Can anyone give me advice?
I have a Mini automatic that has only 9,000 miles on the clock. Had it from new and it has been looked after and runs perfectly.

it is now 6 years old but looks as if I have just bought it!

Took it in for a service yesterday.

At 4.30pm when I was due to pick it up they rang and said that it required additional work.
They have told me that it requires
£800.00 of work doing to it which apparently includes flushing the windscreen washer because it is stagnant and a full oil transmission change. ( automatic gearbox ) They said that the front wiper blade needs changing because it is 'hard' yet it was changed only a few months ago.

Am I right to smell a rat?

Need your help and opinions please.......

I am female and feel a bit out of my depth....:(


Thanks...

Tell them politely to f**k off and take your car to an independent for future work as your car is out of warranty.

I had my clutch changed at a trusted garage, real pig of a job on a Mini and parts and labour came to less than £700!

My S was 4 years old when I bought it and I made the mistake of taking it to the local dealer for a service as I thought it was the right thing to do. £400 later (just for service) and a recommendation that I needed to spend another £250 - which another garage told me wasn't necessary - was my lesson learnt.

That is a complete ripoff. I`ve not looked into UK prices too much for these kinds of things, but a trans change shouldn`t be more than 200, if that. The washer fluid is irrelevant. And the wipers you can very easily do yourself.

Tell them politely to f**k off and take your car to an independent for future work as your car is out of warranty.

I had my clutch changed at a trusted garage, real pig of a job on a Mini and parts and labour came to less than £700!

My S was 4 years old when I bought it and I made the mistake of taking it to the local dealer for a service as I thought it was the right thing to do. £400 later (just for service) and a recommendation that I needed to spend another £250 - which another garage told me wasn't necessary - was my lesson learnt.

Thanks for the replies. My main worry is why does my automatic transmission need attention after only 9,000 miles.
A friend has a BMW 5 series automatic and he has not needed this Oil change after 60,000 miles?????????:confused:

cheers....:smile:

Did they say why the transmission oil needed changing, were you having problems? If it is like the manual gearbox it is supposed to be a 'sealed for life' unit. IMO there is no such thing and a change of oil would be beneficial on a car thats done 60,000+

Certainly not 9,000!

The car runs like a dream. Smooth as silk and no probs whatsoever.
The mechanic rang me and said that I needed a full oil change of my automatic transmission.
Can he tell what the oil is doing inside my Auto gearbox? I thought that it was a sealed unit.

This is an authorised Mini dealership. What would his motivation be to suggest something that was completely unecessary. I am so confused.

There`s an age component to take into consideration with fluid changes. Similar to oil changes that used to be 3 months or 3000 miles.

Oil will still breakdown after time, so realistically, even though it`s only 9k miles, the fact that it`s been six years, I`d change it too.

Automatics are not sealed. They go through more heat than manuals being there are many more moving parts and much more friction with the various friction discs, torque converter, pump, etc.

Though manuals are technically sealed, I change my fluid somewhat regularly as well (though, not in this).

It is a sealed unit and Mini themselves claim that the gearbox oil is supposed to last the lifetime of the car.

Pay the service bill and if you know any independent garages, take it to them for their opinion. Like I said, my local dealer tried telling me I needed to spend a further £250 on something that I found out wasn't necessary.

You will find all sorts of rip off stories on here regarding dealers. You use them when the car is under warranty and go elsewhere for work when it has run out.

Like you said, it is running nicely so find out their motivation for wanting to change it and why the bill is so high.

There`s an age component to take into consideration with fluid changes. Similar to oil changes that used to be 3 months or 3000 miles.

Oil will still breakdown after time, so realistically, even though it`s only 9k miles, the fact that it`s been six years, I`d change it too.

Automatics are not sealed. They go through more heat than manuals being there are many more moving parts and much more friction with the various friction discs, torque converter, pump, etc.

Though manuals are technically sealed, I change my fluid somewhat regularly as well (though, not in this).

Mmmm Thank you for this. it makes me feel a little more secure about his recomendation. I just think that it was an awful shock to go in with a well functioning car for a routine service and come out with a bill for £800.000.
can you imagine what it would have cost me had there been any major faults?:aargh::aargh::aargh:
I do have a small leak of coolant fluid and this is included in the price but even so this bill represents 10% of the value of my car. :(

Cheers.......

It is a sealed unit and Mini themselves claim that the gearbox oil is supposed to last the lifetime of the car.

Pay the service bill and if you know any independent garages, take it to them for their opinion. Like I said, my local dealer tried telling me I needed to spend a further £250 on something that I found out wasn't necessary.

You will find all sorts of rip off stories on here regarding dealers. You use them when the car is under warranty and go elsewhere for work when it has run out.

Like you said, it is running nicely so find out their motivation for wanting to change it and why the bill is so high.

Thanks GG

Sadly, the work is already underway so I have already been ripped off in terms of cost. I have learnt my lesson and will never take my car to an 'official' dealership again. I find it really sad that they have priced me out of the ability to have my car cared for 'officially.' I guess I am just too poor to use them.:rolleyes: Pathetic really.

Cheers....

'Sealed for life' recommendations is because car manufacturers don't much care what happens once your warranty has run out, they want you to buy a new car asap...........if you intend keeping your car for the longer term, I can assure you, as a mechanical engineer, that good old fashioned regular oil and transmission fluid changes based on time or miles will help extend the life of your auto Mini.

How much you pay for the oil/fluid change is another issue though, after warranty I would always recommend switching to a good local independent garage for work.

That is a complete ripoff. I`ve not looked into UK prices too much for these kinds of things, but a trans change shouldn`t be more than 200, if that. The washer fluid is irrelevant. And the wipers you can very easily do yourself.

My S was 4 years old when I bought it and I made the mistake of taking it to the local dealer for a service as I thought it was the right thing to do. £400 later (just for service) and a recommendation that I needed to spend another £250 - which another garage told me wasn't necessary - was my lesson learnt.

That is a complete ripoff. I`ve not looked into UK prices too much for these kinds of things, but a trans change shouldn`t be more than 200, if that. The washer fluid is irrelevant. And the wipers you can very easily do yourself.

The washer fluid thing has all come about fairly recently, if you dont keep a concentrate in the washer water of decent strength the water goes stagnant you get that Legionaires stuff in it, then if folk filling up it get contaminated by contact they get ill, its all Health and Safety stuff, that didnt matter before but now does because someone sued someone. :rolleyes: