.....So your saying not to use it because it's not on MINI's "approved" oil list, and that's it is probably very good, but not all that much better than Castrol GTX ? ( aka: MINI oil )

I would say your limiting your potential options based upon some arm chair hero's idea of what is best for your MINI. Patronizing aside, when writing a critique of any part, accessory or other product I think it's probably just a little important to at least try a product first....

I have persoanlly tried most of the recommended oils on the "approved" list and been using Amsoil for last 80K miles.....and for good reason.

And just did a clutch job so it's in my manual tranny too

 

Only time I ever seen a warranty claim denied was due to the lack of oil in the crankcase....not the type used.

 

I was a skeptic as well until Pete poured it in! Both cars run it now and both don't burn as much oil as they used to.

 

Mostly, I just don't like how Amsoil is marketed.
And really, how much better can it possibly be, if it is any better at all!

I have looked around the internet for an unbiased oil comparison that includes Amsoil and can't find one that wasn't payed for by Amsoil.

The Amsoil fanboys can put it in their cars if they want and I'm sure they won't hurt anything. But I won't pay a price premium on a product that I'm not convinced is any better than other synthetics that are more easily obtained and are actually listed by the manufacturer as being an approved oil.

Dave

 

Thanks. Way Motor Works gets the order then, if local BMW only dealers can't handle their Mini customer brothern...

4-Pack of Kits on there way to my front door!

FWIW: I'm a Mobile 1 fan all the way. Been using it since the early 90's in all my Porsches and Hondas with excellent results. Wally World has great prices too ($27-$30ish per oil change). My new MCa will be getting their Mini recommended 0-40W Mobile 1 first and may try their 5-30W Extreme 15,000 oil just for S&G's. That's not to say other oils aren't good too. Experience with Mobile 1 has won me over, over the years.

 

My attitude is that as long as it's in warranty coverage, I'll use the MINI filter and MINI oil exclusively, that way there can't be any "excuses" if something fails.

OTOH, why not always use factory stuff? At my dealer (10% discount to local MINI club members) the price is very competetive, and they always have plenty in stock.

I change it twice a year - spring and fall - which works out to about every 7,500 miles. When you look into the top of the head (40K miles now) thru the oil filler the engine looks as clean as when it was new, so it may be a bit of overkill, but at $70/year ($8 filter + $27 for oil, twice a year), I think it's worth it.

 

DITTO!

Did it at 5K and every 7K after that in my last DD Honda Element EX-P AWD (Honda rec'd 10K). When I sold it at 96K it had NEVER been to the dealer for a single issue other than a new battery shortly after its' 3yr life. Tailpipe was coco brown and it never burned any oil at all for the six years I owned it. Most reliable car I have ever owned. Never got a single ECL either.

In addition I ran an injector cleaner through a tank just before each oil change after 30K. Changed the transmission and differential oil at half the rec'd as well.

The guy that bought that car got a real timing chained engine winner (not a belt engine like many other Hondas). I'm guessing it will go another 100K-200K if he keeps up that schedule.

 

Hi,
Just bought a 05 Cooper S. I usually do my own oil changes, maintenance stuff. The PO mentioned that he thought the Mini took a special wrench for the oil filter. Does anyone know anything about that?

The PO usually took the Mini to the dealer for the oil change, but due to short notice and wanted to change the oil for me, he took the car to a quick lube or one of those shops. So even though I know Mobil 1 was put in, not sure what filter they used. Just got it this past weekend and will look sometime this week.
There is no Mini Dealer in town to get a spare filter for the next oil change, may need to ride down to Atlanta to get one.
thanks
ron
rome,Ga

 

Castrol Syntec is mini oil it says it on the engine cover......

 

I don't like how Mobil 1 is marketed...it says it's the leading synthetic oil yet they don't do comparison tests with the likes of Amsoil? How can you claim to be a leader but can't compare yourself to your rivals? Castrol Edge says it has better wear protection than Mobil 1....so Mobil 1 can't be that good then?

When someone has a bad experience with their MINI where do they go? THE FORUMS....if Amsoil was a bad product people would be posting it up all over the place. I can't find one legitimate horror story about Amsoil failing in their vehicle.

Again....you don't have any experience with the brand which says a lot. If I said MINI was just an over-priced Kia Rio but never drove one what would you say?

 

So if Mobile 1 sponsored and paid for a test against Amsoil and came out and said "Hey, we are better!" then you'd be happy with that result? You seem to be happy with Castrol's claims.

