Engine Oil Service

[millerd2]

Our 2006 MCS is officially past its free maintenance period and is due for its next "engine oil service" in a few hundred miles. I called MoS and was told it would cost $265.00. I checked on the Mini Owner's Lounge to see what is included during the service and this seems high for a glorified oil change or am I missing something?

 

Couple of questions - first, is this typical of the charges by other Mini dealers in the area for that service; second, can this be done by someone other than a Mini dealer?

 

Thanks in advance for the help.

[Buffettbassman]

remember, the oil change lasts for 15K miles.

[Hawkeye]

IMO, $265 for an "oil change" is extremely high. I am changing my own oil so can't speak to other sources of having your oil changed, but I am confident you can find a place which will do it for less. :top:

[VioletDC]

Well, I've had a local auto shop change mine w/no problem for around $40, which I truly appreciated. I provided the OEM filter and they used synthetic oil. No issues at all. PMoA did it for me and replaced a strut mount for ~$200, which wasn't too bad. I've heard of others doing their own at the usual 5k mile intervals w/no problems, as well.

[cmcveay]

I'm not a big fan of 15k between oil changes, especially the initial so I paid for an oil change "out of cycle" at PMoA. Seems they charged $90 and change. I was in and out in less than 45 minutes.

[redmini]

I have a brand new MSC and took my Mini to MACH V for a 8000 Mile first Oil change - it was around $80 - Contact them they do Great work

http://www.fastmini.net/

45690 Elmwood Court, Suite 170

Sterling, Virginia, 20166

(571) 434-8333 voice

[cmcveay]

I second that on the quality and price for their work!

[Scavenger]

$265 is completely ridiculous for an oil change.

[tvrgeek]

$265 is completely ridiculous for an oil change.

Cheaper then the game VW was playing with their proprietary oil. Well, welcom the BMW arrogrance.

 

Now, it takes about 10 minutes to change your own oil. 15K is just as ridiculous. A long interval is no excuse for charging 3 hours labor for one quarter's work. The best way to get them to be reasonable is for everyone to not go to them for an oil change. If you pay it, they will keep charging it.

 

I do it every 5K, use only Amzoil. These cars are not the highest of quality so they need all the help they can get. Small high-stressed engine. Every 15 K means they can be sure you will need a new car by 100K.

[Buffettbassman]

I do my own now. Look for the videos on step by step on You Tube. Takes about 20 minutes and you don't have to get under the car.

[tvrgeek]

remember, the oil change lasts for 15K miles.

 

I change my oil every 5K with Amzoil. 15K is totally bogus and will help to be sure you need a new car sooner than later. This is SUPER easy. If you don't want to, just buy some filters (overpriced too) and your pick of top quality synthetic oil. Any local honest shop will gladly change your oil for a half hour labor. It takes about 10 minuets.

 

The only to stop BMW (and VW too) from $260 oil changes is to STOP doing it. Protest with your wallet.

[TGGRRR (Ali)]

I paid $90 at PMoA, but now that I'm out of warranty I should learn to do it myself.

 

I used to change my own oil all the time back in the 80's. Has the process changed much? drain the oil out, remove the filter with the oil filter wrench. Close it up and add new oil. right?

How do you properly discard the old oil?

 

I'm going to check out those YouTube videos

 

Ali

[cmcveay]

Don't you just pour the old oil in the neighbors flower planter????:banghead:

 

Ali, check with our local parts places, they usually have a recycling program.

[TGGRRR (Ali)]

Craig I'll come over to your place and dump it in your neighbors yard that wouldn't even notice,

[Shiseiji]

Any place that sells oil is now required to take the old back. After changing the oil use a funnel to put the old back in the now empty bottles and just drop it back off.

