Hands (and sandwiches) down, this is one of the most clear, concise, and helpful videos on RUclips. Just changed the oil on my wife’s 2013 Roadster Conv. and found that I was able to get to the filter housing a bit easier. Only needed to move the coolant res an inch or so to the right. Still a silly set up. Plus you provided the torque specs which saved time in looking them up. Awesome all the way around. Just wanted to publicly thank you for sharing your knowledge with us backyard mechanics. Thx again!!
Always fun to drive our R59. 7 years of ownership now. 57k miles and it's been a great roadster even on road trips. I do our oil change. Thx for the reminder on how to reset the one. Often forget how to do this. Not the most intuitive...
Great video (still). 65k miles on my 2012 R58 and it is time for a non-dealer oil change. Thanks for the tips and techniques. Very straightforward and easy to understand. I do envy your lift. Lol
What a great video, and all work completed in pink sweater, I’ve seen other videos of the same job with oil all over the car and mechanic. Great job. It’s shows if you take your time after you loosen the filter housing and let it drain back into the engine you don’t get that big mess of oil everywhere. Excellent video
Very good idea to bring this theme forward , a lot of new cars are pretty complicated to work on , even the most simple steps of maintenance are a challenge nowadays
Yeah, it is a shame... BMW bought this engine from Peugeot and it feels like they shoehorned it in over a weekend. Maintenance is a bit of an afterthought... Franny
I have an r58 this video is the one I will watch the next time I change my oil.So glad I can do it myself I was told it was hard on this car but it's not too hard.I notice you used mobile instead of Castrol.
Thank you for an excellent "how to"! I almost always like to do my own car maintenance, and this was needed for an oil change on my recently acquired 2012 Cooper S Roadster. Very nice (both your video and the roadster)!
Love the black marker on the glove trick. Apparently you fooled most viewers. My daughter just bought a similar Mini and guess who gets to change the oil. I'll show her this vid and we will do it together. Thanks.
When I change the oil on my 2012 Roadster, I remove most of the coolant from the expansion tank before moving it. This has two advantages: there isn't a container full of hot water near where I need to put my hands, and if I use fresh coolant when refilling, I'm replacing at least part of the coolant, which isn't a routine maintenance task.
This was by far the best how to video I've seen! Excellent quality and great footage angles. Cool garage setup too. Just not sure what happened in the middle there but now I'm hungry.
This was a pretty good video. My mini did not take as much oil though, but it's also a 2013. Maybe they change the oil sump size. I found getting the oil filter and cap back in was really hard because there's a spring that pushes out on the filter. Took me about a half hour to get that thing lined up.
I have trouble sometimes getting the oil filter cap in place on my 2012 Roadster, though I think that's because I try to fit it horizontally rather than at a slight angle.
HAHA. The lunch break was a riot. Thanks for that. I honestly can't believe how convoluted the oil change is. Getting to that filter for service seems insane. Knowing good and well that the older that coolant tank gets its bound to break. You cant operate the vehicle without it. Seems completely unnecessary, and like its setup to fail. Such a shame. Thank you for the info.
Always wanted to do that bit :) So, about that MINI engine... It wasn't built by BMW, it is a actually a "Prince" engine developed by PSA Peugeot Citroën believe it or not with a little input from BMW... It feels very Euro Car-ey. Hose routing is very strange around the engine and it looks like a 60-80K mile engine. The latest incarnation of the MINI carries a BWM engine. I bet it is the application of this off the shelf engine that makes maintenance a bit weird. That coolant tank will break during an oil change - pretty much guaranteed... Franny
+Tim Gossett want to see a fail? Check out Daniel Hurlbert's channel. The engine on their 2011 MINI blew up just before the hurricane in Houston. Heidi
Ohhh, a PSA (Peugeot Societé Anonime) engine. That explains the dipstick, as BMW dropped it by then. Some older PSA engines can get very high mileage, but given the time this was developed I'm willing to bet sadly this isn't one of them. Also some of the PSA cars can be really a pain to work on. It's not just that this is an of the shelf item that BMW bought for the Mini. I remember replacing an alternator on a friends Peugeot 205. Basically you have the take off a ton of stuff from the top of the engine, then take off the right front wheel and a piece of metal sheeting and you're there. Interesting and time consuming.
Yes, as far as I know there are 3 and 4 cylinder units from BMW. First generation of the new Mini had Chrysler engines. I didn't know the second generation had Peugeot engines, though. Always good to learn. Makes you wonder what they'll use for the fourth generation.
