Mini don't ask for a running in service -ordinary oil goes in the car as standard-some do however do a thousand or so miles and change it-just in case of swarf-thing is modern manufacturing techniquesmean this is really unnecessary. However Mini uk say oil change every 18000 miles or 2 years whichever is first and I never do this-I change at 1year or9000miles whichever is first with the best synthetic oil on offer at the time that fits Mini Spec. Just my routine.
For me and my miles this equates to a yearly change at 6000 miles in our Roadster S-turbo engines get really hot and the oil looks done by then! And only necessary if you intend to keep the car for well over 50k miles-you'll not reap the benefits yourself otherwise!

 

Mini don't ask for a running in service -ordinary oil goes in the car as standard-some do however do a thousand or so miles and change it-just in case of swarf-thing is modern manufacturing techniquesmean this is really unnecessary. However Mini uk say oil change every 18000 miles or 2 years whichever is first and I never do this-I change at 1year or9000miles whichever is first with the best synthetic oil on offer at the time that fits Mini Spec. Just my routine.
For me and my miles this equates to a yearly change at 6000 miles in our Roadster S-turbo engines get really hot and the oil looks done by then! And only necessary if you intend to keep the car for well over 50k miles-you'll not reap the benefits yourself otherwise!

Jeremy -- thank you for your reply. My initial plan is to drive 500-750 miles and then change the oil. The temps here support a 5w40/10w40 climate. Winters aren't as cold...it maybe snows (read: less than an inch) 2-3 times and it never lasts for long...more rain & sleet than snow. Once I see the owners manual, I'll choose my oil weight and go from there.

 

If your planning to do the oil change yourself I would recommend you use oil that is to Mini speck and use a genuine Mini oil filter. As the car is brand new if you were to have a warranty issue Mini may reject it if they see you've fitted an aftermarket filter. Better to be safe than sorry!

 

I'll be changing my oil after 1000-1500 miles with OEM oil and filter. It may be overkill but I think it's worth it. I'll then do interim changes at the half way mark between services at mini. 2 years and 18k seems like a very long time to me.

 

Absolutely agree. Can only be good for the car.

 

Good afternoon from Germany!

The question: When do I change oil/oil filter for the very first time of vehicle ownership?

Bought a 2022 Mini Cooper S (F55, US spec) 4-dr hardtop. Mini will be delivered 1st week of December. Been combing through the forum to find out when to do the first oil change. Have read here and on other sites that the first change can be done as early as 100 miles to waiting until the 10K mile mark. Most of the articles are several years old and I'm curious as to the current mindset on doing the first oil change. Dealer verbally recommended the 10K mark. (I'm slightly skeptical of that notion).

Location: Kaiserslautern & Stuttgart, Germany.
Oil mindset: I believe current ambient temp and mileage drive oil changes. Owner's manual is a baseline from the car manufacturer's perspective.
Oil type: Proponent of both synthetic and conventional; believe 5K - 7K miles is safe. Use Mann oil filters because available on military base.
Oil analysis: Blackstone labs (reason: want to be aware of engine health)
Primary Mini use: 30 min drive to work (80% autobahn / 20% country/local roads); would be vehicle for vacations with wife.

Open to suggestions. Most of my oil decisions have come from forums like this and the BMW forums for 525s. (I own a 2003 525i US spec)

Thank you for your time,
Sean

I recommend not replacing it too soon. The initial oil added during production assists with the engine break-in period. Let that work itself thoroughly first. Perhaps after 1500 or 2000 miles, you may want to replace it.

Use the proper oil weight that Mini recommends for that generation of motor: 0w-20. Being in Germany, you can find the Liqui-Moly Top Tec 6600, which contains all the BMW/Mini additives that the manufacturer requires.

Familiarize yourself with the process. This new generation of motors use an oil canister with a relief/drain cap. When you order a new filter (Mini or Mann), the box will include a new drain cap with ring, a new drain bolt washer, and ring for the canister. Do not overtorque this new drain cap. It has a very low torque value, and if you feel like Hulk, you will most definitely F it up.

 

I prefer to do whatever the manufacturer recommends. Not sure what that is for first change?

 

The first change according to mini is 18k miles or 2 years from registration. That seems like a very long time to me.

 

No Luvia they used to do that but not any more . Standard shell full synthetic oil goes straight in. She'll at mo used to be Castrol edge. It isn't 'running in oil'.

 

Far too long. Every year or around 6000 miles for us. Even 9000 would be plenty.

 

Why is 18,000 miles too long? Just because it's longer than it used to be doesn't mean things haven't moved on. Plenty of OEMs use up to 30k km/2 years oil change intervals now but this is a maximum limit on a variable oil change protocol, meaning the car will monitor usage and tell you when to get the service based on your driving severity. The oil has been tested to meet the OEMs' requirements for the longer oil drain intervals. I have run several car on these long intervals, both petrol and diesel, no problems.

To @Cooper Fan - do not go using a 5W-40 or 10W-40; climate is not the primary factor for oil viscosity selection. Your engine needs an oil of the prescribed viscosity and specification to perform as designed - use what is specified, especially whilst under warranty cover.

