R56

How Regular Oil Changes Can Improve The Performance Of Your Mini Cooper

MINI Cooper Oil Recommendation: How Often Should I Service My MINI Cooper?

Known for their unique look, great gas mileage, and cool customization options, Mini Coopers are a true joy to own and drive. Once you’ve driven one of these amazing vehicles, you’ll never want to switch loyalties to any other model.
While you do not need to do a whole lot of tinkering around to keep your Mini Cooper performing as efficiently as it should, there is one thing that you should not overlook and that is the importance of a regular oil change.

Changing the oil at the recommended intervals is the best way to maximize the life of your vehicle and keep it running at peak performance. Failure to do this can have serious consequences on your Mini Cooper. If you think your Mini needs an oil change or just a general inspection, call our automotive shop—The Haus—today!

A Look At The Role Of Motor Oil
Motor oil lubricates all of the moving parts in the engine. This lubrication prevents the friction that would otherwise result from the engine parts grinding against each other. It also reduces wear and tear of the components.

As the oil filters through the engine block, it collects combustion contaminants, metal fragments and grime and begins to get thick and sludgy. As the oil becomes less viscous and more gunked up, it starts getting increasingly less efficient and does not provide the engine with the lubrication it needs.
As the oil collects more deposits and gets thicker, it will start to build up around the crankshafts, valves and pistons, resulting in a lot of damage that may require an expensive overhaul.

Changing the oil regularly as recommended can prevent this disastrous scenario. New oil is contaminant-free and will improve the performance of your Mini Cooper tremendously. It will also extend the life of its engine, which is something you definitely want if you own one of these cool little vehicles.

How Often Do You Need To Change The Oil In A Mini Cooper?

MINI recommends oil maintenance every 12,000 miles or once a year, whichever comes first, however we recommend oil & filter change every 6 months or 5,000 miles to keep your MINI running properly and keep repair costs down. The conditions under which you drive your vehicle will ultimately determine how often the oil change service needs to be done. For the best advice and service, get the oil checked and changed at an automotive repair shop that specializes in dealing with Mini Coopers. The Haus is the best option for an oil check and change for a Mini Cooper in the Los Angeles area, conveniently located in Sherman Oaks.

Regular Service

Regular Service
It’s critically important to have your BMW, Mini, or any other vehicle you may own serviced regularly. At The Haus, our highly-trained, expert technicians specialize in routine maintenance and always go the extra mile to provide outstanding service at a rate you can afford.


Establishing and scheduling your regular check-up is easy. Owners of imported European cars can contact us today in order to book an appointment or schedule a series of periodic check-ups. Consider coming by our shop in Sherman Oaks, California every 6,000 miles or 6 months–whichever comes first- for a variety of safety and oil services.


Don’t forget to check in with our Southern California BMW and Mini specialists every 30,000 to 60,000 miles for a more thorough inspection that includes a look at the tires and wheels, engine examination, body, interior, underneath the car, and more.


The Haus performs a rigorous 32 point inspection on your vehicle at every check up or at customer request, so that little problems do not become big problems later.
 
Brake Check
Safety should always be a top priority for drivers, so it should come as no surprise that regular brake checks and maintenance is key to keeping you protected while driving your domestic or imported vehicle. Brake fluid levels should always be tested, for having a low amount will cause soft brake pedals and delayed reactions. Brake fluid with high moisture content will boil at a much lower temperature than good brake fluid and this can cause brake fade- partial or total loss of braking power in a vehicle brake system. 
MINI & BMW both recommend brake fluid changes every 2 years, regardless of mileage.


The Haus is capable of servicing your European car’s front and rear brakes, installing new brake pads and anything else that may be necessary to upkeep quality performance and safety.
 
Engine Check
The heart and soul of your car is the engine, if something is wrong under the hood and goes unchecked, it could leave your vehicle catastrophically damaged. Should your check engine light come on for any reason- please contact us immediately in order to get an inspection and the service your vehicle needs before it becomes a serious issue.


Don’t let regular wear and tear bring your car down. A regular inspection at your local automotive shop, such as The Haus, is always a safe bet and worth the small investment.  

R56 ERA MINIS 2006-2014 OIL CHANGE INTERVALS

MINI Cooper Recommended Oil Change Interval for R56 Era 2006-2014

A common conversation we have with our customers is the importance of frequent oil changes, especially on the 2nd generation MInis. It is our opinion that the factory specified interval of 1 year or 15,000 miles is way too long! From 2007-2011 the interval was 1 year or 15,000 miles, but then suddenly in 2012 they went back down to 1 year or 10,000 miles. Given the number of oil related troubles the 2nd gen. Minis have had, it is no wonder that MINI/BMW would reconsider the longer interval. We have no knowledge as to why MINI dropped the interval back down to 1 year or 10,000 miles, which was the original service interval for the R50/R53 models, but we suspect that the high cost of repairing engines under warranty finally prompted MINI to re-think their longer service intervals. This may also be due to consumer behavior, as in the consumer not bothering to check the oil unless a warning light appeared or it was time for their scheduled service. We don’t feel like MINI will ever acknowledge there is a problem with their longer service intervals because it would obviously open them (MINI & BMW) up to future litigation.