Personally, no I don't have any experience with Amsoil. However, I have lots of experience with lots of different oils. Absolutely NONE of them has ever failed me thus far. So, please explain to me how spending the money and going through the pain of actually buying Amsoil will actually benefit me more than any previous oil I've bought?

 

There really isn't any hassle mate! Go online and buy it! No one is stopping you.

If you want a real world opinion on why I choose Amsoil here is the skinny:

I used to race 600cc motorcycles back when I was about 15 years old on the track (minimum age those days was 12 and now it is at least 14). Once I got to being my own builder I began realizing how harsh racing was to an engine and then I figured out WHY.

When you are racing the temperature of the oil is NOT equal to that of the engine coolant, it is MUCH higher (sometimes over 300 degrees!). This is where the oil begins to break down in terms of "thickness" (I forget the actual measurement). This also applies to oil when it gets too cold and can't flow (both equally as bad). Along with this there are other things such as VI enhancers and the overall quality of the oil.

However, on the track you don't run a 30 grade oil you instead want to run a 50 grade oil because cold flow startup isn't an issue here; it is the thickness as it operates for 45minutes to 1 hour per race at temperatures nearing and above 300 degrees.

We always ran Mobil 1 because I used it in my cars and it worked great for daily driver use; however, I noticed that on straightaways coming off the rev limiter the oil light would come on. I then tried Castrol and Honda's brand and it did the same thing. After each season when you tear down the engine it was obvious the amount of wear on engine parts so I thought it was just the name of the game. Alongside this I was always trying to find better clutches for the system because once the oil got really hot in a race shifting sucked (I used to think it was just the clutch I was using).

So I was turned onto Amsoil by the guy who taught me how to rebuild the engines and I noticed immediately the shifting was much crisper, engine temperatures were cooler (around 9 degrees cooler!) in the race and no more oil light when going down the long stretch at Road Atlanta or Homestead! My last engine rebuild showed way less wear than using Mobil 1, Motul or Repsol oils in the bike.

I also began to use it in my street bike (using the recommended viscosity) and the same advantages were noted in the behavior of the bike all the way to almost 7000 miles! On Mobil 1 if I got to 3800 miles between oil changes before I noticed the shifting issues and quick rise in temperatures I was lucky.

I also used their Transmission fluid in my 4L60E transmission in my trailblazer for long haul tows, daily driving, off roading etc and to this day it has 250,000 miles on it when the majority of 4L60E owners who do as much towing as I did would of had at least one rebuild. OH yeah, no additional fluid cooler either!

I was a devoted Mobil 1 guy for a long time and I still like the oil; however, Amsoil proved it was better to me in the harshest conditions and on the road. I bought the $20 preferred customer option and the cost of the Amsoil oil is about 75 cents more per quart and about $2.00 more per gallon.

BTW, in the circle of people I associate with we pronounce it "GSX-R" (exactly how it appears) not "gixxer" like the rest of the "squid" population that gave it that name

 

It needs a 36mm socket for the filter housing.

 

Good to see that Mobil 1 0w-40 is on the approved list.... this is what I'll be using for the post break in oil on my CMSa

 

I'd love to see a Dealer deny my warranty on a specific gas or oil...I would have that service advisers **** on a stick.

Might be the same fool at BMW who said to my Girlfriend that not anyone can do work on a BMW such as: Oil changes, brakes, maintenance etc etc....well, oil changes, brake upgrade and new suspension later all done in my garage...some people just bend over and spread them wide.

 

My MINI drank Mobile 1 and so did the Suby. However, after switching to Amsoil we noticed that the cars ran smoother and didn't burn oil like they used to.

Proof enough for me.

Like I said, I was a skeptic as well until I tried it and I have run Castrol, Royal Purple, Mobile 1 and Valvoline. Amsoil from this point forward....

 

One thing I like about Amsoil is the container and pump. More for automatic transmission, diffs, transfer case. They sell a pump that fits the oil container. I don't have my Mini yet, but this is what I do on my LR and BMW. For motor oil its not applicable as they pour in.

 

My story has to do with my mom's van. It's a 2004 Honda Odyssey and was purchased brand new at that time. Around 15k miles we received noticed that some vans are being recalled and need a modification done to the transmission to get oil to the 2nd gear. Turns out our van wasn't included in that recall but we decided to change the fluid out anyways. Well the fluid came out a dark brownish red color and while it tested okay by a lab it was still worn...imagine it at 30k miles. Well now the van has almost 60k miles and the same Amsoil fluid is still cherry red. We still have that bottle of used Honda Tranny fluid as a reminder of how bad it was.

