is just a recommendation, not a requirement. I like Mobil 1, though I end up using the BMW oil because I do changes fairly often anyway.

so glad everyone likes this thread, over 20,000 reads and up to 200 responses!

 

Just changed my wife's oil (at 2,642 miles), and wanted to say thanks very much to the OP (z3bum) for the informative DIY... would've liked to get it done sooner, but she puts several hundred miles a week on the car, and in my procrastination, two weekends went by.

Anyhow, cannot recommend this to new owners enough. At 2,642, this oil looked like sludge out of a 20,000-miler. Black as night, filter looked like a piece of tar.

 

I'm in the middle of this job right now on our 08 Clubman. In the middle, because the dealer sold me the WRONG filter. Now the car sits on ramps until I can go get the RIGHT filter.

8mm allen drain plug, 27mm filter housing cap, and dribbled oil all down under the filter even with rags and a plastic catch bag at the ready.

BMW/Mini calls for Castrol. Their oil is relabled Castrol Syntec. Wal-mart usually has the 5qt jug for $21.87, but always out of stock. I got the Mobil 1 5/30 for about a dollar more. It used to be that the Mobil 1 was always tough to find. ?

On page 5 of the Service and Warranty Information booklet, it says that "the following oils are are strongly recommended and approved by the MINI division of BMW of North America, LLC. for the Cooper and Cooper S models.
>MINI hi-perf synthetic 5W-30 oil
>Mobil 1 5W-30
>Mobil 1 5W-40"

Thanks again for the write up Z3bum, and thanks to Robin C for passing this post on to me. (just a bit too late)

 

The way to avoid that is to first open the oil filler cap, then loosen the oil filter housing until the seal is broken. This allows the filter housing to drain into the sump. Leave it for awhile, and the spillage should be minimal.

There have been many lengthy threads on what oil is best. You might want to search for them.

The MINI branded Castrol is a special formula made specifically for BMW. You can get it with the BMW label, or MINI label. It is a synthetic 5W-30 that meets the European ACEA A3/B3 standards. ACEA A3/B3 is what is recommended in the UK version of the owners manual. The USA manual uses the much broader American specification. The main difference is that A3/B3 has a more specific shear strength & viscosity at operating temps.

Other than the MINI/BMW oil, it is very difficult to find a 5W30 oil in the USA that meets ACEA A3/B3. There are some 0W-40 oils that are easier to find.

Mobil 1 5W-30 only meets ACEA A1/B1 specs. This is a fuel economy rating and not recommended for high performance engines, such as the MINI's. It also is not a long interval oil. That is called Mobil 1 Extended and is A1/A5 rated. The A5 adds high performance engines, but has a lower viscosity at operating temps than A3.

My belief is that the engine was designed for an A3/B3 oil, and BMW relaxed the requirements in the USA to keep people from complaining about not being able to right oil easily. What you choose to use is your business, but I thought you should know.

 

Just finished changing the oil in my '08 MCSa for the first time.

Since Mr. Murphy was asleep, things went well with no unforeseen problems!!

I added 4.5 quarts of Castrol 10W30 full synthetic which was on sale for $6 a quart in the 6 quart box.

I went ahead and sprang for the 27mm socket and the correct 1/2" extension as I ALWAYS change the oil in all of my vehicles.

THANKS VERY MUCH to Z3BUM for his tutorial and ROBIN CASSIDY for his information on oils. Made things much simpler!!

 

curious if anybody use the quick drain valve, formerly know as the fumoto valve, http://www.quickoildrainvalve.com/Se...lts.asp?Cat=32

there are many positive review of the drain valve but the one problem i see is that the drain bolt points straight down. there will be no protection from rocks hitting the drain valve which will be sticking out of the pan. typically, at least on the cars I have, the drain bolt is located in a recessed area at the back side of the pan and the drain valve would be shielded by the oil pan itself.

 

I read this thread and everyone seems to use Mobil 1 and read another thread and everyone uses Biosyn. What do you think of Biosyn. Here's the link.
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ghlight=biosyn

 

Thank god for pneumatic lifts! Wouldn't want to do this stuff without one.

 

Went to Downtown MINI in Orlando yesterday to buy my 'break-in' Oil & Filter and they charged me $6.20 a Quart for the Oil
and $19.28 for the Filter/'O'-Ring/Copper Washer Kit.

Thank you for starting (and all others who added to) this great thread.

I went to a Dealer as I did not want to risk not getting 'genuine' MINI Filter Kit, the OnLine had listed different p/n
and with shipping, not much saving for one filter.

Also wanted to use the identical Brand of Oil as will be used for the coming annual MINI 'Free' Service/Oil Changes I expect to have done.
My annual mileage is way below any recommended interval, so the calendar limit should keep my oil fresh.

Noticed today that my MINI's Service Interval display had dropped from 15k down to 14k, the date due is still many years if the future.

