Mini is out of the service contract, so I'm doing the first on my own tomorrow. I know I've seen nice, clear instructions on the site, but now I can't find them! Can anyone help?

 

BTW, '07 S coupe (turbo, not super)

 

Here are all the tools you are going to need:
• ½” ratchet drive w/ long extension & universal
joint
• 27mm ½” socket
• ¼” ratchet drive w/ short extension
• 8mm ¼” socket
• #8 allen wrench
• Small screwdriver
• Lint free paper towels
• Jack and jack stand
• New MINI oil filter (part no. 11-42-7-557-012)
• 5 Quarts of Synthetic Oil
• Drain pan
1. Park the car on a flat level slab of concrete,
set parking brake, and open the bonnet.

2. Remove the 8mm bolt holding the coolant
expansion tank in place in the lower front part
of the engine bay on the driver’s side.

3. You can then swing the bottom of the tank
out and then pull up, and it will come off
the posts that it is sitting on. Lean the tank
towards the center of the car without disconnecting
anything. You can now see the oil
canister. Use the ½” drive and extension w/
27mm socket to take the load off the canister
and spin off till the o-ring is unseated. Do not
remove it fully from the engine yet. The filter is
full of oil and it’s best to let it drain back into
the system.

4. While the oil filter is draining, you should jack
up the car to drain the pan. Remember to
use jack stands whenever you or anyone else
is under the car.

5. Place a pan under the drain plug to catch
the old oil.

6. On the bottom of the oil pan you will fi nd the
drain plug. You will need the #8 Allen wrench
to take it out.

7. The copper crush washer should come off
when you remove the drain plug. It will be
replaced with a new one that will be in the oil
fi lter kit. Sometimes this can stick to the pan
and a few hits with a screwdriver will make it
come off. It’s important to not get more than
one washer under the plug so that everything
seals correctly. In the photo below, we are using
a #8 allen socket on a 3/8” ratchet drive,
but we have found an allen wrench to be
much easier to work with. After about a turn,
oil starts to leak out, so the allen wrench is a
bit easier to hold and clean up. Be careful not
to let any hot oil splash on you. After the oil is
drained replace the plug with the new crush
washer and tighten down to 25 Nm (18 ft. lbs)

8. Lower the car and remove the fi lter. Clean
out any grit that may be left behind in the
oil housing so that the new filter has a good
place to seal.

9. Properly dispose of the oil filter and remove
the o-ring from the canister. Clean up the
canister; add the new o-ring and the fi lter. Be
sure to pre-lube the o-ring with fresh oil before
you put the canister back in the housing.
Start it by hand to make sure you have proper
thread engagement, and then tighten down
to 25 Nm (18 ft. lbs or 221 inch. lbs.)

10. Reinstall the coolant expansion tank back
onto the posts and then swing the bottom
back in. Make sure the bottom stud has found
its rubber grommet as shown in the photo.
Reinstall the 8mm screw and tighten down.

11. Fill the engine with 5 quarts of synthetic motor
oil and replace the oil fi ll cap. Start the engine,
let it run for a few seconds and then turn
it off. This will allow the oil to fill the filter, which
will allow you to check the oil level correctly.

12. Here you see the very hard to read dipstick
that MINI has once again given us. For the first
pull you should just wipe off the dipstick and
put it back in to get a correct reading. Pull it
back out and keep the tip pointed down so
oil will not run back up the dipstick. Your oil
level should be on the full mark, if not, add
more oil. The longer you let the oil drain, the
more you will have to add. Here’s a tip, some
times the dipstick is very hard to see where
the oil level is. Take a paper towel and rest it
against the side. This will show how far up the
oil goes.
The final step is to make sure all oil that may
be dripped or spilled on the ground or motor is
wiped up. It’s much easier to see any oil leaks
when all oil is wiped off should one occur. Oil will
also attract dirt and make working on the car
later much harder and make more of a mess.
Make sure you dispose of the drained oil in proper
manner. Many auto parts stores will recycle
used oil, and many cities also have a communityrecycling
center where you can take used fluids.

 

Hi, I just joined this forum ... I have a 2009 Mini Coupe Base. I just changed my oil according to your instructions and I'm now finding that there's so much conflicting information about the amount of oil I put in my engine. I just added the 5 quarts. I am not sure if this will damage the engine. I completely drained the crank and changed the filter ... so ... what is the consensus on 5 quarts of oil? Will I damage the engine? Please help!!

 

I Alway use the 5 quarts

 

Excellently given method. I would add that if you show over your high limit on the dip stick, it will not hurt the engine. If you are too much over then you can get piston slap, but unlikely. I've also confirmed this with the factory rep, you can be over which means not all the oil came out when you added your five quarts - again - it's OK. As an added measure I put some oil in the new filter before I screw it on.