CVT?
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08-23-2008, 05:11 PM
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08-23-2008, 05:17 PM
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08-23-2008, 05:24 PM
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08-23-2008, 06:49 PM
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You have to do your research on the Net and on NAM. There's hours of reading on this issue.
I researched about 200 hours for a few months before buying my MINI, much of that reading about the CVT.
Bottom line, I avoided buying an older MINI with a CVT and ended up getting a 2006 with a Getrag manual transmission.
Of course there will be current owners of the older models with a CVT defending their cars, but check around the Net, there's some pretty bad horror stories [e.g., people replacing their CVT to the tune of $7000; people who cannot sell their older MINIS that have a CVT.]
I researched about 200 hours for a few months before buying my MINI, much of that reading about the CVT.
Bottom line, I avoided buying an older MINI with a CVT and ended up getting a 2006 with a Getrag manual transmission.
Of course there will be current owners of the older models with a CVT defending their cars, but check around the Net, there's some pretty bad horror stories [e.g., people replacing their CVT to the tune of $7000; people who cannot sell their older MINIS that have a CVT.]
Last edited by MichaelSF; 08-24-2008 at 03:20 PM.
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08-23-2008, 07:34 PM
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08-24-2008, 07:13 AM
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08-24-2008, 08:04 AM
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We bought justacooper with a cvt 2 months ago and have put 2,700 miles on it. Whether or not my cvt will be a lemon or not I can't guess. But so far the Continuously Variable Transmission has been much more fun than having the stick. It makes the car a joy to drive in traffic.
The hesitation you speak of on starting out is seems to be normal for the cvt in D. I've gotten by the hesitation by using the electronic throttle differently than if I was driving a regular automatic transmission with a torque converter. My hesitation is a lot less if I put the throttle down quickly about half way until the mini starts to move. My car moves right past the hesitation and accelerates away.
Make sure you test drive the car and move the stick over to the right and into SD or sport drive. This makes the cvt perform much better than it does in D. I enjoy seeing the rpm's go up to 4 or 5000 and just stay there as the car accelerates away while the car next to you is shifting and revving up and down.
However as much as I like the non S cooper with a cvt. Go buy a S Cooper with a 6 speed or better yet a JCW. It will more than double the fun!
Joe
The hesitation you speak of on starting out is seems to be normal for the cvt in D. I've gotten by the hesitation by using the electronic throttle differently than if I was driving a regular automatic transmission with a torque converter. My hesitation is a lot less if I put the throttle down quickly about half way until the mini starts to move. My car moves right past the hesitation and accelerates away.
Make sure you test drive the car and move the stick over to the right and into SD or sport drive. This makes the cvt perform much better than it does in D. I enjoy seeing the rpm's go up to 4 or 5000 and just stay there as the car accelerates away while the car next to you is shifting and revving up and down.
However as much as I like the non S cooper with a cvt. Go buy a S Cooper with a 6 speed or better yet a JCW. It will more than double the fun!
Joe
Last edited by jdrasberry; 08-24-2008 at 09:21 AM. Reason: duh??
#9
08-24-2008, 09:19 AM
Continuously Variable Transmission. If it were constant velocity, you'd never be able to go any faster 
And I agree with what you said. Driving with a CVT is much more enjoyable than a regular automatic, and it's much easier on the passengers than shifting all the time.
And I agree with what you said. Driving with a CVT is much more enjoyable than a regular automatic, and it's much easier on the passengers than shifting all the time.
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08-24-2008, 09:22 AM
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08-24-2008, 10:29 AM
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Well like I said, it's not that ALL of the earlier CVTs have failed, but enough of them have to the point that many, many posts on the Net have warned about the issue and to stay away from the model.
IMHO, the problem is more widespread than one may think since not everyone posts on the Net the issues they have had.
In any event, I think one should not be forgotten is to take into account the sheer number of complaints there are. This is not a few people here, a few people there complaining [that would lend to the argument that the CVT is an isolated problem, failures that happen in all cars.]