Hi Franny, I didn’t know you could use diesel oil? I wanted 5w40 too but most brands sell as Diesel oil.. any issues using this oil? I use the Castrol 0w40 or LiquiMoly 5w40 and have had great results. Much quieter on startup.
A bit of a tight squeeze, but still pretty straightforward. Those plastic coolant tanks can be a bit of a pain once the material ages indeed. Surprised to see a proper dipstick on this engine. I have a 2007 BMW e92 325i that sadly hasn’t got one. I don’t think you got that particular engine variety in the States, but as far as I know USA BMW’s dropped the dipstick too. Anyway great video!
The thing with that dipstick is that it has to snake so far in a tight tube that by the time you get the end out it is covered with oil from the tube making it almost impossible to read. Porsche dropped them with the 997/987 NA engines. Oil levels are surprisingly hard to monitor is cars. The nice thing about a dipstick is that you can see and smell the oil which can give you a lot of info. Franny
Thanks for yet another informative and fun video! (You managed to make an oil-soaked sandwich look mildly appetizing!) I'm on my second N18 powered MINI (a '14 Clubman S), and had no idea this was such a convoluted task! I love these cars and the character of the engines, but boy they really didn't think the maintenance through at all! I'll be leaving that to the pros, I think! It's a shame too, because these little cars are so fun, but they're like pets- no matter how fun, you know your time with them is limited. Thanks again for the video, and keep up the fun work! If you all do a MINI event sometime in the future, maybe I'll see you there!
Hi Jake, yeah, i guess the saving grace is that they made more than one of them so they are easily replaced ;) They aren't too bad to work on, but I hear stories of them just imploding... Too bad, they are cute and are fun little cars with little competition. We'll let you know if we make a MINI event. Franny
Franny, I'm going to hazard a guess that your gloves were covered in dark food coloring or dark chocolate! I can't imagine eating engine oil! That was so funny, my sides hurt laughing!
@@HeidiandFranny Thanks for the reply. There is one 2015 Roadster R59 which has about 60,000 miles on it, I was thinking of buy it but this time chain issue is scaring me! What is your advice as a mechanic and since you had this car? Should I go ahead and buy it or shall I stay away?
Thank you for the video. I was working on a minicooper and it was a nightmare. Had to remove coolant reservoir, upper amd lower hoses by pulling a clip. Who in the hell burries an oil filter like that?
We change our oil once a year and we live in Colorado with a dry climate and cold and hot temps. We also use it in a couple other cars. We like it. Use the oil that is best for your car and climate. Heidi
Heidi and Franny's Garage great vid! Costco sells 5W-40 LL01 - What is the recommend temperature to use 5W-40? I live in Toronto Canada and is also cold and hot temp.
+mac daddy It's interesting you say that. It means you plan on working on your cars. Just think of 90 percent or more would ever even consider that as part of buying a car, because they will take it to someone else. Heidi
Hands (and sandwiches) down, this is one of the most clear, concise, and helpful videos on RUclips. Just changed the oil on my wife’s 2013 Roadster Conv. and found that I was able to get to the filter housing a bit easier. Only needed to move the coolant res an inch or so to the right. Still a silly set up. Plus you provided the torque specs which saved time in looking them up. Awesome all the way around. Just wanted to publicly thank you for sharing your knowledge with us backyard mechanics. Thx again!!
Yea! I'm really glad you found it helpful :)
One of the best video's I've seen, describing the oil change process on a Mini!
Always fun to drive our R59. 7 years of ownership now. 57k miles and it's been a great roadster even on road trips. I do our oil change. Thx for the reminder on how to reset the one. Often forget how to do this. Not the most intuitive...
Most thorough video on changing oil on Mini! You're the best!
Great video (still). 65k miles on my 2012 R58 and it is time for a non-dealer oil change. Thanks for the tips and techniques. Very straightforward and easy to understand. I do envy your lift. Lol
What a great video, and all work completed in pink sweater, I’ve seen other videos of the same job with oil all over the car and mechanic. Great job. It’s shows if you take your time after you loosen the filter housing and let it drain back into the engine you don’t get that big mess of oil everywhere. Excellent video
Very good idea to bring this theme forward , a lot of new cars are pretty complicated to work on , even the most simple steps of maintenance are a challenge nowadays
Yeah, it is a shame... BMW bought this engine from Peugeot and it feels like they shoehorned it in over a weekend. Maintenance is a bit of an afterthought... Franny
Wow good to know about on how to change oil and no need to go shop anymore thank you so much for this amazing video...
