Oil Level

[thrud]

Has anyone else had trouble checking the R56 S oil level ?

With the new oil being so light and thin once the engine is warm, and the dipstick being made from a spring, I have found it almost impossible to see the oil level on the stick. I guess it'll get easier once the oil blackens up, but meanwhile I'm left wondering whether there is enough oil in the car.

Paul

[Tigger, Eeyore & Roo]

Haven't tried it on the R56, but it's usually rreally difficult when the oil is new. 20,000 mile oil changes should ensure that it'spretty much like bitumin well before the first service is due, so it'll be easy to read soon enough

Just make sure to wipe the dip stick and re-insert it; the top of the oil should then form a pretty visible line.

Tigger.

[esxollie]

You don't need to visually check the oil on the MINI.

The MINI has an oil quality sensor/software component that will warn you on the dash it the oil needs your attention.

[thrud]

Yeah I know it should form a visible line, but I think the fact the dipstick is made of a spring makes it particularly difficult to spot, because all you see is the lines of the spring spiral. As you say, the oil should be easier to spot once once it has blacked up.

You should always check the oil level whether there is a sensor or not. I'd hate to run out of oil and then find the sensor was faulty! Also years of running/maintaining classic cars mean I can't help myself checking things over regularly :-)

Paul

[Tigger, Eeyore & Roo]

Quote: Originally Posted by thrud (original)

You should always check the oil level whether there is a sensor or not. I'd hate to run out of oil and then find the sensor was faulty! Also years of running/maintaining classic cars mean I can't help myself checking things over regularly :-)

Paul

Too true! We also have no idea just how bad the oil situation has to be before the warning light comes on. With 20,000 mile service intervals it's near certain that the oil level will run dangerously low several times before even the first service is due.

Tigger.

[Richard Crofts]

TBH when any oil warning light comes on its almost too late. They are usually based on pressure and if the presure drop causes the light to come on its either been running very low for ages or its something catastrophic (relatively speaking) like a pump failure or major leak

NEVER rely on oil warning sensors on any car to consider your oil levels or quality as OK! This is a major mistake of many young/inexperienced or non-technically ophay drivers...It very often leads to all those cars you see parked on the side of the road with thier hazards on! Too many folk think that the oil warning light is the thing to go by and it can cost you a lot of money to think that ... always manually check the oil levels and the colour and considency of the oil via the dip stick and the oil filler cap (in case of emulsification). If you were meant to rely on your servicing regime and the oil indicator light, why would BMW fit a dip stick and tell you to check it in the manual??!! If the above were the case then BMW would have saved a few pennies on all the cars and just not bothered fitting a dipstick as they don't need to tell the levels of the oil (they only get the car for servicing and they know that 5l or whatever fills it so why check it ...only you as the owner/driver need to do that!

If your oil light comes on stop ASAP as the pressure is usually pretty low and if you continue to drive even at reduced speeds you could be doing your car serious damage....STOP IMMEDIATLEY that it is safe to do so. Call MINI assist and inform them...it may be as simple as putting some castrol in your poor little car thats needed but thats what they are there to do...don't ever risk it as you could find things go bang quicker than you reckoned on and all for the cost of you not being bothered to splash out on a few quid and the time to check the level every week or 2 Not a good thing

[Martin F]

I think there may be a misunderstanding here.

On the R56 there is a light to warn when the oil needs topping up. This is not the same as the low oil pressure warning. I entirely agree that one should not wait for the low oil pressure warning to come on before topping up the oil. But the handbook on page 94 says not to add oil until the low oil light comes on or until the oil is just above the lower mark on the dipstick. Personally I prefer to check the dipstick regularly.

[Richard Crofts]

Yeah sorry I was talking about the R53 and ONE/Coopers not the new R56....but esxollie is talking about the R56 not the R53 ... Problem being that he just said MINI not R56 MINI. Did not want any new MINI (R53) owners to think thier cars had this function. Even so I'd be warey of any oil refil indicator...my other halfs car has one and it doesn't come on till the oil is well below the dipstick markers...far lower than I'd allow it to go if I were manually doing the job.

[Martin F]

No problem. I guessed you might be talking R53 on this thread and in that context totally agree with you.

I just wanted to clarify.