Sidenote: From everything I have read, the CVT needs replacing at about 50,000 miles. I think that depends on how one drives [for example, if it's mostly freeway miles, then the MINI might not need a new transmission until 80,000 or more.]
Here's some reading:
http://newmini.wordpress.com/2008/01...sion-problems/
http://www.mini2.com/forum/cvt-autom...ell-trade.html
http://www.mini2.com/forum/cvt-autom...n-failure.html
And here are just a few posts from a consumer complaint site [there are thousands of them]:
Michelle of San Francisco CA (08/07/08)
My 2002 MINI Cooper automatic transmission went out at 48,000. This happened on a winding coastal road (very dangerous!). BMW of San Francisco quoted $8500 to put in a rebuilt transmission with a 2 year warranty and independent shops in the city didn't quote anything price or warranty-wise that I was willing to pay for, either. My beloved MINI is dead.
David of Anna Maria FL (07/26/08)
My 2003 Mini with 58,000 miles needs a replacement automatic CVT, like so many others. There seems to be a high fault rate with these automatic CVT mini transmissions. I was quoted $8000 to replace or $4000 to rebuild by the MINI dealer. I am picking the $4000 option.
Marianne of Berkeley CA (07/24/08)
My 2002 Mini Cooper experienced a massive transmission failure at 70K miles. I had purchased the extended warranty, which ended at 50K. Since paying over $8,000 to replace the CVT transmission (which I understand BMW no longer uses), I have learned that many other owners of relatively new Mini Coopers have had the same experience with their transmissions.
Leslie of Rancho Palos Verdes CA (07/23/08)
2003 Mini Cooper out of warranty transmission failure @ 67K. Research shows that many Mini owners have been having this problem, enough so that it can be considered a manufacturing flaw. Not all Mini's fail at 67K some are having to replace transmissions or clutches sooner! It's really a design flaw.
Most owners are incurring a $7,000 +/- bill to repair this problem.
Bryan of Little Egg Harbor NJ (06/19/08)
These cars are certainly not built to last. After 100,000 miles, everything is going! The CVT transmission, dampener plate and torque converter at $6500 (would have been over $10,000 if BMW/MINI did it!! Now power steering pump at $1000!
Steve of Deer Park NY (06/11/08)
I have always had clutch transmissions. I am very easy on them.With less than 70,000 miles i am told i need a new transmission.A whole tranny--not just a clutch!!!The parts to rebuild them are not made available by mini--so they soak you for the whole thing!! They are very scarce in salvage yards-probably because of this very issue!!What a rip-off! I have also had 2 windshields replaced because of stress cracks.It seems like every repair is a fortune--if you can even get the parts within a reasonable time frame!!
Austin of Sauk Rapids MN (05/16/08)
Well after reading all of these complaint i am feeling sick and used. It seems like one big scam!! I own a 2003 mini cooper. when u buy a high end car you expect a certain craftsmanship. so when i bought this mini with 147,000 i was not concerned with a TRANSMISSION going out. HOW stupid I am. we used the car for six months and owe $8000. Hard lesson learned come to Consumeraffairs.com first before I make a dumb move like that. For the rest of my life I will bad mouth BMW to everyone I will come in contact with. Word of mouth the best advertisement around.
Kim of Springfield VA (04/29/08)
I have 40,000 on my 2003 mini cooper and there were problems. I kept taking it in for when it was under warranty. It is now out of warranty and I need a new transmission. This repair is around $8,500.00. Mini would not help me while in warranty and refuse to cut me any kind of break now, even with the low miles. I believe this has been a problem all along but it was never notice until it got very bad. I just paid it off last week.
Brendan of Snoqualmie WA (03/24/08)
I own a 2003 MINI Cooper with 75,000 miles on it and just had to replace the transmission. I have never heard of a transmission lasting only 75K miles. What's more, the repair cost $7400! MINI used a new technology in the early automatic models called CVT transmission.
