Why Should You Change Your MINI’s Engine Oil at Regular Intervals?

Many drivers know to keep their engine oil topped up, but many don’t think about the benefits of changing it out entirely after regular intervals.

While MINIs are well-known and well-regarded as some of the most reliable cars on the market, even this pocket powerhouse isn’t immune to the consequences of neglected engine oil. Let’s look at why engine oil is so important and why changing it out at regular intervals is essential.

The Purpose of Engine Oil

Engine oil is needed to keep the moving parts of your engine well-lubricated. This lubrication is needed to help make parts last longer by preventing them from grinding against one another. It also helps parts from seizing or becoming stuck in one position.

Engine oil also helps reduce engine temperatures. When parts grind against one another, they create heat energy known as friction. While the heat that is produced may seem minor, multiply that for each moving part in your engine and add the heat already produced by combusting fuel, and your MINI is set to overheat. Put simply, the importance of engine oil is definitely something which should be properly maintained at all times.

Benefits of Changing your Oil at Regular Intervals

Aside from avoiding the worst-case scenario of overheating and/or total engine failure, swapping out your engine oil at regular intervals also has some great benefits for you and your MINI.

1. Squeaky Clean Engine

As mentioned, engine oil circulates through your engine. Its components are coated and well-lubricated, allowing them to perform with ideal functionality. However, parts will naturally wear down over time, and dirt and grime can enter the engine system too. What this means is that each time the engine oil makes a circuit of the engine, it collects whatever specks of dirt, dust, and metal shavings it comes across like a big sponge. Over time, this means that the oil becomes thick with contaminants. This makes it become sticky and prevents it from cycling properly your engine. If you keep on top of oil changes, however, you can completely avoid this situation.

2. Protects All Parts

Well-maintained engine oil can keep an engine purring. In fact, keeping your oil in top form can extend the lifespan of your engine and retain its high performance for as long as possible. By preventing moving parts for grinding against one another, the oil also extends the lifespan of the connecting rods, crankshaft, and camshaft, components which must be kept in excellent condition for your Mini to perform its duty. Also, by helping to keep heat levels down, the engine oil also looks after the delicate electronic systems found under the hood.

3. Peak Fuel Efficiency

In order for your MINI to achieve the peak miles per gallon advertised in your owner’s manual, it needs all parts to be in perfect condition. If the engine is gummed up with engine oil sludge, or parts are grinding together and creating friction, then this mileage estimate isn’t going to happen. In fact, by forcing your engine to work harder in poor conditions, you’re actually encouraging it to guzzle fuel to help give it the power it needs to make up the shortfalls. This will cost you far more in refueling than regular oil changes ever will.

4. Avoid Emissions Test Failure

While expired oil isn’t the be-all-and-end-all regarding emissions test failure, it can have a large part to play in whether you get the green light. Oil sludge causes a buildup of hydrocarbons in the engine system. These find their way into the crankcase and out of this exhaust. The environmental impacts of your car are measured through hydrocarbon emissions, meaning that if your oil is causing an excess, your MINI will likely fail the test.

5. You Get the Best out of your Engine

As we said at the start of this article, treat your car right and it will treat you right in return. Expired oil directly impacts engine performance, so it should be avoided if you want to hit the road in a well-maintained MINI which will give you amazing driving experiences.

Visit Mike Johns Imports

If you drive a MINI in the communities of Crestwood, Hurstbourne, Jeffersontown, Louisville, St. Matthews, or Jeffersonville, IN, visit our team of Mini experts at Mike John Imports for your next oil change, servicing, or maintenance needs.