I was searching for my daughter’s mini oil changes. Two Thumbs up !!!! I enjoyed it very much.
I have an r58 this video is the one I will watch the next time I change my oil.So glad I can do it myself I was told it was hard on this car but it's not too hard.I notice you used mobile instead of Castrol.
Thank you for an excellent "how to"! I almost always like to do my own car maintenance, and this was needed for an oil change on my recently acquired 2012 Cooper S Roadster. Very nice (both your video and the roadster)!
Awesome DIY I actually thought I had to have a OBII tester to reset so awesome video and so glad I found you both
Love the black marker on the glove trick. Apparently you fooled most viewers.
My daughter just bought a similar Mini and guess who gets to change the oil. I'll show her this vid and we will do it together. Thanks.
Nice.
Great details and lots of information worth listening to. Thanks for such thorough investigation and instructions. You rock!
Thank you!
When I change the oil on my 2012 Roadster, I remove most of the coolant from the expansion tank before moving it. This has two advantages: there isn't a container full of hot water near where I need to put my hands, and if I use fresh coolant when refilling, I'm replacing at least part of the coolant, which isn't a routine maintenance task.
This was by far the best how to video I've seen! Excellent quality and great footage angles. Cool garage setup too.
Just not sure what happened in the middle there but now I'm hungry.
LOL! Glad you enjoyed it :)
Good job now I can attempt myself
Thats my kind of mechanic ! Dont know how many times i done that .eat on the run . Great video
Lol. We were being silly. Glad you liked finding that!
This was a pretty good video. My mini did not take as much oil though, but it's also a 2013. Maybe they change the oil sump size.
I found getting the oil filter and cap back in was really hard because there's a spring that pushes out on the filter. Took me about a half hour to get that thing lined up.
I have trouble sometimes getting the oil filter cap in place on my 2012 Roadster, though I think that's because I try to fit it horizontally rather than at a slight angle.
HAHA. The lunch break was a riot. Thanks for that. I honestly can't believe how convoluted the oil change is. Getting to that filter for service seems insane. Knowing good and well that the older that coolant tank gets its bound to break. You cant operate the vehicle without it. Seems completely unnecessary, and like its setup to fail. Such a shame. Thank you for the info.
Always wanted to do that bit :) So, about that MINI engine... It wasn't built by BMW, it is a actually a "Prince" engine developed by PSA Peugeot Citroën believe it or not with a little input from BMW... It feels very Euro Car-ey. Hose routing is very strange around the engine and it looks like a 60-80K mile engine. The latest incarnation of the MINI carries a BWM engine. I bet it is the application of this off the shelf engine that makes maintenance a bit weird. That coolant tank will break during an oil change - pretty much guaranteed... Franny
+Tim Gossett want to see a fail? Check out Daniel Hurlbert's channel. The engine on their 2011 MINI blew up just before the hurricane in Houston. Heidi
Ohhh, a PSA (Peugeot Societé Anonime) engine. That explains the dipstick, as BMW dropped it by then. Some older PSA engines can get very high mileage, but given the time this was developed I'm willing to bet sadly this isn't one of them. Also some of the PSA cars can be really a pain to work on. It's not just that this is an of the shelf item that BMW bought for the Mini. I remember replacing an alternator on a friends Peugeot 205. Basically you have the take off a ton of stuff from the top of the engine, then take off the right front wheel and a piece of metal sheeting and you're there. Interesting and time consuming.
+Freerk de Ruiter it's my understanding that the newer MINIs have dropped this engine and now have a BMW engine. Heidi
Yes, as far as I know there are 3 and 4 cylinder units from BMW. First generation of the new Mini had Chrysler engines. I didn't know the second generation had Peugeot engines, though. Always good to learn. Makes you wonder what they'll use for the fourth generation.
Hi Franny, I didn’t know you could use diesel oil? I wanted 5w40 too but most brands sell as Diesel oil.. any issues using this oil? I use the Castrol 0w40 or LiquiMoly 5w40 and have had great results. Much quieter on startup.
We used it because of its high zinc content. The LiqiMoly is great oil too.