Interestingly, they have stopped using this technology and now use the standard automatic transmission. This seems to me to be an admission on their part that the CVT technology is not viable over the long term. Even though they have acknowledged that the CVT technology isn't viable, they still make their customers spend upwards of $7000 to replace it when it goes bad. I feel like a lab rat!
Helene of Vancouver WA (02/10/08)
I bought a 2003 Mini Cooper with CVT transmission with 79,00 mi on it. The car is in great physical shape and ran perfectly,, until last week with 82,000 mi on it, it lost power and I had it towed to my mechanic. He reports that the car needs a new transmission with cost estimate 7,800 dollars (incl tax), which was almost 1,000 less than the mini cooper dealer in Portland OR. This just sucks because I owe 12,000 on my credit union loan for this car. I don't think the car is worth 19,800 dollars to me. So for now, it sits in my garage until I figure this out.
Kim of Seattle WA (01/26/08)
Purchased a 2004 mini cooper with under 52,000 miles on it. With under 57,000 miles on it it starts running rough. I take it in and find out the transmission is going out. Call the mini dealership and find out its $5600 for a rebuilt transmission plus several hours of work. aprox $8000 total. The blue book for the car is only 16,400. And the car only has 56,000 miles on a automatic transmisson.
After doing some research online I find out theres thousands of people who's transmisson has gone out at under 60,000 miles. Theses cars are lemons and there needs to be a recall.
Damian of Raleigh NC (12/11/07)
I have all you people beat, I bought a used 02 Mini Cooper S in February of 07. ... My transmission locked up in 2nd gear 600 miles after they changed my clutch and pressure plate when I was pulling out into traffic. ... 3 months in the shop, 2 transmissions, and over $20,000 dollars in repairs, yes $20,000 (and has to go back to the shop cause of several problems) later my car still has problems.
John of West Hollywood CA (11/18/07)
My CVT automatic transmission went on my 2002 Mini Cooper with only 64K miles. After doing research, I see that there are tons of people with the same issue. Mini refuses to do anything about the issue (like a recall), and doesn't want to help in an other financial ways either. An expensive (BMW made car) shouldn't be having these issues at such low miles.
Kelley of San Francisco CA (11/15/07)
I bought a 2002 Mini Cooper after having a BMW 325ci. ... Within 9 months the car was in the shop exhibiting to me what seemed like transmission issues. I had an extended warranty so I wasn't too concerned when I took it into Mini SF.
They tore apart the car and determined that at 53,000 miles the car needed a new transmission. After driving manual for over 10 years, I was confident this wasn't my doing. The warranty company refused to work with the dealership, so the car was towed to AAMCO. They took further look at the car and determined not only did it need a new transmission, but also a new clutch kit and fly wheel.
After 9 months of ownership my car needed a complete overhaul. Without the warranty the bill would have come to over $10,000. With it I was still out $2,000. It took 4 weeks for the warranty company to authorize the fix...
My car was finally repaired. 15 weeks?!
I smell recall and I don't appreciate being help responsible for BMW shitty design and mechanical downfalls. I have now owned the car for a year and 3.5 months of that it has been parked in AAMCO. Upon pickup I am driving straight to the dealership, depositing it on their door and demanding a deal. I want out from under this pile of despair before it needs another transmission or clutch or ________. Thanks Mini. Here's to a lifetime of singing your disgrace.
Blanca of Bellflower CA (10/01/07)
I bought a used 2002 Mini Cooper in May 2006. The car kept stalling on me. I took it in to the Mini Dealer in Long Beach for an inspection, but nothing was wrong. In August of 2006, (80,000 miles) my transmission went out!
The new transmission would cost about $7000. I bought a used one for about half of that. Now, I am just waiting for the transmission to give out again. The worst part, was that it was only a few days before my wedding :(
Winnie of Milpitas CA (05/31/07)
I bought my Mini Cooper with a CVT back in 2002. Last week, I was driving to my 2nd grade class, and my car just flat out died in the middle of the road after driving for about 1/2 a mile.
