Maintenance time?

1 bucket rinseless washing was a game changer for me.

 

UGH thanks for reminding me. I haven’t washed mine since before I left for Australia and I’ve been back two weeks. It’s mostly bugs, which bothers me more than just dust.

 

It's hard to keep the Mini clean when one drives by two gravel quarries every day. The constant truck travel brings both gravel and dust on the road. I could wash the car every day and it would still be dusty.

 

Sorry to say that I only had it for a day and didn't get the chance to give it a proper test around my local roundabout. I was able to see if I could make them squeal accelerating out of a right turn (dry road), and it was quite easy. I haven't heard my Indys squeal, yet, after about 5k mi. The Hankooks performed well for around 19k mi, but not nearly as grippy as the Indys.

When I got home from the dealer, I noticed this:

My front emblem was sitting in the tray underneath my armrest. Apparently, they knocked it off and didn't bother to tape it back on (held on by double sided tape).

 

Geez

 

I massage non-oem blades for my R53 until they do lay flat. Overdo it, they lift elsewhere.

 

My dealer called to tell me it's time to change the battery coolant in my 2021 MINI Cooper SE with 17K miles. Then they told me it takes so long that I'll have to leave my SE overnight. This what what they told me after first saying I need an oil change. My confidence level in their recommendations is very low.

Does anyone know what scheduled maintenance MINI specifies for the SE? Has anyone on this forum had their SE's battery coolant changed?

 

I have not heard about this being a required service, and this does not appear to be something MINI actually recommends.

The 2021 MINI Maintenance book (https://www.miniusa.com/content/dam/mini/PDF/warranties/2021_MINI_Maintenance.pdf) identifies antifreeze/coolant for engines as a "long‐term rated fluid" where "replacement is only necessary when repairs are being performed (unless otherwise noted)" at the bottom of page 3. All subsequent mentions of coolant only talks about checking the level and topping up if needed. And here is the additional work required specifically for the SE on page 11:

I think your dealership's service department is trying to generate profit for themselves.

 

Thank you @MichaelC!

I just sent a long email to Motor City MINI referring them to that online MINI Maintenance document you linked and claimed that none of the hundreds of MINI Cooper SE owners with whom I communicate frequently have had their coolant replaced.

At the end of my email:

Can you identify a MINI document that supercedes this online MINI Maintenance document with different information about replacing the coolant in a MINI Cooper SE? If so, can you send me a list of the additional suggested maintenance procedures and when they should be performed? The online MINI Maintenance document is the only reference MINI has made available to the public as far as I know.

What I've read about the MINI Cooper SE indicates the only required preventative maintenance for this car is to replace the brake fluid every 2 years because glycol-ether brake fluid is hygroscopic and could possibly bond with water in that time frame.

The suggested maintenance checks on the included charging cord and checks for charging-port corrosion I can perform myself.

Thank you.

 

My dealer did NOT change my battery coolant at my two-year service, with almost 20,000 miles. They checked the brake fluid, changed the cabin air filter, checked the tires (wearing out way too fast), downloaded the new software, and did a nifty video of their inspection. And, at my request, they replaced all three wipers. All in about two hours.

 

Right or wrong, I've always believed that when you buy a vehicle, you're buying based on the reputation of the brand. After you get it and visit the service department, it's a product of the dealership that you are left with. It's not at all the same. Servicing that needs to be redone, servicing performed which is not required, getting your car back in worse shape than when you turned it over to them. Sometimes you are actually valued as a customer. Finally, when it's time for a change, how you and the car are treated by the dealership reflects back on the brand. If the dealership does their job well, you come back. If not, it's a good possibility that you will not only not go back to the dealership, but you go to another brand altogether.

I have not as yet had the pleasure of dealing with the service dept for the mini here, so we will see!

 

Since I've got over 67,000 miles on Météore, I'm way past the warranty period. At no time has my dealer ever mentioned battery coolant replacement. I actually had my 2-year service and my 30,000 service at the same time because I hit it at the same time, and all that was done was exactly what @revorg had done.

 

We just completed our 1st s ervice maintenance at 11,362km. They replaced the brake fluid, the micro filter, inspected the tyres (they said tyres on the MINI don’t get rotated bec they are evenly worn) and they replace the 12v battery box lid, apparently there was a recall, see attached.

Really love our dealership, they dropped me off at the house when I dropped the SE this morning and they delivered the SE to the house after the service maintenance, now that is service.

 

That's the Kiwi spirit! Having sailed there in '95 I got to spend 18 months in your lovely country, the nicest most helpful people I've ever come across.

 

Lol I just picked up a VM, it was a very bored-sounding service advisor reading from a script that they noted my car is due for its scheduled maintenance. So brainless. My car is 13 months old with less than 8000 miles on it.

 

Always good to hear a positive dealer experience! There are no dealers near me, so I will be curious to see what happens when service time comes around



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They will call you. Which is very impressive in this day and age of minimal customer service. I have been extremely impressed with the local Tucson MINI service center.




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If you're extremely impressed, I'm guessing your service center didn't call to tell you it's time for an oil-change like my dealer did.