Hi there,

New R56 owner here, in a 207 RC though ! I like to do oil changes on all my cars and i am generally an oil freak ( just what the R56 needs eh ? lol).

Straight to the story, i drain the oil, change the filter and add 4.3 liters of oil, that being about 4,55 US quarts. ( that's because i read that it takes 4.4, but those were quarts and not liters ! I am European ...)

Yes, i've read all horror stories about overfilling and that the Mini manual specifically states not to overfill the engine.

Checking the OIL level, after letting it sight overnight, shows the level just under full level ( maybe 1 small line below, i have the old metallic dipstick) and sometimes all markings until the full line are covered in oil.

Checking hot however, i can't really see the level, it can be above the full line...

What do you say, should i proceed to the very crappy job of trying to get some oil out, or skip it until the next change and be more careful next time.

Thanks,
Alex

 

Dealers seem to be overfilling by a bit...so i bet you are fine.
Think the dealers are overfilling cause so many folks never check their oil till the red psi light comes on...and the motor stops...
If it will help you sleep better, just loosen, but not remove the drain plug....and let some drip into a pan, then tighten it back up! Can be an easy fix if you are going to loose sleep over it.

 

Cheers Zippy,

It's kind of unsettling for me yes. The car runs great and i would like to keep it this way. After doing the oil change, i actually got better MPG and oil temperature seems to be just a bit below the half marking, after a good drive so no increase in temperature either ( i know that overfilling with oil causes the temperature to rise). Doesn't seem to affect it too much in the short run.

 

you can be a little bit over, the dealership always fills it over full on mine and im at 87k no problems and i think the dipsticks are a little off anyways

 

I usually overfill by a little bit because I know eventually my car will start to consume crazy amount of oil later in life expectancy. But I pray he won't break down since I take care of him very well and keep up with all maintenance issues.

 

I slightly overfill just above the last steel ball, reason for doing this is because when I performed my oil change (Royal Purple 5W-30) at 46,100 I found out that when I got to 46,528 it dropped from max to just over the half mark! It may not seem like that much but I continue to hear from experienced members here to check your oil weekly if you do a lot of driving especially during the Summer!

I notice that when you take the oil cap off after driving awhile there's what looks like something evaporating from inside the engine, what is this stuff?

I must ask where does the oil go?

 

This a pretty strange engine i must say ... I have found out that the R56 is the RC's take 4L's of oil and not 4.2L like in the Mini ( different sump probably)....SO

...Yestarday morning i got all my tools and got under the car, removed the mini shield from the sump and was ready to get dirty. Then i said, let me check the oil one more time, and SURPRISE ! The level was now 3/4 to the FULL level !

The oil reading never seems to be the same on this car i think i've stabbed my engine 20 times in the last month trying to decide if it's good or not. Last two times i checked the oil i've found some small black flakes on the dipstick ... Could this be debris from raping the dipstick tube or what ?

And about the dealerships overfilling, i don't really think if they do it, it's good... I would prefer to keep and eye on the level myself, but that's just me, there are customers and customers ....

 

I've put 5qts in my car since 2009. Zero issues.

 

[QUOTE=alex2jz;3733028]
The oil reading never seems to be the same on this car i think i've stabbed my engine 20 times in the last month trying to decide if it's good or not.

I had a 2007 MCS and now have a 2011 MC. The only reliable method for getting a good oil level reading with the stock dipstick on these cars is as follows:

Run the engine up to full operating temperature, remove the dipstick, clean it, and wait for at least 20 minutes before reinserting it. Push the dipstick all the way in, wait 10 seconds, pull it out, and take the reading.

The following link explains why you can't get a good reading the way MINI recommends.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...00-post13.html

Morris, 2011 MC, PW/B

 

Thanks for all the help guys.

In the end, i've decided to leave it as it is until next oil change. Even though i've added about 4.3 liters of oil, at no point i could clearly get a reading over full ( we are having the old metal dipstick not the red one).

I have one more question. I have used MOTUL X-Clean 5w-30 for my oil change. I have strangely noticed that the engine is a bit more noisier when up to temp, than on a cold start ! I know that these engines get quite hot. Could this oil be too thin for the R56 application ?

Here are some specs :

8100 X-clean 5W-30

STANDARDS ACEA
C3

PERFORMANCES API
SM
/ CF
APPROVALS BMW
Long Life-04


MB-Approval
229.51


VW 502 00 – 505 00


PROPERTIES
Viscosity grade SAE J 300
5W-30

Density at 20°C (68°F) ASTM D1298 0.847
Viscosity at 40°C (104°F) ASTM D445 70.8 mm²/s
Viscosity at 100°C (212°F) ASTM D445 12.0 mm²/s
HTHS viscosity at 150°C (302°F) ASTM D4741 3.5 mPa.s
Viscosity index ASTM D2270 166
Pour point ASTM D97 -36°C / -32.8°F
Flash point ASTM D92 230°C / 446°F
Sulfated ash ASTM D874 0.79% weight
TBN ASTM D2896 7.4 mg KOH/g

Thank you,
Alex

 

Thanks for the help guys !

In the end, i've decided to leave it as it is, until the next oil change. At no point i could definitely say that the oil level is above the maximum marking ( i have the old metallic dipstick, the one without level reading issues, i suppose).