I had it towed to my mechanic, and it was discovered that my transmission is completely broken. It's a $6500 fix with my mechanic and an $8000 fix with the dealership. My warranty just ran out last June and there is pretty much nothing Mini Cooper could do for me (big surprise).
I only have 55K miles on it, and a transmission replacement should not happen at this stage! Although I have fond memories with this car, it had been quite a nightmare to maintain. My grandfather and I could have been killed in the middle of the freeway that day, but BMW/Mini just doesn't really care despite their ultra friendly facade. I am extremely disappointed.
Brad of Milner GA (05/02/07)
I bought two mini Coopers in 2003. One Cooper S and a Cooper. The Cooper sometimes dies for no reason. Every time the service department says nothing is wrong and all is fine. Well, today I found out that the Cooper which has 86,000 miles needs a new transmission.
Maral of West Hollywood CA (04/14/07)
I bought my 2002 Mini Cooper brand new and have a multitude of problems starting but I have always been the Mini's biggest fan. until now.
On my way home one night my car just wouldn't go into gear. I had it towed to Torrance BMW for a diagnostic check. Something in the transmission broke loose and now it's going to cost me a brand new transmission - $7000. I have 65,000 miles on the car. How is this possible - in doing research i have found that a few other instances of the CVT system that is implemented on my car is causing serious issues like mine.
Jeff of Long Beach CA (08/09/06)
A few nights ago I was accelerating onto the freeway when something in my transmission snapped in my 2003 Mini Cooper, (69,000 miles). I had to have it towed to Crevier and they quoted me $7400 for a new transmission.
The mechanic said they do not open up Mini transmissions therefore I need a new one. The transmission itself can be bought for $5800 through a non-dealer type. The unit price is roughly 1/3 the value of the car.
I will most likely have to piece out the car since it's not worth buying a new transmission for it.
Sharnell of Bakersfield CA (07/04/06)
I purchased a 2003 Mini Cooper 1 year ago. I loved driving it until a belt broke in the sealed transmission. The Mini dealership said they can only replace the entire transmission,$7000, not the part that broke.
I was referred to the company who makes the transmission out of Germany. They do not want to sell the part, only a new transmission. I have called several transmission shops; none of them are able to purchase the belt needed to fix the tranny!
IMHO, the problem is more widespread than one may think since not everyone posts on the Net the issues they have had.
In any event, I think one should not be forgotten is to take into account the sheer number of complaints there are. This is not a few people here, a few people there complaining [that would lend to the argument that the CVT is an isolated problem, failures that happen in all cars.]
Sidenote: From everything I have read, the CVT needs replacing at about 50,000 miles. I think that depends on how one drives [for example, if it's mostly freeway miles, then the MINI might not need a new transmission until 80,000 or more.]
Here's some reading:
http://newmini.wordpress.com/2008/01...sion-problems/
http://www.mini2.com/forum/cvt-autom...ell-trade.html
http://www.mini2.com/forum/cvt-autom...n-failure.html
And here are just a few posts from a consumer complaint site [there are thousands of them]:
Michelle of San Francisco CA (08/07/08)
My 2002 MINI Cooper automatic transmission went out at 48,000. This happened on a winding coastal road (very dangerous!). BMW of San Francisco quoted $8500 to put in a rebuilt transmission with a 2 year warranty and independent shops in the city didn't quote anything price or warranty-wise that I was willing to pay for, either. My beloved MINI is dead.
David of Anna Maria FL (07/26/08)
My 2003 Mini with 58,000 miles needs a replacement automatic CVT, like so many others. There seems to be a high fault rate with these automatic CVT mini transmissions. I was quoted $8000 to replace or $4000 to rebuild by the MINI dealer. I am picking the $4000 option.
Marianne of Berkeley CA (07/24/08)
My 2002 Mini Cooper experienced a massive transmission failure at 70K miles. I had purchased the extended warranty, which ended at 50K. Since paying over $8,000 to replace the CVT transmission (which I understand BMW no longer uses), I have learned that many other owners of relatively new Mini Coopers have had the same experience with their transmissions.