 

I think you will find that it isn’t just the improvement in oil technology in play here. Modern engine oil filtration and the way modern engines are manufactured are also part of the equation. Modern synthetic oils are so much better than the oils available 30-40 years ago as are the way engines are developed and made. One thing I really miss on the Mini is a dipstick. As well as allowing you to check the oil level it also gives you a visual indication of the state of the oil.

My Beetle (air cooled) needs oil changes every 3000 miles but I would cut that to 2000 miles as it has no oil filter (the oil is already discoloured by that point). Even if I use synthetic oil it still needs changing that frequently. However this is in an engine that has its initial design brief laid down in the 1930’s with the technology available to them at that time. Think of the tight tolerances used today in modern engines and you start to realise why you need 0-20w oils not the 20-50w or straight 30w I might use in an air-cooled VW.

 

I was happy to ruh our non turbo car longer than 6000miles-however have you seen the colour of a turbo engine oil after that time-our Roadster S is still golden at around 4k miles but it's going-and dark = soot = why turbo charger tubes get blocked and bearings fail-ALSO long service intervals were blamed for the fast coking of the R series turbo engine but since it is direct injection the fact the fuel can't clean the valves is to blame here-if you are not intending keeping the car fine-but if you do and you intend to keep it over 50k miles For the sake of £40 I would and do change it more often. Choice is yours of course-and yes I do put the best synthetic i can find of BMW spec at the time-so it has been shell, Petronus and at the mo Millers.

 

Dark oil isn’t always soot. But with direct injection cars it generally is as they produce particulates a lot like a diesel which is why GPFs are needed and it is also why the newer engines darken oil quickly. However it isn’t always a problem as the oil can handle the soot particles, keeping them dispersed at a size that doesn’t interfere with oil films or passages. The oil specifications include laboratory and engine tests to verify performance capability under various conditions. Changing oil sooner is usually going to be no worse and possibly imperceptibly better but it means more waste oil and every time you do it you present the opportunity for something to go wrong - strip a thread, contamination, wrong oil, accidental spill and so on.

 

For the sake of £40i'd rather be safe than sorry. I've always done my own interim oil change and so doubled Minis regime and never stripped a thread ,spilt oil yes on cloths, and it goes to be recycled so I'd rather have peace of mind . Circulating soot . The less the better. After this regime my Mr2was still running perfectly at £160000miles and it was what toyota specified. Contamination or wrong oil mmmmm?! In spite of what mini say even most wrong oils simply dont meet their long life specs,and are actually better lubricants for the engine.

 

I get the "safe vs sorry" sentiment, but I wonder where the 'safe' distance for an oil change comes from? Why is 8,000 miles the 'safe' distance? Or 10,000? Why not 5,000? Or 12,000? It seems to me that a lot of this kind of behaviour is rooted in the past and a long history of those sorts of oil drain intervals, rather than based on any empirical evidence of distance vs reliability. I ran a Skoda Yeti for nearly 6 years on long drain intervals, and that was a diesel - no issues. I have also run a BMW 130i, SEAT Leon FR, Audi A1 TFSi and MINI Cooper S on long drains. Now I'm electric I don't have this concern but the wife's XC40 is running on a variable drain protocol and that tows our caravan.

Knowing what I know about oil and engines, I am perfectly content to run to OEM drain intervals. I understand others take a more conservative approach.

 

I just base my findings on how well my Toytota ran on this regime-160k miles isn't bad with all mechanicals perfect-not even a new clutch, what I see in my engine, what I read-Lohen and Honest John. However I suppose if I wanted definitive answer I'd send an oil sample off to an analysis company-but by the time you've spent that money you may as well change the oil-if you diy it's such a tiny cost as and I enjoy doing it-bit like rotating tyres or polishing it-some do some don't and it's arguable as to the difference it makes to the paint in the long run-a quick polish after 2 years of not doing and I bet you'd hardly tell-may be even fewer swirls on the non polished car. but for me it's pride of ownership and even if we sell our cars they'll have yearly oil changes-that's the Roadster and truck-obviously now we too have the EV I can't ! Boo!

 

I just base my findings on how well my Toytota ran on this regime-160k miles isn't bad with all mechanicals perfect-not even a new clutch, what I see in my engine, what I read-Lohen and Honest John.

And this is my point. A lot of anecdotal evidence is "it worked OK for me" but what isn't known is how well it would have worked if you had gone longer. Also the "worked OK" part usually means "it didn't fail" rather than any detailed analysis of engine parts or oil samples. You need to run a field trial of near identical vehicles under near identical conditions to be able to determine if longer oil drain intervals made any difference.

"It worked OK for me" is what is known as a 'no harm' outcome - in other words you don't actually know the details of what happened, all you know is that nothing bad happened.

I respect that people have their own experience, judgement and capability to decide for themselves, but I also recognise that there's a lot of old-fashioned practice out there based on nothing more than "that's how it always was" and comfortable-looking round numbers.

 

Good afternoon from Germany!

The question: When do I change oil/oil filter for the very first time of vehicle ownership?

