can you guys help me out with the 1st oil change interval?

i always did a 500 mile regardless of what the book said but i'm wondering if that is needed these days?

also....at what mileage do i convert to synthetic?

thanks much
bob

 

The car is filled with synthetic from the factory, and there's no reason to use anything else.

As for the initial oil change and subsequent change intervals, do whatever you're comfortable with. The manual says you can leave the factory oil in the car until the onboard computer says it's time for the first service (usually happens around 11,000 miles or so).

The oil-change-interval debate has raged for years and isn't going to end anytime soon, so I'm not going to suggest anything. Change it as frequently or infrequently as you'd like, although at a minimum, I would suggest not going beyond the computer-recommended intervals.

 

thanks much for the reply )
bob

 

I'm going to watch the color of the oil on the dipstick and make my judgement from there. When it is no longer clear and colorless, I'll change it.

 

How does the computer calculate it, anyone know?

 

Probably by using the average MPG - higher MPG equates to more highway driving which equates to longer server interval.

 

I'm not touching this thing... ever. I'm just going by what the maintenance scheduler tells me.

 

I changed mine at 1250 to get an metal particles out, and then switched to Mobil 1. With no track days, I change every 8k or so. I also change after every track weekend.

 

There are oil sensors which actually monitor the condition of the oil.

 

I've always said that oil is cheap and engines are expensive, so I will not go more than 5000 miles between oil changes, regardless of the maintenance schedule.

I think of it as cheap insurance against future problems.

 

It also takes into account the number engine cycles (starts/stops), engine temperature and air temperature. They could also calculate the stress on the engine based on throttle position and RPM, but that would track MPG pretty well.

 

The harder you drive and the more starting and stopping you do, the more you should change the oil. The service interval indicator will actually change to reflect this, though probably not as fast as one might like. I recommend changing the oil once after about 1500 miles to flush the engine out a bit, and then once a year or at least every 8000 miles. The engine oil from BMW is Castrol Syntec, full synthetic oil. Mobil 1 is fine too, just make sure it is 5w30.

Do a search on oil change to see my writeup with pictures!

 

I did a filter swap at 1000 miles (but left the oil).

Planning on a complete oil change between 3500-4000 miles.

 

I just got my oil tested by Blackstone labs... I change mine every 10,000 KM, halfed the computer. It starts at 24,000 KM... THey said I was doing good. and to try 13,000 KM. I think I will just stay at 10,000 KM.

 

i sold my 04 with 135,000 feeling that i might have not changed the oil often enough.... i have a dodge dakota with over 225,000 on it that i changed every 4-5k using mobil 1. that mighta been overkill on the changes......but she still doesn't use any oil at 225. i was always taught to change out the breakin oil at 500-1k but i don't know if thats still required these days. the problem with the mini is the location of the oil filter....and on my new s i can't even see it. i much prefer to do my own oil changes...

thanks for the input....

good point about the fact that oil is cheaper than a motor....i agree

bob

 

Changing our oil before the MINI recommeded interval is, for the most part, "piece of mind" insurance. When I changed mine at 1200 the oil was rather dark but the filter was near perfect. I later found out from a few engine builders that Castrol tends to darken faster than most others but is still fine.

Just about all synthetics these days will last 15K miles without needing to be changed. However, if you beat the hell out of it, Redbird73 mentioned track days, then you'd be safe changing it more regularly. And like he said, after track days I also change the oil (as well as brake fluid, but thats another story).

If you're having trouble with doin the oil changes, do a search on here. Someone not too long ago posted a pretty nice How-To.

