Oil Change Help 07 Cooper S

[DaveCGilbert]

I need some help here. I live 100 miles from any dealer so I'm tacklin the oil change myself. Where is the oil drain plug? I thought I had it but I believe I just drained the gearbox (black with allen wrench hold)....okay, I'm an idiot! That leads me to my second area of help....how do I fill this damn thing back up and how much oil? I see where someone recommends 75W90.

I appreciate any help.

[DaveCGilbert]

Okay, I just found a Utube video on how to change the oil. Lovely,.... there is NO drain plug. You gotta buy an expensive piece of equipment to "suck" it out through the dipstick shaft. Just when you thought oil changes were simple maintainence, right?

I still need help filling the gearbox back up with the oil I drained (thinking I was draining the motor oil). I do appreciate any help.

D to the G

[Putsy]

Houdy,
If it is a R56 cooper the oil drain bung is on the RH side of the car. (Big black pressed steel thing)
The best way to see if you have drained the eng oil is just to check the eng oil dip stick? photos would help.
tom

[DaveCGilbert]

Tom,

Thanks for your response. I swear that's the one I drained. Big Black pressed drain looking plug. Then I screwed it back in, filled the oil. It was way over full, so I said well, I need to empty some out. Unscrewed the same plug and nothing came out. That's when I realized I drained some other oil...I'm assuming the Gearbox oil.

I'll take some pics tomorrow and attach.

Dave

[DaveCGilbert]

Here are two photo's. The first is the drain plug that I think is the gearbox (Flat with allen wrench hole). I don't know what the second one is (photo 2) with the cylindrical plastic shape. Is this the oil? Does anyone know how I can refill the gearbox oil, if the first is, in fact, gearbox?

I appreciate your help.

[oxybluecoop]

The oil pan is the square black one on the passenger side of the MINI right next to the exhaust. The gearbox plugs are the ones in the photos so don't mess with those.

[PK5]

yes i agree you have the pics of the gearbox drainplug.

[PK5]

if you search on the website for haynes manual, you can download the area you need. you may need to register

[DaveCGilbert]

I do appreciate the help. Any idea's how I refill the gearbox. I'll search Hughes Manuals, but I had zero luck finding any kind of manual on this vehicle. It's like they don't want you working on it yourself, so they just don't allow any printing of a service manual.

Rawk on!

[oxybluecoop]

The plug closest to the axle is the fill plug.Takes around 1.7 litres but just keep filling until it spills out.Torque for both plugs is 43Nm. There are no repair manuals for the R56 here in the states.

[DaveCGilbert]

Thanks for all the help. You guys are great. Found the Oil Plug...hard to spot...near the exhaust on passanger side. Filled the Gear box back up. Back on the road!

[radster]

wow.. i just thought of changing my mini 1.4 diesel 03 reg.. is this one have drin plug or what? looked in halfords for haynes manual but only pertol mini available

[PK5]

radster check haynes own website?

[Soopercooperinfo]

Here's an oil change DIY with pics for the R56 that may help in the future.

[saint2000]

wow good post soopercooperinfo! lots of detail there, except I'm not sure whether the people following the thread got the wrong idea and have now started changing gearbox oil rather than engine oil!

*horizontal plug is a no no, lifetime oil warranty in there*