# Mini Cooper Oil Change Warning Light **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** mini, cooper\ **Created:** [January 11, 2014, 12:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-cooper-oil-change-warning-light/83086 "2014-01-11T00:47:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ibekarl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ea5d25/32.png) [@ibekarl](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ibekarl)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2014, 12:47am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-cooper-oil-change-warning-light/83086/1 "2014-01-11T00:47:47Z")
I am considering buying a 2011 Mini Cooper. One of the issues I’m wondering about is that I have been told that the Oil Change Warning Light has to be re-set by a dealership. I don’t need the light because I always change oil at 3 K regardless of what anyone or thing says, but I don’t want to have to pay the dealer to re-set an annoying light. Right now I’m driving an '06 Civic and I can reset that myself (it’s not a light, just shows percentage of usage). The other issue, b/t/w is what to do about a spare tire since I don’t plan to pay for new run-flats. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2014, 1:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-cooper-oil-change-warning-light/83086/2 "2014-01-11T01:00:14Z")
I seriously doubt that you need the dealer to reset the oil change light. There should be a right-up in your owners manual on how to do this. ---
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2014, 5:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-cooper-oil-change-warning-light/83086/3 "2014-01-11T05:11:32Z")
You can either throw an extra tire and wheel in the car or just replace the run-flats with similar tires. Or never get a flat. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2014, 6:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-cooper-oil-change-warning-light/83086/4 "2014-01-11T06:18:01Z")
Phone up a Mini dealer service dept and ask them if you can reset it by yourself. I expect they’ll be happy to help you with this, provided you don’t ask at 4 pm on a Friday. Call up early in the day on a Monday. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2014, 9:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-cooper-oil-change-warning-light/83086/5 "2014-01-11T09:16:09Z")
Many of these small european “fun” cars tend to be high maintenance. And a lot of them aren’t even very reliable Hope you know what you’re getting yourself into ---
**Author:** ![knfenimore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9fc348/32.png) [@knfenimore](https://community.cartalk.com/u/knfenimore)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2014, 8:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-cooper-oil-change-warning-light/83086/6 "2014-01-11T20:50:18Z")
Directions to reset the Bi-annual, brake or oil service. ---
**Author:** ![ibekarl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ea5d25/32.png) [@ibekarl](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ibekarl)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2014, 3:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-cooper-oil-change-warning-light/83086/7 "2014-01-12T03:31:27Z")
Great! Thanks for that video knfenimore! ---
**Author:** ![ibekarl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ea5d25/32.png) [@ibekarl](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ibekarl)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 5:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-cooper-oil-change-warning-light/83086/8 "2014-01-16T17:52:23Z")
I checked and the video above and also another one on same topic are on Youtube, which is convenient, because I have a Youtube video downloader. So I now have both on a thumbdrive. ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 8:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-cooper-oil-change-warning-light/83086/9 "2014-01-16T20:45:13Z")
It would t be cheaper if u paid for dealer oil changes only when change oil light told you to do it vs your 3k mile routine. ---
**Author:** ![ibekarl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ea5d25/32.png) [@ibekarl](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ibekarl)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 9:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-cooper-oil-change-warning-light/83086/10 "2014-01-17T21:37:58Z")
Might be cheaper in the short run, but I don’t trust that long oil change business. I think it’s driven by the desire to please customers w/ less maintenance, not by the desire to take the best care of the engine. When I buy a car I want it to last 250 k. ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 11:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/mini-cooper-oil-change-warning-light/83086/11 "2014-01-17T23:37:24Z")
Oils have improved greatly since 3000 miles was the norm (I remember when it was less than 3000!) Consider 5000 miles. It’s still pretty conservative compared to the 10,000 miles BMW would probably suggest without the OLM system.