11 replies to this topic

[jamiegjib]

i have a 97 MPI and i was just wandering how much oil should it be using? i have to top it up every week or so, is this normal? i am using it as an every day car just to make things easier.
also, what would be the best oil to use?
manufactures recomendation is 10w40 but a few people have mentioned 20w50? and if so what brand?

[BennerW]

Mine Has used virtual nothing from may time, the oil is still very clear aswell when you look on the dipstick. My engines has apprently done 137000 miles aswell but I reckon its been rebuilt, Im not sure on what oil I use aswell.

Ben

[miniman retford]

I use 10/40 in my 2000 mpi & i change it every 6000 miles & very rarely have to top it up in between

[WiredbyWilson]

Halfords or Comma 20/50 is all I would ever use in ANY mini. They are all the same design at the end of the day and most 20/50 mineral oils are cat safe now.

[jamiegjib]

I use 10/40 in my 2000 mpi & i change it every 6000 miles & very rarely have to top it up in between

ok thanks, mine seems to be using a hell of a lot of oil then! there are no leaks when the engine is off, and its not burning it, my only thought is i that it may be being forced out with oil pressure when its running, but i cant seem to find where, ill keep an eye on it!
cheers guys

[miniman retford]

I use 10/40 in my 2000 mpi & i change it every 6000 miles & very rarely have to top it up in between

ok thanks, mine seems to be using a hell of a lot of oil then! there are no leaks when the engine is off, and its not burning it, my only thought is i that it may be being forced out with oil pressure when its running, but i cant seem to find where, ill keep an eye on it!
cheers guys

If its leaking from somewhere while driving you should still be able to see traces under the car on the floor or in the engine bay.

[jamiegjib]

I use 10/40 in my 2000 mpi & i change it every 6000 miles & very rarely have to top it up in between

ok thanks, mine seems to be using a hell of a lot of oil then! there are no leaks when the engine is off, and its not burning it, my only thought is i that it may be being forced out with oil pressure when its running, but i cant seem to find where, ill keep an eye on it!
cheers guys

If its leaking from somewhere while driving you should still be able to see traces under the car on the floor or in the engine bay.

thats what i would have thought, but from what i can see on the garage floor, theres nothing, the front of the block is quite dirty and oily, ill give it a really good clean up and then see if i can spot where it is coming from

[bmcecosse]

It IS burning it - quite normal. Use 20W50 - doesn't need to be fancy/expensive stuff - ASDA/Morrisons own brand is fine. Good idea to change oil and filter regularly though - and make sure the breather pipes are clear because high crankcase pressure pushes oil up past the rings - and then it gets burned.

[1977 Loud_Mini]

My mini is the same, i have to top the oil up every week at least and most times if i go on quite a long journey. I've had 3 engines which were exactly the same.

[Guess-Works.com]

if it's not dripping it, then suggests it's burning it... and much against my better judgement, it's worth trying 20/50 just to see if it cuts down on the burn rate...

It may also be worth hooking the car up to a gas analyser to see what the emissions are like an if there's any evidence of the oil that way...

There's not many places oil can disappear to... it's usually on the floor or out the exhaust pipe.

[rwerry]

In the early days of Minis 250 miles to the pint was considered acceptable. I have an Autocar road test for a Mini from the late 60s that reported 250 miles per pint consumption on a new engine!

Obviously, oils have improved since then and so has the degree of precision in engine manufacture/rebuild. I would say that anything worse than 250 miles per pint on any A series engine is a good indication of the need for a major overhaul.

[jimmyH]

Ha thats like a 2 stroke mini !