I own a 2004 Mini Cooper (it’s green with a white roof, in case you need a visual). It’s awesome. The problem is, when i got it i got THREE completely different answers to when i should change my synthetic oil. The guy that sold it to me, a Mini owner himself, said every 10,000 miles. My mechanic said “yeah, every 10,000 miles only if you want to destroy your engine” and instead recommended more like 5,000 miles. A third person, who i don’t even remember, told me 5-10,000 miles. I don’t have a service manual, which would presumably have the answer, and my feeble attempts to track one down have failed. Does anyone know definitively when I should change my oil? And, in addition to mileage is there a time recommendation? I only put about 10,000 miles on my car each year. Is it ok to only change my oil once a year? Thanks!
Owner’s manual and other books for your 2004 Mini:
http://www.books4cars.com/listings.php?findmake=Mini&model=%&year=2004&type=%
The mechanic who said you would destroy your engine is more correct. The environment and driving conditions have a lot to do with this issue.
If you do a lot of extended driving (highway, etc.) then 5k miles is fine. If your driving is mostly of the short hop type (2-5 miles at a time) with little highway use then every 3k miles or 3/4 months is best.
The issue you have now is that you bought a car from someone who is clueless about this issue and was doing the wrong thing maintenance-wise.
I second ok4550’s suggestions about oil changes. The extra expense of an oil change every 3-5k vs. 10k is small change compared to replacing an engine.
I believe the Mini has an Oil Life Monitor (OLM). I have a similar OLM in a 2010 Cobalt. My commute is semi-rural, ~10-11 miles with 3 to 5 stops. According to the OLM the Cobalt can go 9k between changes. Based on that, I’m extending the oil change interval from 4 to 5k. I’m not comfortable with a longer interval. I put about 10k a year on the car also. An extra oil change a year is worth the peace of mind.
Whatever you decide to do, get into the habit of checking the fluid levels (oil, coolant, transmission, etc) under the hood on a regular basis. There are too many posts about engines ruined through lack of oil. More often than not, the OPs were not in the habit of checking the oil between changes.
If you have a trusted independent mechanic, follow his suggestions and your Mini should have a long, happy life.
Ed B.
You need to make a better attempt to find a manual. How else will you know to do the other maintenance that needs to be done?
Thanks for the advice Ed. I’ve gone with my mechanic’s advice so far and he’s never steered me wrong, I was just curious if there are people out there that know more about Minis specifically, since he’s an independent who hasn’t dealt with them a lot.
You can also get electronic copies of original owner’s manuals on eBay for low $$. Here’s one for your Mini:
Thanks. I do have one of those, but it hasn’t been very helpful. Luckily I’m skilled enough to figure out how to operate my wipers on my own 
One other note is that when you get your oil changed, expect to pay more. Your Mini uses a specific type of synthetic oil, and those specs must be met to preserve your engine. Your owner’s manual should tell you what those specs are, and what to look for on the oil container to make sure you are using the right stuff. It will have a BMW service number on it (Yes, your Mini is a BMW, a specialty luxury car, not an econobox. The oil is expensive, but is a requirement for this car).
Yeah, definitely aware it’s more expensive and that it’s a BMW, but i try not to let it go to Mini’s head. Thanks!
The main issue now is that the person you bought the car from was screwing up. Going to a different oil change regimen now may or may not be meaningless.
You did not state the mileage on the vehicle but what I would do is run an oil pressure test and a compression test. The results of those tests could determine whether you need to consider bailing out on this car or not.
People routinely bail out on a car if a problem has surfaced or is likely to surface; without telling the prospective buyer of course.
Since it is a luxury car, when you change that oil at 5,000 miles, which is a good guess until you find out, get a sample bottle from Blackstones, and send them a sample. If you can afford a luxury car, you can pay for a lab test, though they only run around $30.
Frankly, most postings here are guessing, based on the person’s own decision making process and prejudices.
When you get the report, it will tell you a lot about the motor’s condition, and also will let you calculate how often the oil needs to be changed.
You are lucky you only got three answers on oil changes. On this thread, you often get a lot more.
Personally, and this is a prejudice of my own, beware, I find it highly unlikely you need to change good synthetic every 5,000 miles unless you only take short trips all the time. My Sienna still had plenty of use left FOR MY DRIVING PATTERN at 8800 miles, with Mobil-1 EP. That was at well over 160,000 miles.
Changing it only for peace of mind makes sense only when you are guessing when it needs to be changed. Oil testing gives real peace of mind.
Test your oil WHEN you change it, and find out for yourself when it needs to be changed next time. Do be aware that winter conditions may be harder on oil.
If you live in the snow belt, I would not suggest changing it only once a year. If you do, change it in spring, after winter use.
It is true that changing it too often is still cheaper than a new motor.
If that thing has an automatic, be sure to service it as often as every 30,000 miles. Owner’s manuals do not normally mention this.
Luxury car? Maybe if you live in India or Africa, but last time I checked, the Mini is smaller than my old Civic was.
If you haven’t already, I’d go ahead and change the oil now and ship it off for a used oil analysis like irlandes said. This should help determine how well the previous owner(s) cared for the car.
Change it every 5000 miles and sleep soundly…Change it every 10,000 and the NEXT owner (if any) will tell you how THAT strategy worked…
I just bought my self a new well new to me a 04 mini cooper 5 speed with 67,000 miles. I also wonder the same question. As the service manual says to change the oil at least once a year. And when I changed the oil which was last week I did a computer reset on the service light. It reset to change your oil st 15,500 miles. So either there is some conflicting answers here or it really can go about a year before another oil change. Except for the original poster how many of you own a mini and can vouch to the information in this thread?
Many European automobiles have very large oil sumps. That means there is a lot more oil to degrade before the additives are depleted. Additive depletion is the biggest reason for oil degradation. BMW is known for large oil sumps and Mini is built by BMW. Even in a car this old, BMW may have used large oil sumps.
Either go by that or if it makes you feel better do it every 6 months. After all it is 14 years old and unless you know the complete service history that may what has been done in the past.