 

When installing the filter, after the gasket makes contact with the engine, hand tighten it only 1/8 turn or so. If the oil is changed regularly the filter should come off with our a wrench (I am a trained mechanic, but haven't done a Mini yet. That statement is based on an "assumption" that it is possible to get a decent hand grip on the filter). I keep a pair of mechanic's gloves just for grabbing the filter with. One should check for leaks after changing the oil and I would rather give the filter with a tiny leak a second bit of a turn than have to fight an over tightened filter the next time. A box of inexpensive gloves from Northern Tool or Harbor Freight will last a lot of oil changes but won't protect from heat, just mess.

 

On my current vehicle (I expect to be picking up a new to me '05 Mini next week) I installed a Fram quick drain. It replaces the factory drain plug and allows a hose with a bronze fitting to be screwed on to the replacement drain plug. No muss, no fuss, no having to get a hand away from a hot oil blast (though with synthetics I believe you don't have to warm up the lubricants) the 6" hose puts the oil right in the waste oil drain pan with no drips on me. Best $9 investment ever. It drains a little bit slower, but means I can take my time getting the filter off and the new one on.

 

I personally split the mileage between what the engine manufacturer calls for, and what the oil manufacturer calls for. On my current vehicle that is 4K miles. Ford says 5K, Penzoil says 3K. If I were to change, it would be to what the lubricant manufacturer recommends (and I believe that is the word they use). Synthetics are designed to be far more stable and break down slower than hydrocarbon based oils. Is why they cost so much more. Carbon build-up from exhaust/ring blow by is the major contaminate of lubricants. Carbon is hard and is like sandpaper on the high tolerance parts suspended in the lubricant. Is why i error to the lubricant's specifications rather than the engine manufacturers. The engine folks have reason to promote lower maintenance costs. The oil to promote product replacement. But I figure the lubricant engineers will err on replacing abused lubricant to promote the value of their product so I split the difference. I believe the lowest risk would come from following the lubricant manufacturer's recommendations.

 

IMHO

 

Ron the soon to be a Mini owner

[RichSperry]

I changed the oil in my 2010 MCS at 1500 miles, and just sent a oil sample to Blackstone Labs for analysis at 6500 miles, (5K on the oil). I'll report when I get the results

 

 

As an aside, if anyone wants to change their oil, I have a lift, and any tools. I accept donations to help cover the cost of me taking the used oil to the dump.

 

Doughnuts and cokes are always good.

 

Rich

[TGGRRR (Ali)]

Rich-

 

I'll be interested to hear the results of the test

 

Ali

[cravates]

absolutely, the price charged for oil and checking over the car is high (in my opinion). I still usually go to the dealer, but wait for a sale on an oil change, at an average of 7,500 mi. No way I'd go much longer than that. Ya can't be too good to the inside of your power plant. When I go in i ask them to give the car a full check over and report. They are usually happy to do it n/c because it could easily result in more work, plus what does it take for a good tech to scope out a mini? Not a lot of time. I try to go under the car with the tech so he can point things out to me and I can make the decision. Sure, they'll have you do some work before necessary if they have their way. I like to tip the tech well and with the usual 'do I really need to do this work NOW?', I find it can wait. In any event, $265 for an oil service? each to his own.

Our 2006 MCS is officially past its free maintenance period and is due for its next "engine oil service" in a few hundred miles. I called MoS and was told it would cost $265.00. I checked on the Mini Owner's Lounge to see what is included during the service and this seems high for a glorified oil change or am I missing something?

 

Couple of questions - first, is this typical of the charges by other Mini dealers in the area for that service; second, can this be done by someone other than a Mini dealer?

 

Thanks in advance for the help.

[JAB 67]

DIY oil change is something that every self-respecting MINI owner should know how to do. Make it easy on yourself by installing a Fumoto valve. Buy the 36 mm socket (at least thats the size my R53 takes) for the oil filter cannister. With those done, the only tricky part is learning the 'feel' of reinstalling the oil filter cannister. Tricky at first - you don't want to risk cross-threading it - but you'll figure it out.