Leslie of Rancho Palos Verdes CA (07/23/08)
2003 Mini Cooper out of warranty transmission failure @ 67K. Research shows that many Mini owners have been having this problem, enough so that it can be considered a manufacturing flaw. Not all Mini's fail at 67K some are having to replace transmissions or clutches sooner! It's really a design flaw.
Most owners are incurring a $7,000 +/- bill to repair this problem.
Bryan of Little Egg Harbor NJ (06/19/08)
These cars are certainly not built to last. After 100,000 miles, everything is going! The CVT transmission, dampener plate and torque converter at $6500 (would have been over $10,000 if BMW/MINI did it!! Now power steering pump at $1000!
Steve of Deer Park NY (06/11/08)
I have always had clutch transmissions. I am very easy on them.With less than 70,000 miles i am told i need a new transmission.A whole tranny--not just a clutch!!!The parts to rebuild them are not made available by mini--so they soak you for the whole thing!! They are very scarce in salvage yards-probably because of this very issue!!What a rip-off! I have also had 2 windshields replaced because of stress cracks.It seems like every repair is a fortune--if you can even get the parts within a reasonable time frame!!
Austin of Sauk Rapids MN (05/16/08)
Well after reading all of these complaint i am feeling sick and used. It seems like one big scam!! I own a 2003 mini cooper. when u buy a high end car you expect a certain craftsmanship. so when i bought this mini with 147,000 i was not concerned with a TRANSMISSION going out. HOW stupid I am. we used the car for six months and owe $8000. Hard lesson learned come to Consumeraffairs.com first before I make a dumb move like that. For the rest of my life I will bad mouth BMW to everyone I will come in contact with. Word of mouth the best advertisement around.
Kim of Springfield VA (04/29/08)
I have 40,000 on my 2003 mini cooper and there were problems. I kept taking it in for when it was under warranty. It is now out of warranty and I need a new transmission. This repair is around $8,500.00. Mini would not help me while in warranty and refuse to cut me any kind of break now, even with the low miles. I believe this has been a problem all along but it was never notice until it got very bad. I just paid it off last week.
Brendan of Snoqualmie WA (03/24/08)
I own a 2003 MINI Cooper with 75,000 miles on it and just had to replace the transmission. I have never heard of a transmission lasting only 75K miles. What's more, the repair cost $7400! MINI used a new technology in the early automatic models called CVT transmission.
Interestingly, they have stopped using this technology and now use the standard automatic transmission. This seems to me to be an admission on their part that the CVT technology is not viable over the long term. Even though they have acknowledged that the CVT technology isn't viable, they still make their customers spend upwards of $7000 to replace it when it goes bad. I feel like a lab rat!
Helene of Vancouver WA (02/10/08)
I bought a 2003 Mini Cooper with CVT transmission with 79,00 mi on it. The car is in great physical shape and ran perfectly,, until last week with 82,000 mi on it, it lost power and I had it towed to my mechanic. He reports that the car needs a new transmission with cost estimate 7,800 dollars (incl tax), which was almost 1,000 less than the mini cooper dealer in Portland OR. This just sucks because I owe 12,000 on my credit union loan for this car. I don't think the car is worth 19,800 dollars to me. So for now, it sits in my garage until I figure this out.
Kim of Seattle WA (01/26/08)
Purchased a 2004 mini cooper with under 52,000 miles on it. With under 57,000 miles on it it starts running rough. I take it in and find out the transmission is going out. Call the mini dealership and find out its $5600 for a rebuilt transmission plus several hours of work. aprox $8000 total. The blue book for the car is only 16,400. And the car only has 56,000 miles on a automatic transmisson.
After doing some research online I find out theres thousands of people who's transmisson has gone out at under 60,000 miles. Theses cars are lemons and there needs to be a recall.