A bit of a tight squeeze, but still pretty straightforward. Those plastic coolant tanks can be a bit of a pain once the material ages indeed. Surprised to see a proper dipstick on this engine. I have a 2007 BMW e92 325i that sadly hasn’t got one. I don’t think you got that particular engine variety in the States, but as far as I know USA BMW’s dropped the dipstick too. Anyway great video!
The thing with that dipstick is that it has to snake so far in a tight tube that by the time you get the end out it is covered with oil from the tube making it almost impossible to read. Porsche dropped them with the 997/987 NA engines. Oil levels are surprisingly hard to monitor is cars. The nice thing about a dipstick is that you can see and smell the oil which can give you a lot of info. Franny
Today the items we'll need is: a torque wrench, two slices of bread, a hex socket, mustard, rubber O ring, cheese, 5 litres of oil and some mayo.
I knew I left something out! f
Thanks for yet another informative and fun video! (You managed to make an oil-soaked sandwich look mildly appetizing!) I'm on my second N18 powered MINI (a '14 Clubman S), and had no idea this was such a convoluted task! I love these cars and the character of the engines, but boy they really didn't think the maintenance through at all! I'll be leaving that to the pros, I think! It's a shame too, because these little cars are so fun, but they're like pets- no matter how fun, you know your time with them is limited. Thanks again for the video, and keep up the fun work! If you all do a MINI event sometime in the future, maybe I'll see you there!
Hi Jake, yeah, i guess the saving grace is that they made more than one of them so they are easily replaced ;) They aren't too bad to work on, but I hear stories of them just imploding... Too bad, they are cute and are fun little cars with little competition. We'll let you know if we make a MINI event. Franny
jakedrivesfast OMG. I love the pet comparison. So true! Heidi
Franny, I'm going to hazard a guess that your gloves were covered in dark food coloring or dark chocolate! I can't imagine eating engine oil! That was so funny, my sides hurt laughing!
We tried! Glad you laughed.
Very informative, do you have one on changing the fuel filter on the Roadster?
Excellent video
Thanks, good and easy
I admire you very much.
Outstanding video, very informative, helped a lot, thanks
Thanks for the video. What is the status of your Roadster engine now? Have you had to change the "Timing chain" on it yet?
We sold that car over five years ago.
@@HeidiandFranny Thanks for the reply. There is one 2015 Roadster R59 which has about 60,000 miles on it, I was thinking of buy it but this time chain issue is scaring me! What is your advice as a mechanic and since you had this car? Should I go ahead and buy it or shall I stay away?
Sorry, I just saw this. Did you buy the car? If you want our opinion, you need to contact us on our current website, Heidi and Franny sailing.
Great, detailed video! Thank you so much!
Great videos!
Thanks Franny for the video. Made changing the oil a walk in the park.
Oh that great! Glad it was helpful :)
Your always so busy ! Leave the car's open a bottle of wine or two and relax!
I'll try to schedule that in ;) Thanks, Franny
Good let Heidi do abit more !
good job , thanks
Well done. Greetings from Germany :)
Sharp franny except for healthy sandwich next time greasy burger (w dripping) .....lolll all the best guy s SoulDave
...Well, we did add a bit of grease so, maybe that counts? Thanks, f
I have a 2014 roadster S. Do you know if they are same with the engine and placement of the filter?
I think so. The roadsters had very few modifications for such a short run. Check the forums if in doubt.
Heidi and Franny's Garage
Thanks so much
Thank you for the video. I was working on a minicooper and it was a nightmare. Had to remove coolant reservoir, upper amd lower hoses by pulling a clip. Who in the hell burries an oil filter like that?
I know, right?? No idea why it has to be that convoluted...
Fab
Thanks so much!! Franny
Surprised you didn't wash that sandwich down with some 5w 30.
Hmmm...vehicles specifies 5w30....your video shows you added Mobil 1 5w40. Why?
We change our oil once a year and we live in Colorado with a dry climate and cold and hot temps. We also use it in a couple other cars. We like it. Use the oil that is best for your car and climate. Heidi
Heidi and Franny's Garage great vid! Costco sells 5W-40 LL01 - What is the recommend temperature to use 5W-40? I live in Toronto Canada and is also cold and hot temp.
I think the Mini/BMW spec oil is LL04 now. At least it is in the UK.
This video convinced me to never buy that car. What a pain.
+mac daddy It's interesting you say that. It means you plan on working on your cars. Just think of 90 percent or more would ever even consider that as part of buying a car, because they will take it to someone else. Heidi