We had a Mini Cooper in the workshop today with a rattle from the bottom of the engine,on inspection we found the bearings shot and the crankshaft damaged,the cause was the owner had let the oil level drop below the dipstick!!! The distance between the bottom of the dipstick and the oil pickup in the sump is about1" and this leaves about 0.6 litres of oil remaining in sump!!!,So do yourself a favour and CHECK YOUR OIL , 60 second check each week will save you £££££££ later on
Adam
You cannot rely on the tlc alone , this car was a company car and nobody checked the levels, Minis do use oil and water between tlc servicings,and air filters look awful after 20000 miles!!!
Once the warning light comes on, it's probably too late. Some cars (such at the Megane have a digital oil level readout upon ignition - a very good idea I thought). As the man said, check your oil every couple of weeks (so easy i'm surprised it's not on the driving test) 1 mins works could save you £1k.
Yep, it's surprising how many owners spend hours cleaning their pride and joy and don't
spend a couple of mins checking fluid levels. I don't trust oil level lights anymore than I
trust brake pad wear lights. Check'um yourself .
Some people are like a Slinky ........ not really good for anything, but you still can't help
but smile when you shove them down the stairs
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Oil 
have a digital oil level readout upon ignition - a very good idea I thought). As the man said, check your oil every couple of weeks (so easy i'm surprised it's not on the driving test) 1 mins works could save you £1k. 
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