[aautomaan]

I'm not trying to defend the dealer as I work at a premier independent shop, but they do have a process to go through for an oil service. Who's got squeaky doors? Yeah those are supposed to get lubricated in an oil service. I haven't found an aftermarket or independent shop that makes that a regular practice. Mainly because it doesn't pay very well, people don't want to do them or the ambitious tech will be focused on finding work, not preventing an annoying noise that could potentially be a money maker in the future. They take the factory scan tool and pull a report that looks for the correct computers and whether they have diagnostic trouble codes stored. There's a series of inspections that are supposed to be documented as well. The oil service pays the technician pretty well also so technicians are happy to do them. And it's an opportunity to find hidden problems that will make them more money. In the Aftermarket a lot of people are cutting prices. So even though it is an opportunity to make more money, sometimes it seems to be a hassle for seasoned technicians, who can warn you of problems before they happen, or it falls in the hands of the greenhorn lube tech that won't even check your tire pressures. An oil service should not be done on the ground. This only opens the door for mistakes and we are all human. Remember an engine will cost you twenty times the amount of that $265 oil change. You can certainly get the oil service cheaper and get a good service but don't hate the dealer for wanting to make sure their tech is compensated well, and they make a good profit margin on their products they use on your car, and believe me everything is accounted for. This doesn't mean they have the best products for your car or ownership longevity in mind. After the warranty is over they are no longer responsible for what breaks....you are.:congrats:

[Price]

Couple of questions - first, is this typical of the charges by other Mini dealers in the area for that service; second, can this be done by someone other than a Mini dealer?

MoA has permanent special $79+tax (http://www.miniofalexandria.com/ServiceSpecials), but they also mail out coupons for like $59+tax, which is very close to the cost of DIY (~$10 filter, ~$35 oil).

 

I'm a DIY guy, but frankly speaking unless you really enjoy it, the hassles of cleaning around after extracting the oil filter and later taking used oil to autozone/recycler aren't worth savings.

[Bert]

I don't know about the surrounding counties but in MoCo they have oil recycling at the county transfer stations (dumps). You just bring your oil and pour it into the special tank near the car battery and tire recycling. It is not the cleanest process but if you are a DIYer it is an option and can save you a few bucks.

 

I'm not sure about everyone else but 15,000 miles does seem to be a long time between changes, especially since it wasn't long ago that the change interval was 12K. Is this BMW/MINI just trying to save a few $$$? My research trolling on the other boards and blogs shows that this is a hot topic and many people question going longer than 10K or 12K. I know that I am getting 3 or 6 years of service with Ernie but I am thinking of changing it myself in between the standard schedule services.

 

Thoughts?

[GreenCactus]

I don't know about the surrounding counties but in MoCo they have oil recycling at the county transfer stations (dumps). You just bring your oil and pour it into the special tank near the car battery and tire recycling. It is not the cleanest process but if you are a DIYer it is an option and can save you a few bucks.

 

I'm not sure about everyone else but 15,000 miles does seem to be a long time between changes, especially since it wasn't long ago that the change interval was 12K. Is this BMW/MINI just trying to save a few $$$? My research trolling on the other boards and blogs shows that this is a hot topic and many people question going longer than 10K or 12K. I know that I am getting 3 or 6 years of service with Ernie but I am thinking of changing it myself in between the standard schedule services.

 

Thoughts?

 

I change Cricket's oil every 5,000 miles. When I still was under the maintenance warranty, I would pay for the two extra ones inbetween the 15,000 mile (or so) one. Just don't let them reset the indicator when you get the interim ones done.

[TGGRRR (Ali)]

I change Cricket's oil every 5,000 miles. When I still was under the maintenance warranty, I would pay for the two extra ones inbetween the 15,000 mile (or so) one. Just don't let them reset the indicator when you get the interim ones done.

Ditto

[MiniMe]

I have seen the oil change demonstrated on YouTube and it looks easy. 36mm to take the filter off and then some other size for the drain plug. YouTube even tells me how to reset the oil change reminder on the Mini.. Love YouTube for everything.