Now one more thing bugs me. When changing the oil, i've put MOTUL 8100 X-Clean 5w-30 in it. Strangely, the engine seems to be a little noisier when up to operating temperature, than when cold started. Could this mean that the oil is too thin for the application ( knowing how hot these things get). Here are the oil specs :

Viscosity grade SAE J 300
5W-30

Density at 20°C (68°F) ASTM D1298 0.847
Viscosity at 40°C (104°F) ASTM D445 70.8 mm²/s
Viscosity at 100°C (212°F) ASTM D445 12.0 mm²/s
HTHS viscosity at 150°C (302°F) ASTM D4741 3.5 mPa.s
Viscosity index ASTM D2270 166
Pour point ASTM D97 -36°C / -32.8°F
Flash point ASTM D92 230°C / 446°F
Sulfated ash ASTM D874 0.79% weight
TBN ASTM D2896 7.4 mg KOH/g

Thanks,
Alex

 

Thanks for the help guys !

In the end, i've decided to leave it as it is, until the next oil change. At no point i could clearly say that the level was over the full line on the dipstick, so it can't be that bad ( keep in mind i have the old metallic dipstick, as opposed to the new red, hard to read one).

I have one more question. Strangely, the engine seems to be a little bit noisier after reaching normal operating temperature. ( noisier than on a cold startup !) I have used MOTUL X-Clean 5w-30 on the oil change, could this oil be to thin for the R56 application ( these things get HOT !)

Here are the specs :

Viscosity grade SAE J 300
5W-30

Density at 20°C (68°F) ASTM D1298 0.847
Viscosity at 40°C (104°F) ASTM D445 70.8 mm²/s
Viscosity at 100°C (212°F) ASTM D445 12.0 mm²/s
HTHS viscosity at 150°C (302°F) ASTM D4741 3.5 mPa.s
Viscosity index ASTM D2270 166
Pour point ASTM D97 -36°C / -32.8°F
Flash point ASTM D92 230°C / 446°F
Sulfated ash ASTM D874 0.79% weight
TBN ASTM D2896 7.4 mg KOH/g

Thanks,
Alex

 

That oil is pretty rare in the US (about 90+% of folks here), so not sure....they are known for having some high quality oils (the few jugs that show up at specialty retailers).
If you want to check to see if the oil is too thin...my suggestion...when you must add a quart/liter, add a quart of a heavier quality oil and see if the sound changes....adding a quanrt of 5w-50 might thicken the oil (mixed with the other 4 quarts or so) to the higher end of the tupical 30w spectrum.
Folks with oils like mobil1 do seem to notice they tend to shheer and thin in the first few thousand miles, before starting to thicken a bit....but so far volume of oil seems to be far more important...the timing chain issues seem to worsen markedly if the motor runs more than a quart/liter low for a bit....and this seems to be why dealers typically overfill by a half quart or so.

 

Thanks for the suggestion Zippy !

I had some tough time choosing the right oil for this little devil. The factory oil recommendations are odd to say the least. While Peugeot recommend 0w-30 or 5w-30 Fuel Economy oil ( low hths ) for the RC, Mini recommends thick 5w-30 or even 5w-40 for the R56 engine.

I've had to get something in the middle a 5w-30 with medium viscosity. Cars runs great on it, but the noisier engine when up to temp and the very hard to see oil when checked hot ( even if i leave it 15-20 minutes to settle), made me wonder if this oil is up to the job ( it is one of the recommended oils on the Motul website for the R56, 3rd option). Also remembered seeing a UOA from a guy in the US, who ran in on his WRX with great results.

 

take a quick look if you are in the US
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum...7632-Oil-LL-04
or
http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=541486

One bit of info....the oils recommended by BMW has changed a couple of times....for US use...

http://www.opieoils.co.uk/pdfs/BMW-O...s-and-Recs.pdf

but here is the BMW doc....
Meets the BMW spec of BMW LL-04

Not 100% sure this info is current....but something to consider!!

 

Yes LL04 ( Lower SAPS ) are not suitable for gasoline vehicles in the US ( you might get away by changing the oil very frequently though).

Although they are recommended it here in the EU, from where i am, i still wouldn't trust LOW SAPS oils. The Motul X-Clean seems to be in the Mid Saps range, with a slightly higher TBN.

Might as well move to LL01 myself, but don't have many options except 5w-40, thick 0w-40 M1. German Castrol 0w-30 is not available here and it's not for use outside the US. There is a Total Quartz 9000 0w-30 oil with LL01, but i failed to find fresh stocks of it ... In fact i have bought 5L's of it and can't find out the manufacturing date ( Total did not reply me back) and by the code it looks like it's 2011. I'm afraid to use it.

 

What is an RC?

 

An RC is a hot hatch version of the Peugeot 207, fitted with a Mini Cooper S engine. Peugeot is not sold in the US.

 

Oil that is only 2-3 years old in the bottle is fine....
If it was more like 10 years old....I MIGHT worry...lets face it..it can SIT in your motor for up to a year....working...and in a sealed bottle, it is just waiting to work...
Lets face it...with warehousing and transport of retail products, that is not too bad....
Not a bad looking car...funny you have 2 cars with the same motor!!
Good Luck!!

 

Thanks man !