It's amazing to me that not even the Honda fluid could stand up to the conditions of the transmission and Honda has some pretty high standards for that tranny fluid. Also since changing the fluid the van has been used on road trips, pulling a trailer, and short grocery trips.

You can Google about all the different owners who have had two or even three transmission replacements because of the poor design/poor fluid. It ranges from the early model vans to even some of the newer years. I don't consider ourselves the exception nor lucky...if we ran that Honda oil for the specified intervals there is no doubt we would have issues.

I've seen first hand how awesome Amsoil has been in our various vehicles and I know if the car breaks down....it won't be because of the oil. You can say "it's not THAT much better" all day long but when you put moving parts under a lot of pressure/heat a little difference makes ALL the difference.

 

Just did my first "early" oil change on my '12 MCa and a 1 1/16" socket fit the oil filter canister perfectly. Put in Mobile-1 0-40W.

You can buy OEM BMW MINI oil filters by mail from places like that mentioned earlier in this post. I ordered up a 4-pack of oil filter kits and they arrived in just a few days.

 

Good info there. I've read up on how particular Honda transmissions are for their fluid as my wife has a CR-V, and Honda is particularly proud of that fluid considering the price. How did the Amsoil compare to the Honda fluid price wise?

Now, if only I can find a store where I can buy this Amsoil transmission fluid.

 

Why jump through hoops? There are dozens of AMSOIL dealers in every area who are just regular people like you and me who're passionate about our cars and the fluids we use to keep them running. I'm sure your local dealer would be happy to have you over; offer you a brew, talk about cars, and prob give you a free sticker or two.. or if you want to avoid the dealer route, you can order it all online and have it shipped to you.

I will second this recommendation on using AMSOIL ATF in Honda transmissions. My parents bought a '03 Honda Pilot brand new, it has been using AMSOIL XL 5W-20 with Ea filters since 15k miles. Switched transmission fluid to AMSOIL at 45k. Oil changes at 6-7k miles. The Pilot now has 120k miles on it.

The ATF from AMSOIL is not much more expensive and I would trust it to last longer, so you'll save the money in not changing it as often. You could probably find a store to sell you the ATF, or a local dealer who's closer than the nearest store.

Some will say that people who recommend AMSOIL are drinking the 'AMSOIL kool-aid' but the truth is that it works, as does pretty much everything else out there; but when you're pushing your car, your engine, and your oil to the limits on the track, the extreme cold, extended intervals, short trips around town, etc... those minuscule differences matter and will save the life of your engine.


Here's an oil sample sheet from my '06 R53 (I realize this is the R56 section, but I think it's still relative) with 67k miles, 5-6k on the oil change, and ~300 miles (3 hours) of hard track time. If anyone else has sample results sheets, I'd be curious to see them.. just to build a constructive comparison of data. Thanks.

 

good info here -

surprised a lot of guys run a different weight oils, and I guess Mini calls for either, but I'd personally stick with the lightest recommended weight until/unless it starts consuming that. I would have thought the engine tolerances would have been a little more precise than that. There's really no reason to go with a 40 weight unless the engine is really being pushed or it consumes 30w, is there?

As far as Mobil1 goes, I pretty much dropped that when they dropped the quality of their synthetic oils, and run Amsoil almost exclusively now on the evo, ZROD 10w30. Evo motors have never really taken well to royal purple oil, so I never went there.

In the case of oil filters for this particular car, I don't really quite know so it seems OEM is the way to go. MANN (according to threads) seems to be hit or miss, though I don't know how people can tell that without UOAs. For Mitsus, OEM oil filters are absolutely the worst option in terms of filtration (http://forums.evolutionm.net/evo-eng...63t-4b11t.html).

 

I used valvoline once and it made my MPG suck badly. I went back to Royal Purple and great results like I used it before. I might try AMSOIL in the spring/summer.

 

When did Mobil 1 synthetic quality go down? Do you have a link to any studies about that? I hadn't heard about it.

Dave

 

I forget where it was, but if you google stuff about Mobil 1 synthetic base stock I think some info comes up.. Basically M1 used to use higher quality base stock, but doesn't anymore and isnt a 100% "pure" synthetic oil, and there are very few that actually are.. Amsoil being one of them.

In reality, does it really matter? Probably not, depends what the engine sees. If the motors not pushed and u change oil religiously you could get away with dino in any car