Bought a 2022 Mini Cooper S (F55, US spec) 4-dr hardtop. Mini will be delivered 1st week of December. Been combing through the forum to find out when to do the first oil change. Have read here and on other sites that the first change can be done as early as 100 miles to waiting until the 10K mile mark. Most of the articles are several years old and I'm curious as to the current mindset on doing the first oil change. Dealer verbally recommended the 10K mark. (I'm slightly skeptical of that notion).

Location: Kaiserslautern & Stuttgart, Germany.
Oil mindset: I believe current ambient temp and mileage drive oil changes. Owner's manual is a baseline from the car manufacturer's perspective.
Oil type: Proponent of both synthetic and conventional; believe 5K - 7K miles is safe. Use Mann oil filters because available on military base.
Oil analysis: Blackstone labs (reason: want to be aware of engine health)
Primary Mini use: 30 min drive to work (80% autobahn / 20% country/local roads); would be vehicle for vacations with wife.

Open to suggestions. Most of my oil decisions have come from forums like this and the BMW forums for 525s. (I own a 2003 525i US spec)

Thank you for your time,
Sean

I have a 2019 Mini S with JCW upgrade. I have driven her about 3200 miles. I live in Arizona (USA) where dust reigns supreme and flash floods are a common place. Unfortunately, I can't check the color and viscosity of the oil because it is done electronically, as apposed to the old dip stick that we used to use. I (personally) change her oil every six months to insure maximum, efficient lubrication of her engine parts. Its also very satisfying for me to get under my Mini and change the oil myself. It is less expensive than taking her to the dealership and much more fulfilling! I only drive her about a thousand miles a year, however, her peak efficiency is of quintessential importance to me. You take of her and she will take care of you... Happy trails and enjoy!

 

But we who do don't care about that and although we have no actual evidence there were a lot of engine and turbo failures of the r series engines under this regime. It's a hobby, I like doing it, like exercise or healthy eating it makes sense that it's good for us but unlike that there's no stats on it as far as I am aware but it makes me feel I am doing as much to care for the car as I can. Being as mini say the coolant is for life and you buy it and it clearly says it isn't I have reason to be suspicious. It's my opinion and you're entitled to yours but my motorcycling world says a much much more rigorous regime. So I'll stay safe.

 

Perhaps I should come clean and state my credentials. I work for the R&D function of one of the big oil companies. I have been working around lubricant product development and technical support for nearly 30 years, covering all sorts of applications including engines for bikes, cars, trucks and ships. I see the work that goes into developing oils to meets the OEMs' demands - and it isn't easy, quick or cheap. I also see the outcomes of field trials and engine tests and have seen catastrophic failures which always turn out to be down to some other factor, even though the oil is often blamed.

However, I am not trying to dismiss or undermine your own experience - it is increasingly rare that people are so involved and engaged in maintenance and, as you say, it's a hobby that you can afford to indulge. Quite honestly the more oil you buy the better for me or my peers in other oil companies! But I wanted to present a balanced view and some additional information for people to bear in mind when they find this thread.

 

And nicely put-am sure you'd argue that quality of oil makes a difference though. Out of interest what's you slance on the ' long life oils aka acea c3 and 4 are actually less good in terms of protection from engine wear-and put longevity of oil and dpf ppf etc first? I find it strange that mobil 1 was Minis preferred oil of choice and now you shouldn't use it as it isn't bmw ll04-it is ll01 though?
I know Mini simply move from oil co to oil co according to the best deal at the time of course-just like tyres!

Likewise I know motorbikes maybe get used harder but KTM say every 3500 miles on my 990sMTsurely that is ott for fully synthetic (use Motul 7100 esther btw-smells nice and really makes for smooth changes). Sorry you can tell I am a bit of an oil nerd!!!

 

Here is an interesting article that supports figbat’s point: Oil Life Monitoring Systems | Edmunds

It is reassuring that the testing examples showed that the quality of the oil after laboratory analysis was still good at the time of the oil change interval notification.

One thing to consider though is that these cars did not have engine problems such as coolant leaks or worn piston rings, etc. I am not sure oil monitoring systems account for these sources of oil contamination.

 

Hopefully don't happen in new minis!😉

 

On the ACEA thing, if you're a real oil geek then you can see the specification requirements at ACEA Oil Sequences 2021 - ACEA - European Automobile Manufacturers' Association . The latest version is 2021 but the older versions are also there. If you look at the requirements for the ACEA C categories you'll see that in terms of wear and protection they are as hard, sometimes harder to achieve than for the A/B versions, and they have to do this with reduced levels of certain elements and components.

BMW LL-04 essentially lines up with ACEA C3 and LL-01 is A3/B4 (in both cases BMW require extra testing above and beyond the ACEA demands). Newer BMW engines take LL-17FE+, which is a 0W-20 mid-ash spec.

For bikes, firstly I had a 990 SM-T until earlier this year ; part-exchanged it for a BMW F900XR a few weeks ago. The LC-8 engine runs pretty hot and don't forget the oil deals with the clutch and gearbox as well as the engine and a smaller amount of oil has to deal with it all.

 

Very true and all makes good sense. Thank you.