MINI Cooper R50 - R53 Automatic Transmission Fluid and Filter Replacement

A number of major automobile manufacturers claim that they have developed transmissions that require no fluid changes. The fluid inside is considered to be "lifetime" oil, meaning that it never needs to be changed. Over the years, it seems that this may have been an overly ambitious claim. Officially, MINI has specified that the Aisin GA6F21 transmission is "sealed for life." This means that MINI has not specified a fluid or filter change interval.
There seems to be a couple of different schools of thought when it comes to "lifetime" oil. Some people have said that you don't want to change the oil in the transmission because the lowered viscosity of the new fluid can dislodge particles of dirt inside the transmission, clogging the new filter in a matter of miles. Other people will say that there are friction modifiers in the new fluid that are not compatible with the transmission. This article is written with the do-it-yourselfer in mind, for those who have determined that the transmission fluid must be changed. Keep in mind that this article is specific for MINI Cooper S models with the 6-speed Agitronic transmission. This is the transmission that has the shift paddles behind the steering wheel. (MINI Cooper models use the GACVT16Z CVT transmission.) Typically, you'll want to change the fluid every 50,000 miles or so along with the filter in the transmission.
In this article, we will go over the steps involved with draining out the old transmission fluid, changing the filter and adding new fluid. The first step is to jack the car up and secure it on jackstands. Please refer to our article on "jacking up your car" for more info. You should also lay a painting tarp under the car. I can almost guarantee you WILL get messy and fluid WILL spill out. A painting tarp costs $3 at your local Home Depot. Lay this out before hand and save yourself a lot of cleanup time.
Next, slide underneath the car and locate the automatic transmission pan. This pan acts as a sump to hold the majority of the transmission fluid. Now before you drain the old fluid, you'll want to have a drain pan with a capacity of at least 7 to 9 quarts. Plastic cat litter boxes make excellent containers for catching fluid in these types of situations. They are wide and large enough to prevent you from making a mess on your garage floor. It also helps to have plenty of paper towels on hand. This can be a messy job and it helps to have towels around to soak up the occasional spill.
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[@ruslanbeletei2384]

Many thanks for your video!

[@pelicanparts]

Thanks for the feedback. Glad it was helpful!

[@Stealth360stealth]

Didnt the R50 and R53 only have the GACVT16Z CVT gearbox, not the Aisin GA6F21 as this video shows?

[@pelicanparts]

Beginning in 2005, the 6-speed auto was available for S models. Other models used the CVT.

[@AUTOVICESV]

Well explained

[@pelicanparts]

Thanks for the feedback. Glad it was helpful!

[@yusufharun4344]

I want to change my CVT oil.
but how much do I need to fill in?
how many bottles

[@yusufharun4344]

R50

[@bananagamer2770]

@@yusufharun43441gallon 2qt im pretty sure

[@thelangclan]

To be clear, you say cycle through the gears, so is this video for the Automatic Transmission or the Manual trasmission mini?

[@pelicanparts]

Auto

[@PeterLang-pk6ph]

​@@pelicanpartsSo when you say cycle through the gears, you mean just reverse and drive, or go to manual and go through 1-6