My counter for the next Inspection just went down to 0 miles. What is Inspection 1 and what do they look at? I'm bringing the car in to Patrick BMW/MINI here in Chicago to have them take a look at it. Should I not drive the car since it has 0miles till the inspection or is it ok to drive before I bring it in for Inspection 1?

 

How many total miles does your 2004 have? "Inspection I" usually comes due between 20k miles and 30k miles.

Regardless, Inspection I is pretty much just a bunch of "check this" and "check that", along with an engine oil change. As such, you can continue to drive it for a little while until you have the inspection done. (Make sure your oil level is good, of course.)

 

It has 26,894. I got the oil change back in September so all I need is like the cabin filter changed. What is Inspection II?

 

Here's a link to everything covered in Inspection I and Inspection II for the first-gen cars.

 

Ok, thanks Scott. Do I have to get this done at the Dealer or can I bring it into one of the shops that work on Minis?

 

Any shop should be able to do most of it. They may not stock all of the correct filters on-hand, but they'll be able to get them. Also, when it comes time to replace the serpentine belt, they may not have the official BMW tool, but then again, they might. Either way, they'll be able to get the job done.

 

Ok, thanks again Scott

 

I have a 2005 S with 40k miles. The local dealer says I need Insp. I for $700. Does that sound right?

 

The price sounds typical for a dealer, but there's really not that much to Inspection I. There's an oil/filter change, along with replacing the engine air filter and the cabin air filter for the A/C. Other than that, it's a lot of "check this, check that", so $700 is a lot to spend unless you don't like working on your car at all.