Short answer: it measures how the car has been used, not just how far it has gone. BMW Group calls the system Condition Based Service. It decides what is due, shows you on the dash, and keeps a copy in the key.
What the system does
A MINI owner's manual published by BMW Group describes it on page 280. It is a US English edition, so check the manual that came with your own car.
Condition Based Service determines the maintenance recommendation using sensors and special algorithms that take into account the operating conditions of the vehicle. The system makes it possible to adapt the amount of maintenance corresponding to your user profile.
In practice that means two cars of the same model can come due at different times, because they have been driven differently.
How it tells you
The manual says where to look, on page 134.
After the ignition is switched on the instrument cluster briefly displays available distance travelled or time to the next scheduled maintenance.
Note the words or time. Some items are counted in kilometres and some on the calendar.
The key carries the record
This is the part most owners do not know.
Information on the service notifications is continuously stored in the vehicle key. The service center can read this data out and suggest a maintenance scope for the vehicle.
The manual follows that with a practical instruction: hand over the key the vehicle was driven with most recently. If you bring the spare, the workshop may be reading older information.
What it cannot see
The system has a blind spot, and the manual names it.
Stationary periods during which the vehicle battery was disconnected are not taken into account.
When that has happened, the manual says to have the time-dependent maintenance procedures, such as checking brake fluid updated by a workshop, along with the engine oil and the microfilter if necessary. A car that has sat with its battery disconnected can therefore be more overdue than its own display suggests.
There is more on brake fluid in our post on brake wear and the roadworthy standard, and more on batteries in our post on battery registration.
BMW Australia uses the same terms
BMW Australia's Supplementary Warranty booklet refers to oil services and inspections as indicated by the vehicle's CBS (Condition Based Service) System. It also distinguishes two kinds of car when it describes body inspections: those with Condition Based Servicing, and those with the Service Interval System.
Who can do the work
The MINI manual's maintenance pages name a dealer's service center or another qualified service center or repair shop throughout. And it adds one instruction for the owner.
Records of regular maintenance and repair work should be retained.
What that means for your warranty is covered in our post on servicing outside the dealer.
How we handle it
We service to the manufacturer schedule for your model, and stamp and date the logbook when the work is done. You keep the invoice listing the work carried out and the parts fitted. Bring the key you use every day.
There is more on our logbook service page.
Every car is different, so we quote on the car rather than from a list. Send us the year, model and rego along with what it needs, and we will put a tailored quote together.
Sources
- MINI Hardtop 2 Door / 4 Door Owner's Manual, BMW AG, US English edition, part no. 01405A541B0 - II/22. Pages 134, 280 and 281. Published on BMW Group's own server.
- BMW Australia, BMW Supplementary Warranty booklet, the version taking effect 1 November 2022. The link is the Internet Archive's copy of BMW Australia's own file.
Every quotation above is taken word for word from those two documents. Manuals differ by model and year, so check your own.
常見問題
What is Condition Based Service on a BMW or MINI?
A MINI owner's manual published by BMW Group says Condition Based Service determines the maintenance recommendation using sensors and special algorithms that take into account the operating conditions of the vehicle, and that it makes it possible to adapt the amount of maintenance to your user profile.
Where does the car store its service information?
The manual says information on the service notifications is continuously stored in the vehicle key, and that a service center can read this data out and suggest a maintenance scope for the vehicle. It says to hand over the key the vehicle was driven with most recently.
Is every service item based on distance driven?
No. The manual refers to time-dependent maintenance procedures, such as checking brake fluid, which fall due on time rather than distance.
Can an independent workshop service a car with Condition Based Service?
The MINI manual repeatedly names a dealer's service center or another qualified service center or repair shop. BMW Australia's own warranty booklet states that you may have the normal periodic maintenance performed by an outlet not authorised by BMW.
Should I keep my service records?
Yes. The MINI manual says records of regular maintenance and repair work should be retained.