MINI cambelt & service intervals, by engine
Of the 4 MINI engines covered here, 3 run a chain, 1 a conventional belt. A MINI with a chain and a MINI with a belt can sit in the same showroom in the same year, so the model name tells you nothing useful on its own.
4 timing drives. Tap a column heading to sort.4 timing drives.
BMW B38 1.5 / B48 2.0 petrol
- MINI models:
- Cooper, Countryman
- Drive:
- Chain
- Replacement interval:
- Chain — none(reported)
- Interference:
- Yes
- MINI models:
- Cooper D
- Drive:
- Chain
- Replacement interval:
- Chain — none(reported)
- Interference:
- Yes
- MINI models:
- Cooper D
- Drive:
- Chain
- Replacement interval:
- Chain — none(reported)
- Interference:
- Yes
- MINI models:
- Cooper D
- Drive:
- Belt
- Replacement interval:
- 10 yrs / 140,000 mi(reported)
- Interference:
- Yes
| BMW B38 1.5 / B48 2.0 petrol | Cooper, Countryman | Chain | Chain — none(reported) | Yes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMW B47 2.0 diesel | Cooper D | Chain | Chain — none(reported) | Yes |
| BMW N47 2.0 diesel | Cooper D | Chain | Chain — none(reported) | Yes |
| PSA 1.6 HDi (DV6) | Cooper D | Belt | 10 yrs / 140,000 mi(reported) | Yes |
Questions people ask
Does a MINI have a cambelt or a timing chain?
Both, depending on the engine. MINI has sold belt-driven and chain-driven engines alongside each other, so the answer comes from the engine under the bonnet rather than the model name or the year. The table on this page lists each engine we cover and which it uses.
When should the cambelt be changed on a MINI?
It depends on the engine, and in some cases the published figure has been revised since the car was sold. Each engine in the table shows the current interval, its confidence tier and its sources. Where we show nothing, we haven't established a figure we would stand behind — ask a MINI dealer to quote the schedule against your VIN.
Does a missing cambelt change show up in a MINI service history?
Only if it was done in a network that records it. A documented belt change is one of the most valuable single entries in any service history, because the alternative is paying for the job again or gambling on an engine. If the record is patchy, a franchised dealer can confirm what the network holds against the VIN.
Proving the work was actually done
An interval only helps if you can tell whether the job happened. How MINI records servicing, whether the owner app shows completed work, and what a dealer will release — all of that is on the MINI service records page.