Would this put you off car purchase...w
 

OK, state of play. Have been interested in a 14 plate mini one d, base spec, 1.5 BMW triple, One owner, looks immaculate. Went for a test drive today and when we finally accessed the cars service history, all John Clark mini Aberdeen, it had missed it's first service, ie hadn't seen a service till 26k miles...?

It has had all subsequent services yearly, on dot, at 31k and 37k and now sits on 41k miles. I would be keeping car for five years, really, and will likely put 100k miles on it. Is that missing first service as big an issue as am making it, or would the subsequent services have picked up any unresolved problems.

Reason am asking is it is spec and colour I wanted, base spec, small wheels, One owner, just came off a cherished number.

Advice greatly appreciated.

Just my thoughts are the car is 5 years old, so guessing it is now out of the warranty period, so the missing service won't have any impact there. I would have thought that if anything was seriously amiss then it would have been picked up on all the other services. Seems to have low mileages between each of the other services. Will the missing service have any impact further on, I guess no one can really say.

If you are happy in all other respects I think I would be inclined to go for it. Maybe try a bit of hmmming and aaaaaring in respect of the missing service to try and get a few £££££'s off.

I have never owned such a new car and have always operated on the premise it's easy to walk away, there are lots of used cars around. But with minis it is very hard to find just what you are looking for given the propensity of owners to personalize them, and on the face of it it looks to be a nice car, even alloys are unkerbed. Will throw them a silly offer most likely.

Checking online it appears many minis have missed first services as they operate on a ridiculous CBS, condition based system. The car monitors your driving, fluid levels, quality etc, and it is reputed to be quite normal to get to 18-20k miles without an oil change, and many cars have had their first service at two years old because of this (ridiculous?) system. Maybe an just getting old but surely a car should be serviced at a given mileage not dependent on ten Bob sensors?

You might be getting old Gbn but thats no excuse for not moving with the times, :tounge_smile:

Ten Bob sensors, like it :laughing-smiley-018

You are certainly doing your homework regarding your proposed purchase. Has this latest find alleviated any of your concerns?

Makes me wonder if the younger members of the forum are thinking "What is a Bob sensor and why do you need 10 of them"

Why, a set mileage was only the best available estimate in times gone by, due to the different driving styles and uses was far from accurately determining a car's need for a service. Indeed it was more of a guess as to the need than sensors.

Of course the setting of the sensors is a different discussion.

Personally I wouldn't be put off buying it because of the first service, although I would question if a diesel mini is the wisest choice for 20k miles pa.:teeth_smile:

Best of luck with your decision.

In a word Yes.

Works van was 6k overdue it's first service because the lease company insisted it had not done the milage despite the 10 bob sensor saying it needed oil change. It needed a new turbo before 100kg
This is a BMW a company that biuld engines with a propensity to eat turbos, read the 3 series forums. If you can stomach the cost of a new turbo and like the car take a chance but I would find another car or differing make if they are all the same.

Paul.

Modern oils etc will last far longer than they recommend to change them, it’s been well looked after since. It’s a second hand car, in the spec you want and by the sounds of it the right money....I wouldn’t be concerned. I’ve bought cars with missing service details, never been an issue; you can tell if it’s been looked after with all the other metrics.

If you’re a rivet counter and think you can find another you like, walk away; if not go for it. Whether it had the first service or not isn’t going to stop a poorly produced component like a turbo from going at X time.

I had a mini cooper new in 2007. I had done 17,000 mls and it was not due the first service for another 6 months.

Although I probably didn't need to, I changed the oil and filter myself, as I reckoned it would have done at least 25,000 mls before the first service.

With new oils and engine technology it would have been ok to leave it, but it made me feel better !

Iain