What MINI considers “normal” oil consumption is 1 quart every 800 miles, so you can see how waiting 10,000-15,000 miles to change the oil could damage the engine. These engines only hold 4.4 quarts of oil, so even being just 1 quart low on oil can be detrimental to the engine. When the engine gets to be even 2 quarts low they can jump timing and cause all sorts of other damage. Low engine oil can cause the timing chain and/or guides to break from lack of proper lubrication. Low oil can also cause the check engine light to come on because of engine knock or vanos (engine timing) codes related to low oil flow. The majority of the problems these vehicles have is directly related to the long service interval and not checking the oil regularly.

These cars are not equipped with “low oil level” warning lights only a “low oil pressure” warning light and there is a big difference between the two even though they are related. When most cars have a “low oil level” light come on it just means to add oil to prevent damage. When you have a “low oil pressure light” come on it means that NO oil is circulating through the engine which can cause catastrophic damage. Oil is the life blood of your engine and when you starve it of this vital fluid it can cause not only immediate damage, but long term engine damage from lack of lubrication. Your engine spins at thousands of revolutions per minute (RPM’s) so you can imagine what would happen if all of these metal parts are making contact with each other, and there is no oil to cool and lubricate them. If you are ever driving your MINI and the “low oil pressure” light comes on, pull over and add oil as soon as it it safely possible.

Whatever the reasons, it’s a good thing to see the interval shortened. At Haus of Mnis & BMW we recommend changing your oil every 6 months or 5,000 miles whichever comes first. If you follow our recommended interval you will save yourself thousands of $$$ in repair costs and a lot of heartache. We also recommend checking your oil in between oil changes to be safe and we are happy to check it for you FREE of charge. These are great little cars when they are maintained properly. The maintenance interval you see in your owner’s manual is the bare minimum that the factory recommends to keep your vehicle covered under warranty, but if you plan on keeping the vehicle past the warranty you will save yourself a lot of money in the long run by changing the oil more frequently than what the factory recommends.

An oil change for your MINI at The Haus is $59.95 so doing  2 oil changes a year would cost you approximately $120.00. To replace an engine on one of these cars costs between $7,000-$10,000 depending on whether you went new or used, so it would take roughly 58-83 years worth of oil changes to equal the cost of an engine replacement. Oil changes are an inexpensive and effective way to keep your MINI on the road and your ownership costs way down.

If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment to get your MINI’s oil changed please give us a call at 855-572-MINI (6464)

High Pressure Fuel Pump Problems on R56 MINI Cooper S Models

MINI Cooper S: High Pressure Fuel Pump Failure Symptoms

If you are the owner of a 2007-2009 Mini Cooper S model you need to be aware of the problems Mini & BMW are having with their High Pressure Fuel Pumps (HPFP). This was a well known issue on the BMW N54 turbo engine and it affected thousands of BMW vehicles between 2007-2010, so much so that BMW issued a recall. Well the Mini customers are not getting the same love from BMW, and there is no such recall to replace these under warranty. Mini did however extend the warranty to 10 years or 120,000 miles, whichever comes first on the 2007-2009 S models only. So if you have a 2010 or newer vehicle or a vehicle over 120,000 miles you are not covered. It is important that you take your Mini to a specialty shop only, because if they are reputable and know these cars they would refer you to the dealer for warranty repairs. A lot of shops, especially general automotive repair shops are unaware of the extended warranty and might try and sell you one instead.

mini-cooper-r56

So, how do you know if you are having the issue? Well that is a good question and it is not always easy one to answer. The HPFP does not always just die, it sometimes prolongs the issue making it confusing to diagnose unless the check engine light comes on. Some of the pumps have been reported to die all at once, with some even failing while driving at freeway speeds, causing the engine to die (very dangerous). The most common symptom that the HPFP is starting to fail is engine surging while driving. This is usually followed up by difficulty starting, and then when the engine finally does start, it runs poorly (feels like a diesel engine). When you get to this stage, usually the check engine light will come on and register misfire codes, thankfully making it easier to figure out.

Our recommendation is that if you are having any of these symptoms to get your vehicle to a certified Mini Cooper specialist and get your vehicle checked before it becomes dangerous, and so that possible warranty coverage may be verified.

Here is the text of the letter from MINI USA-

 

 

Call Us Now!

© Copyright 2019-2020 | Automotive Repair Shop - The Haus
Serving: Van Nuys, West Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Los Angeles, Agoura Hills, Beverly Hills, Burbank, Canoga Park, Culver City,
Encino, North Hollywood, Reseda, San Fernando Valley, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Tarzana, Santa Monica, West LA, Culver City, Venice

Made with ❤ by Fyresite