[jamiesim]

I was recentley having a conversation with a mechanic who specialise in performance cars and he was shoked to hear that the first oil change wasn't until 10,000 miles...

He recommended at 5000 miles to change the oil to a full synthetic and replace the air filter as this should be whent the engine is seated and has been run-in enough...

Any thoughts...

[zoooooom]

I had the same thought and was going to change the oil myself tehn thought it would be better for the service history if i got the dealer to do it.
I went to the service desk and was told £74 to change the oil and filter,GULP I THOUGHT thats a lot,then the receptionist told me that BMW would not recomend such long intervals unless it was safe afterall its them who will be forking out if it blows in the first 3 years.
so i just left it alone



Now what will i spend my £74 on?????????

[LMB]

Quote:

Originally posted by zoooooom
I went to the service desk and was told £74 to change the oil and filter,GULP I THOUGHT thats a lot,then the receptionist told me that BMW would not recomend such long intervals unless it was safe afterall its them who will be forking out if it blows in the first 3 years.
so i just left it alone

The trouble is you won't notice any damage till after the three years

I bet if TLC weren't an option BMW would change their tune

I know I am cynical

LMB

[space_cadet]

A new filter from the dealer is 3.90 + vat

You also need 4.75 litres of an BMW approved long life oil.

Mobil 1 is one such oil, as are most full synthetics.

Finally you need a 36mm socket to get the filter housing
off (and you will need a universalj oint on your ratchet
extension )

Should not cost you more that 40 quid then if you do it yourself.

The filter comes with a replacement o-ring for the filter
housing. Also the filters BMW supply appear to be of a much
higher quality than fitted during engine assembly in brazil.

Well worth doing it yourself after a couple thousand miles
IMHO

[ricardo]

Space Cadet

You've got this all worked out. Any chance I could drop my MINI down to you for half an hour so you can sort it out - in about a month's time? I'll buy you a pint, of course.

[jamiesim]

what about the warranty and the overall good of the engine... will it have been a bad idea to have done the early oil change in a couple of years???

Are BMW going to turn around and say the warranty has been invalidated????

Is the service receptionist right is saying 10,000 miles has been specified because thats when BMW know is the right time... or are they just watching the bottom line as they realised this TLC package could end up costing them a couple of quid....

[BruceK]

Quote:

Originally posted by jamiesim
.....

Are BMW going to turn around and say the warranty has been invalidated????
.....

AFAIK once the engine has been run in properly, you can't change the oil too frequently -- you have only the ridiculously high prices of oil in the UK to slow you down.

As to BMW/MINI knowing about it - they really don't need to, do they? It's good for the engine, not bad to have fresh oil. If you do it yourself and use a MINI filter then who is the wiser? The MINI's service reminder will prompt you for a TLC oil change never knowing you did a DIY, won't it?

[RedShift42]

Do be careful here w/ the 1st oil change...

I understand that many automakers (Germans in particular) fill the engine w/ a specific break-in oil. It differs from the oil you'll want to run in the car for the rest of its life. The engine and this oil are engineered to be used together for the first X thousand miles to ensure proper break-in and ring seating.

Before anyone changes their oil prematurely, I believe this is an issue that warrants an official response/explanation from BMW/MINI, if somebody has the right connections. (and once we have it, it should go in a FAQ)

If you really feel compelled to get under the hood before the first scheduled oil change, maybe just satisfy yourself w/ a filter change for now.
Remember that modern motor oils are very very good and actually last longer than most of us keep them in our cars. Filters capture most offending matter, and the oil's additives neutralize acids and keep untrapped particulates in suspension.

I don't believe there's any reason to feel like you're killing your engine by following the mfgr's recommendations.