Hello! Like I said I'm new to Mini, I bought "my dream car" without really researching it and am floored over the cost of maintenance on them. I bought a 2012 MC with 19,800 miles on it. Now I have 24,000 and am getting the oil change due in 2400 miles. It's still under warranty until August and I will be checking with the dealer to see if its covered under that, if not, do I have to go through the dealer to have it done? What about my key fob will that show I had the service done? I know it probably sounds petty that I'm griping over the cost of an oil change but I'm getting ready to do a road trip and I will be putting approx. 2500 miles on her so that will put me even closer to the 30,000 mark where I need the $300+ service. Thanks in advance for any feedback. Shannon
Welcome to M/A... Oil changes are not that difficult to perform yourself... Go to our library for step by step instructions... Keep oil and filter purchase receipts with documented mileage and you will be good... Stick with a OEM filter.... If you don't want to attempt this, use a shop that is familiar with MINI's... Check out our listing of sponsors for one that is close to you.... They tend to be reasonable in what they charge for work...
Welcome, thanks for joining Motoring Alliance, the FUN and Friendly MINI Community. It may still be under the Free Maintenance. I'd call MINI 866-ASK-MINI and check. You do NOT have to use the dealer for oil changes but stay away from quick lube places. They are not well versed in the oddities of MINI. Being as you have no idea when the last service was completed nor what it entailed I'd go for an oil change now. It can't hurt.
Also, Check the club listing & find one near you. Besides the wealth of help you'll find on the forum, club members can point you to the best independent shop. One other thing to do before your trip, rotate your tires. They should be rotated regularly at 5K intervals anyway. Have a great trip-wave-check your fluid levels every morning before departure-keep your mind between your ears-your wheels between the ditches and the greasy side down. Oh, yea, welcome to MA.
Thanks Thank you so much for the info. I will call Mini first to see if it's covered, if not I will take your advise on finding someone local that knows what they are doing. Not really sure I want to try and take it on myself as I'm not mechanically inclined, I'll just leave it to the professionals. :wink: Have a great day! Shannon
If you can't find one of our sponsors or another MINI specialist nearby, there are TONS of independent BMW shops around, most of whom are very capable with MINIs.
Welcome to M/A! check your oil level often and do change your oil every 5,000 miles if you can. They use synthetic oil, but most MINI owners don't stick to the interval your MINI shows you. Chris
...forgot to mention for your trip: Take an extra qt of oil. We just clocked a bit over 4800 miles on ours & I've used one and a little of a second. If you are in mountainous terrain, pulling medium to high RPM on the down grades will blow some oil out the beer cans. Hence the reason for checking every morning of the trip.