 

I did mine last weekend and I didn't even need my jack. I just used 4X4 wooden blocks to drive up onto with the front tires to gain enough clearance for the oil catch pan. Even then it was only the difference of a few inches, prolly could have gotten away with 2X4s, and my MINI is also lowered

If you know where to look for the oil drain plug you don't even have to get under the car, you can reach the plug while lying on the ground, that's what I did anyways

FWIW I added roughly 4.4 qts of fresh oil and checked the dipstick and it showed that the oil level was a bit too high. I left it alone figuring that some of the oil needs to circulate to get into the turbo and the filter (I did presoak the filter the best I could anyways). Eventually it went down to within tolerable limits

 

This first thing I notice about the Biosyn thread is that they're using engine oil analysis to determine the performance of the oil. I'd be a bit suspicious about any results obtained from that information: engine oil analysis only tests for what sort of contaminants are in the oil and not how effective the oil is.

I also noticed that most of the posts only look at individual analysis results or compare two of them. I'm familiar with oil analysis through aviation: the process is meant to be performed over the life of the engine, and no two engines will get the same results; a good analysis will even pick up silica when the engine is operated in dusty conditions. I don't see how switching oils between oil changes, getting the oil analysed and comparing the results can be meaningful. Too many variables and too few results.

 

Is there a problem on these MINI Coopers to just jackstand your vehicle and change the oil? I'm at work and don't have ready-access to the underside of my vehicle, so is there a design issue? I've always jacked up my car, placed a jackstand under it, and repeated with the other side.

I've only read, in all six pages, of people only using lifts or ramps.

 

Can't think of any reason not to use a jack-stand, as long as you find the right spot for it. Personally, I use the "leave it on the ground and reach" method, although I'm thinking of spending $80 and getting the Griot's lift pump.

 

There is no problem using jack stands. I've seen a couple people post they change it without lifting the car at all. I use ramps just because they are easier. I made my ramps out of just a couple 2x8 boards. Only lifts the car a few inches. Not enough for me to get under it, but enough for the drain pan.

 

I use jackstands frequently to change wheels (I have two sets) and for oil changes. I place a 2x4 between the jack pads (length cut to slightly less than the space between the stands) and place a floor jack about a foot back from the front jack pad (front of car is much heavier). That allows me to put the jack stands under the jack pads.

 

Good thread and interesting reading on oil discussion. As mentioned previously, the Service and Warranty Information booklet states:

"The following oils are are strongly recommended and approved by the MINI division of BMW of North America, LLC. for the Cooper and Cooper S models.
MINI hi-perf synthetic 5W-30 oil, Mobil 1 5W-30, Mobil 1 5W-40"

I picked up a bottle of Mobil 1 5w-30 off the shelf in the local store and read the back:

"ACEA A1/B1, A5/B5, ILSAC GF-4, API SM/SL/CF"

According to multiple websites, my favorite from the UK where the Mini is built (http://www.driverstechnology.co.uk/oils.htm) states:

"A5 combines A1 fuel economy with A3 performance"
"B5 combines B1 fuel economy with B3/B4 performance"

In my opinion, I read this to mean Mobil 1 5w-30 meets the requirements of ACEA A3/B3 and agree with Mini that it is suitable for my R56 MCS. I also will change my oil at least every 3-5k miles.

By the way, I picked up OEM oil filter sets (filter, O-ring, gasket) from Way Motor Works (www.waymotorworks.com) for $ 8.45 shipped to my house.

 

Dude! The filter is $11. How do you get it shipped for $8.45?!!!!!

 

There are several kinds of Mobil 1. Most are not ideal for the MINI. To get an ACEA A3 rated Mobil 1 you have to go to a 0W-40 weight, IIRC.

I don't know anything about Biosyn. Seems that one of the top oil analysts recommends it. Not sure whether he has a financial association with it, or not.

 

Got around to changing mine last night ( 13k miles )

Did mean to do it at 6.5k but forgot

Tools used:
8mm socket - Header tank
8mm Allen key - Sump plug
1 1/16" A/F Socket - Oil filter casing

Method:
Left for 1 1/2 hours to cool down after drive home from work ( oil was still hot enough then ). Jacked near side of car up to gain access to plug and be able to get drain pan underneath. Drained oil.................drain pan lip not high enough and 1 ltr of oil over garage floor........bugger . Then stuffed paper under filter housing and over surrounding area ( gear linkage etc. ) Unscrewed and NO drips ( other than on paper ) what so ever. So tip is to only raise nearside of car .

Refit all part and fill with 4.4 ltrs of Mobil 1 ( 0w40 ) as recommended / used by MINI.

