A Mini as a first car ?, any good ??... - Page 2

Lovel · 3rd July 2019, 15:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndyN01

I'm afraid that alone would stop me buying one.

I wonder where it goes and what it damages in the process (assuming it's not in a puddle on the floor)?

Sorry but I'm used to cars (and bikes) that don't drink a drop of oil between their service intervals. I don't think I've needed to top a car up in the last 3 decades. And yes, they are regularly checked even though I "know" they don't use any. They were Japanese cars/bike and a certain German manufacturer who supplied diesel engines to Rover for their 75 range for the other bike

Just me and my choices.

Andy.

I’m unused to any oil useage on all my motors, even my 47 year old V8. Here’s my take on it with the modern engine. On the R56 petrol with Peugeot Citroen engine model there are no puddles of oil or blue smoke etc. In the quest to improve fuel consumption I have heard that tolerances are engineered in which helps reduce friction to improve consumption, however as the miles climb (120k faultless in our case) so the tolerances grow even larger. I believe that for the average car which never sees higher mileages the oil use is negligible between yearly services. What I can tell you about the R56 is that it does not complain it just keeps running no matter what you throw at it as long as your cognisant if the oil story. BTW I don’t suppose you have owned a Mazda rotary then? Try keeping that one topped up with oil.

Darcydog · 3rd July 2019, 15:44

I check my cdti regularly and it never needs topping up. Nor does the Hyundai.

The worst car I had for oil consumption was a company car I had - a Cavalier 2litre Sports hatch - (Opel Monza by another name) - it drank the stuff from new. I got it because another chap had one and rated it very highly - he never had the oil consumption problem I had with mine.

But no puddles and no blue smoke - it kept getting checked but we were told it was normal. In the end I did an oil change in my GT6 every couple of months and used the second hand oil in the Cavalier.

It was using litres of oil every month! Glad to see the back of it after 2 years.

Then had Audi 80 1.8GL’s - three of them in all - wonderful cars.

daveycooper · 3rd July 2019, 19:59

I run a 2008 r55 clubman with the 1.6 peugeot petrol engine. mine is low mileage and also uses oil: as others have said, quite normal for this car. Just make sure there is no timing chain rattle on start up (they all start with a funny ‘squeak’, just make sure not a ‘rattle’. Use the good mobil 1 esp oil. My car has been 100% reliable during two years of ownership

I understand the earlier model from 2000-2005 has a lot of common and annoying problems. But no doubting that it will soon be a classic!

Sdeh · 3rd July 2019, 20:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lovel

My daughter runs a R56 120k miles (1.4 Prince engine), my son a R50 106k miles (1.6 Tritec engine, Joint venture Chrysler/Rover!), and my daily is a F56 3k miles (1.5 BMW B38), they are all petrols. All provide sterling service, apart from the normal brakes, tyres service items etc, there is nothing that goes wrong with them.

The R56 annoyingly uses approx. 1 pint of oil over 1,000 miles for some reason (same engine in Puegeot, Cirtoens etc of that French ilk). Unfortunately the R56 does not have an oil level warning sensor and my daughter does not check it so I have to keep tabs on that. I don't fully understand what you are trying to say, but I can assure you there is no particular fault with the brake light strip whatever that is, and minis are not anymore expensive than other cars for parts and even if they were even more reason for a visit to my eco friendly scrappy.

I know there’s no brake light strip fault but when the bulb goes it costs hundreds to get a new one

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

AndyN01 · 3rd July 2019, 21:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lovel

.......however as the miles climb (120k faultless in our case) so the tolerances grow even larger. I believe that for the average car which never sees higher mileages the oil use is negligible between yearly services.....

I'm really pleased to hear of a British made car that's made 120K faultless miles.

What are you classing as higher mileages?

I saw 120K for the 1.8 petrol & 100K for the 1.5 petrol Mazda's; 130K for the 2.0 petrol & 110K for the 1.33 petrol Toyotas and 90K for the BMW bike and none of them used a drop of oil.

Andy.

3rd July 2019, 15:44	#12
Darcydog This is my second home Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 5,428 Thanks: 3,123 Thanked 3,170 Times in 2,096 Posts	I check my cdti regularly and it never needs topping up. Nor does the Hyundai. The worst car I had for oil consumption was a company car I had - a Cavalier 2litre Sports hatch - (Opel Monza by another name) - it drank the stuff from new. I got it because another chap had one and rated it very highly - he never had the oil consumption problem I had with mine. But no puddles and no blue smoke - it kept getting checked but we were told it was normal. In the end I did an oil change in my GT6 every couple of months and used the second hand oil in the Cavalier. It was using litres of oil every month! Glad to see the back of it after 2 years. Then had Audi 80 1.8GL’s - three of them in all - wonderful cars.

3rd July 2019, 19:59	#13
daveycooper Avid contributor 75 Saloon Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: newcastle Posts: 150 Thanks: 23 Thanked 23 Times in 16 Posts	I run a 2008 r55 clubman with the 1.6 peugeot petrol engine. mine is low mileage and also uses oil: as others have said, quite normal for this car. Just make sure there is no timing chain rattle on start up (they all start with a funny ‘squeak’, just make sure not a ‘rattle’. Use the good mobil 1 esp oil. My car has been 100% reliable during two years of ownership I understand the earlier model from 2000-2005 has a lot of common and annoying problems. But no doubting that it will soon be a classic!