 

Excellent thinking, imho. This little engine develops a lot of heat. Synthetic oil or not, 5k oil changes seem appropriate. I'm paying over $3.60 a gallon for gas, so thirty/forty bucks worth of synthetic oil, a filter for less than ten bucks sounds pretty cheap when it's costing around fifty dollars to fill the gas tank. Let's do some quick math here...13.2 gallon gas tank (US MODEL...others are around 10 gallons)...13 X $3.60 equals about $47 bucks a tankload. My computer says I've averaged around 32 mpg in my first 1600 miles. 32 into 5000 is about 156 gallons of gas. Take the 156 gallons times $3.60 I've spent $562 (the real figure will be more as I rounded down the gas price by at least six cents a gallon) that's five hundred sixty two dollars on gas in 5k miles. Dropping the fifty bucks on oil/filter for a DIY job means I spent an extra TWENTY FIVE TO THIRTY DOLLARS in doing the change at five thousand rather than twelve thousand miles...because I halved the mileage and went with new oil and a new filter.
Figures are "ballpark". Just making a point that in doing your oil change DIY at half the factory recommending 12k is going to cost you an extra thirty bucks. Over fifty thousand miles(!) you're talking a "savings" of three hundred dollars if you go to ten twelve thousand compared to doing the change at five to six thousand miles.
This engine develops a lot of heat. Heat means friction, friction means wear. Test: Take your 07 MCS out for a "spirited" thirty mile drive. Have fun, work it hard. Then go straight home and put it in the garage, opening the hood immediately. Note how much HEAT is coming off that engine. Go back out in an hour. Notice how "toasty" your closed up garage is. Go check your MCS engine with the hood still up. Note the HEAT still coming off the engine. Check it in THREE HOURS and note that it's still pretty warm.
Bottom line: halving the oil/filter change interval is CHEAP INSURANCE. IF your car runs fine to 100k miles, halving the interval will have cost you an extra six hundred dollars if you DIY. That's over the time it takes you to drive your baby ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND MILES.
BTW, I have NOT changed my oil yet. I'm doing it at 2k. Then I'll do it again at 7k (five thousand mile interval) and let the dealer do it at 12k and go on from there with DIY between dealer changes. Thanks again to ROBIN, who posted some good pics and the DIY instructions. I had mine up on the shorty ramps this morning, and this is a pretty straightforward DIY job. I only want a second set of hands for when I lift the filter out of the canister...someone with a quality plastic bag right to the side and under the filter to catch any drippings as I lift it out of the housing.
OK, I'm done. Again, my figures are not to the penny, just ballpark, but I hope I've made my point here. Happy driving to all!
Tom

 

For what it's worth, the oil change is once a year if you don't drive the miles. This is included in your service policy.

 

This is what I plan to do as well, except I'll look on the onboard computer after the first oil change and half the milage point displayed for next oil change, or I'll do it a 6-7 months, whichever comes first. I show on the computer that I should change my oil at 17000 miles, that seems too long to me.

 

On my 03 MINI I followed the onboard computer countdown as to when oil change was needed. First oil change at 10,000 miles. Second change at 25,000. I sold my car with 65,000 miles and never had any engine problems. Earlier oil changes than recommended offer peace of mind to those used to changing oil more frequently on other cars but I feel comfortable letting the car tell me when it"s time.

 

So dealership oil changes are when the service light comes on or once per year, correct? Yet the mileage varies greatly between when the light comes on from what I have read. Does anyone know what MINI's stance is concerning sludge in the engine? In my experience, sludge is considered a maintenance problem resulting from a function of how the car is driven therefore it is a non-covered warranty repair. Does MINI believe this, or do they cover problems like that? Personally, a turbo heats oil so fast that I've seen oil break down and begin to sludge WAY before a service light will come on. That's why I recommend to my customers to do a basic oil change between service intervals.

So, to make a long story short, what do y'all think about sludge?

 

It isn't just once a year. There are sensors that monitor the oil. I'm under the impression that the sensors will call for a change if there is sludge buildup.

I suspect that once a year will be what it comes down to for most, as the average mileage is somewhere around 10,000 miles per year. When new, OBC said 15,000 miles for the next oil change. Now it says 16,000. I wont be doing that in less than a year.

I'll probably do my own change fairly soon, depending on what the oil on the dipstick looks like.

 

Color of the oil is a terribly inaccurate way to judge the condition of the oil. Oil in a diesel engine, for example, will blacken very quickly... way before the oil is unservicable.

 

And a turbo will darken the oil much quicker as well.

 

Feel and smell of the oil will tell you something.

What is the source for the oil condition sensors that have been mentioned? Have not heard of those.