5 replies to this topic

[Bearddude]

Just thought I’d send a message regarding my 2018 automatic Mini Cooper which has 22500 miles on the clock. For the last three years whenever my car went for a service at BMW/Mini I’ve asked about changing the gearbox oil and I’ve received the same idiotic answer - your gearbox oil is for life and doesn’t need changing. I got the same response at my annual service 2 weeks ago. Then, 3 days ago, up popped two fault messages on my console:
1 Drivetrain problem (which can mean anything)
2 Service: Transmission oil change (which is pretty specific)
My car is now having the gearbox oil changed to resolve the problem, which proves the oil isn’t for life (there’s a surprise). Interestingly the dealer carrying out the work told me they’ve had lots of Minis in for the same thing recently, and that it seems to be age related rather than mileage related. To me this raises the question about why BMW/Mini are being disingenuous about the need for gearbox oil changes at specific intervals, and why it isn’t listed as a service item (every x years). It’s not cheap at £245, and the cynic in me wonders if BMW’s policy on this is less about correctly maintaining your car and more about getting cars to break so that you need to buy a new one.

[KTS]

Just thought I’d send a message regarding my 2018 automatic Mini Cooper which has 22500 miles on the clock. For the last three years whenever my car went for a service at BMW/Mini I’ve asked about changing the gearbox oil and I’ve received the same idiotic answer - your gearbox oil is for life and doesn’t need changing. I got the same response at my annual service 2 weeks ago. Then, 3 days ago, up popped two fault messages on my console:
1 Drivetrain problem (which can mean anything)
2 Service: Transmission oil change (which is pretty specific)
My car is now having the gearbox oil changed to resolve the problem, which proves the oil isn’t for life (there’s a surprise). Interestingly the dealer carrying out the work told me they’ve had lots of Minis in for the same thing recently, and that it seems to be age related rather than mileage related. To me this raises the question about why BMW/Mini are being disingenuous about the need for gearbox oil changes at specific intervals, and why it isn’t listed as a service item (every x years). It’s not cheap at £245, and the cynic in me wonders if BMW’s policy on this is less about correctly maintaining your car and more about getting cars to break so that you need to buy a new one.

 

probably worth joining a BMW mini forum and venting there instead of TMF which is primarily a 'classic' mini focused forum

[mab01uk]

All modern car manufacturers reduce service costs as long as it gets the car through the warranty period and as most customers are likely to move to a new vehicle after 4 years, future owners are the ones out of warranty who will have to pay for any problems. So if you plan to keep a car for the longer term ignore the manufacturer minimum service intervals or 'sealed for life' gearbox oil changes and continue with more traditional service intervals and oil changes.

The original Rover designed R50 BMW MINIs were known for their Rover Midland gearbox failures just outside warranty but owners like myself who changed the R50 MINI gearbox oil on a more regular basis and ignored the 'sealed for life' BMW Dealer instructions usually still have the original gearbox fitted with no bearing failures or grinding noises!

Edited by mab01uk, 26 June 2024 - 10:04 PM.

[cal844]

BMW specialists recommend changing every 50k miles, or 3 years (whichever soonest)

[lsto]

Nothing is built to last, as above any manufacturer just wants it to get past the warranty then the customer to bin it and buy a new one. It's your car, if you feel you should change the oil regularly then go for it, I tend to do all my vehicles engine oils every 6k miles regardless of manufacturer intervals. Gearboxes I tend to do every 50k, so in reality it's still not very often.

[and90cooper]

As well as my classic mini I have a 2005 R53 Cooper S which is modified a little bit, and I usually change the gearbox oil every time I change the engine oil , probably about every 3500 miles or so-it’s such an easy job on the R53 -literally ten mins. I use Honda MTF-3 gearbox oil that