Some routine service actions such as changing the engine unit oil may seem obvious and essential, while others such as changing the gearbox oil from its Mini Cooper may appear to be less automatic. However, produce no mistake, changing the gearbox is just as essential as changing the engine unit oil. This guideline will show you the function of the gearbox oil, then, why it is necessary to replace the gearbox of your Mini Cooper, and finally, how to replace the gearbox oil of a Mini Cooper .

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Purpose of gearbox oil on a Mini Cooper

So we start our guideline with the function of gearbox oil on a Mini Cooper. The objective of this short introduction is to produce you understand the interest of this fluid which ensures the good working of your car. The gearbox of your car has the mission to demultiply the power transferred by the engine unit and send it back to your wheels . It is made up of pinions and gears that will allow the wheels to rotate at different speeds depending on the curves and the gear engaged. It will function with the help of an axle and a differential. All these parts will need to be highly lubricate to function accurately, limit friction and tolerate the high temperatures generated by the engine unit and friction. Your transmission oil has a high viscosity and will prevent the formation of filings or gear breakage, so it is necessary to the proper working of the gearbox.

Why changing the gearbox oil from a Mini Cooper?

Now we’ll find out what’s the point of draining the gearbox oil of your Mini Cooper?

Benefit of gearbox oil changing Mini Cooper

There are some interests to replace the gearbox of your car regularly, we will list them and outline them below:

  • After a while, the oil will lose its viscosity due to friction and temperature rise, which will cause less lubrication of the gears and pinions and therefore risk to break some of them.
  • Same as viscosity, time and temperature rise will reduce the oil resistance to the engine unit temperature, So it will fluidize much more easily when the engine heats up, which is not good for your gearbox.
  • Accumulation of metallic residues: Finally, regardless if you always have a quality oil, a gearbox is an component that wears out and creates iron filings with friction, the oil will pick them up and if it accumulates too much these residues can get into gears and break them.

When to do the gearbox oil replace on a Mini Cooper?

If you want to do an automatic or manual gearbox oil change on Mini Cooper or strong> the procedure is not similar, however, dealers do not give mileage suggestions to replace the oil in your gearbox, nevertheless when you do an intervention on the gearbox it is wise to replace it, otherwise here are the reasons to produce you take into consideration doing this oil replace.

Oil replace for manual gearbox Mini Cooper

  • Gears are jumping: you are likely missing oil and you may possibly have a gearbox oil leak, please find out our article on gearbox leaks on Mini Cooper for more information.
  • The gearbox cracks when you switch gears: The oil has undoubtedly lost viscosity and is too fluid, so the gears get stuck.
  • Difficulty to shift gears: Same issue as just before, the oil is absolutely too fluid.

Automatic gearbox oil replace

  • A slow start from the neutral position to the first one: often a viscosity issue.
  • Difficulty or even impossibility to shift gears: Lack of oil

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How to replace gearbox oil of a Mini Cooper?

Finally, to end this article, we will show you you how to empty the gearbox oil of your Mini Cooper , it’s much easier than you might think, here are the few guidelines to stick to to do it accurately:

  • Heat your Mini Cooper for about 10 minutes to get a fluid oil, place it flat on 4 stands.
  • Install a drain pan under the drain plug, open it, and clean it well because it will likely gather filings.
  • Let all the oil run out until it’s all gone.
  • Replace and tighten the cap, then fill with a syringe through the filler cap with the manufacturer’s suggested dose

To get more tips on the Mini Cooper, take a look at the Mini Cooper category.