Total time 45 mins...................+ 30 mins to clear up oil slick on garage floor

Total cost: £46.95 oil + £6.58 filter kit = £53.53

Dealer service will be at 19.5k miles, and then i'll remember to do it at 6.5k intervals

 

The question was asked: "Dude! The filter is $11. How do you get it shipped for $8.45?!!!!!"

Go to the website, www.waymotorworks.com and hit the R56 maintenance section, click on oil filters, click on "details" and the option is presented to order four filter kits for $29.00 with 4.80 USPS priority standard shipping. Grand total equals $33.80 delivered to my door or 8.45 each. (Just rechecked it before sending this reply and worked fine.) Owner of the place is Waylon Hunsucker and he gets my businesss from now on.

After the dealer (only Mini dealer in my state) wanted to jack me over $23.00 a filter and $9.00 a quart for the Mini oil, I started to do some research on other filter sources and found the link to Way Motors on this website.

I also read the discussions on this website on proper oil ratings and the concern/disagreement over Mini's statement that Mobil 1 5w-30 is "strongly recommended and approved". (I posted my earlier response on this thread to document the data of my research.) Read the oil certifications/ratings on the back of the Mobil 1 5w-30 oil container and then researched the description of the ACEA A5/B5 rating and it was indicated that it exceeds the A3/B3 rating. Facts are facts and it works for me.

 

With the NAM discount I got 6 filters +shipping to be around $6 somthing or $7 something from Classic MINI (vendor https://www.northamericanmotoring.com/classicmini ). Can always just give a call and get some price quotes and find the best price

 

Great thread! I referred to it when I changed the oil on my Mini today (3,400 miles). Here are a few notes from my oil change experience:

- Dealer wanted $140 to do it. No thanks!

- Hardest part was finding a 27mm socket. Went to four stores before I found it at Kragen Auto. The one I got was a deep socket, which I was worried would be too long, but turned out to work just fine. I found a few places that sold 1-1/16" sockets which probably would have worked, but I didn't want to chance it.

- I originally bought 5 qts of normal Mobil 1 synthetic oil at Target ($6 each) and the filter at the BMW/Mini dealer. The filter was $24 with tax (and probably cost $1 to make). The parts guy said Mobil 1 was fine, but to make sure I was using the "Mobil 1 with the 15,000 mile guarantee". I didn't know there were different flavors of Mobil 1, and the bottles I bought at Target didn't say 15,000 mile guarantee. Headed over to AutoZone and sure enough, they carried the 15,000 mile "Extended Performance" Mobil 1. Just for reference, the bottle looks like this:



- I drove the car onto 1" thick boards of wood so I could wedge the oil pail under the air dam. This worked but 2 inches would have been better.

- When you unscrew the coolant reservoir from the car, you do not need to unhook any hoses. Just unscrew, pull straight out, and twist it out of the way to the left.

- The copper o-ring sticks to the car's oil pan and required some prying to dislodge. You might not even notice it there because it will be black with oil.

- The Mini took 4 quarts of oil. The dipstick is almost impossible to read, but 4 qts put the level in the middle, as best as I could tell.

- The oil in the used filter looked pretty clean. I did not notice any particulates, but I'm definitely not an oil expert.

Once I got the equipment together, the oil change itself went pretty smoothly. I'm used to changing my own oil so this was on par with my other experiences-- not very difficult, just messy.

- John

 

Any place that has metric sockets should have them. There is also a kit available from MiniMania that includes two filters and a 27mm socket for $43. Kind of expensive, but if you are having trouble finding them...

That meets the specs in the USA users manual, but it doesn't meet the specs that the UK version of the manual calls for. For some reason, MINI used the American API SH specification which is much broader than the European ACEA specs. The UK manual calls for ACEA A3/B3 5W-30. This Mobil 1 has a rating of ACEA A1/A5. The main difference is that A3 has a higher shear strength and viscosity at operating temps. A1 is just for fuel economy. A5 is for high performance engines, as is A3, but A3 is a little more robust. I don't know how important this is.

The MINI (and BMW) branded Castrol is one of the few 5W-30 oils available in the USA that has an ACEA A3/B3 rating. Usually, you have to go to something like a 0W-40 oil.

I found that wearing rubber gloves was a good idea when draining the oil.

It should take 4.5 qts. The easiest way to read the dipstick is to lay it on a paper towel, the roll it to reveal the oil stain on the paper. Keep the stain lined up with the dipstick and you can see where the level is.

My filter looked black after 1,500 miles.

 

Changed my oil and filter for the first time in almost 6 years (2008 MC). Super easy - used Rhino Ramps (12,000 lb. rating per pair), 4.5 quarts of Catrol Syntec, and OEM filters from MINIMania, although I'll be buying from germanfilters.com in the future...

O-ring, filter, and crush ring install wer all super easy all around. Thanks to the posters on this diy thread making it all that much easier...
Greg

 

27mm is 1 1/16", there is no difference, it works fine. Same as half a dozen is same as 6 off