Damian of Raleigh NC (12/11/07)
I have all you people beat, I bought a used 02 Mini Cooper S in February of 07. ... My transmission locked up in 2nd gear 600 miles after they changed my clutch and pressure plate when I was pulling out into traffic. ... 3 months in the shop, 2 transmissions, and over $20,000 dollars in repairs, yes $20,000 (and has to go back to the shop cause of several problems) later my car still has problems.
John of West Hollywood CA (11/18/07)
My CVT automatic transmission went on my 2002 Mini Cooper with only 64K miles. After doing research, I see that there are tons of people with the same issue. Mini refuses to do anything about the issue (like a recall), and doesn't want to help in an other financial ways either. An expensive (BMW made car) shouldn't be having these issues at such low miles.
Kelley of San Francisco CA (11/15/07)
I bought a 2002 Mini Cooper after having a BMW 325ci. ... Within 9 months the car was in the shop exhibiting to me what seemed like transmission issues. I had an extended warranty so I wasn't too concerned when I took it into Mini SF.
They tore apart the car and determined that at 53,000 miles the car needed a new transmission. After driving manual for over 10 years, I was confident this wasn't my doing. The warranty company refused to work with the dealership, so the car was towed to AAMCO. They took further look at the car and determined not only did it need a new transmission, but also a new clutch kit and fly wheel.
After 9 months of ownership my car needed a complete overhaul. Without the warranty the bill would have come to over $10,000. With it I was still out $2,000. It took 4 weeks for the warranty company to authorize the fix...
My car was finally repaired. 15 weeks?!
I smell recall and I don't appreciate being help responsible for BMW shitty design and mechanical downfalls. I have now owned the car for a year and 3.5 months of that it has been parked in AAMCO. Upon pickup I am driving straight to the dealership, depositing it on their door and demanding a deal. I want out from under this pile of despair before it needs another transmission or clutch or ________. Thanks Mini. Here's to a lifetime of singing your disgrace.
Blanca of Bellflower CA (10/01/07)
I bought a used 2002 Mini Cooper in May 2006. The car kept stalling on me. I took it in to the Mini Dealer in Long Beach for an inspection, but nothing was wrong. In August of 2006, (80,000 miles) my transmission went out!
The new transmission would cost about $7000. I bought a used one for about half of that. Now, I am just waiting for the transmission to give out again. The worst part, was that it was only a few days before my wedding :(
Winnie of Milpitas CA (05/31/07)
I bought my Mini Cooper with a CVT back in 2002. Last week, I was driving to my 2nd grade class, and my car just flat out died in the middle of the road after driving for about 1/2 a mile.
I had it towed to my mechanic, and it was discovered that my transmission is completely broken. It's a $6500 fix with my mechanic and an $8000 fix with the dealership. My warranty just ran out last June and there is pretty much nothing Mini Cooper could do for me (big surprise).
I only have 55K miles on it, and a transmission replacement should not happen at this stage! Although I have fond memories with this car, it had been quite a nightmare to maintain. My grandfather and I could have been killed in the middle of the freeway that day, but BMW/Mini just doesn't really care despite their ultra friendly facade. I am extremely disappointed.
Brad of Milner GA (05/02/07)
I bought two mini Coopers in 2003. One Cooper S and a Cooper. The Cooper sometimes dies for no reason. Every time the service department says nothing is wrong and all is fine. Well, today I found out that the Cooper which has 86,000 miles needs a new transmission.
Maral of West Hollywood CA (04/14/07)
I bought my 2002 Mini Cooper brand new and have a multitude of problems starting but I have always been the Mini's biggest fan. until now.
On my way home one night my car just wouldn't go into gear. I had it towed to Torrance BMW for a diagnostic check. Something in the transmission broke loose and now it's going to cost me a brand new transmission - $7000. I have 65,000 miles on the car. How is this possible - in doing research i have found that a few other instances of the CVT system that is implemented on my car is causing serious issues like mine.
Jeff of Long Beach CA (08/09/06)
A few nights ago I was accelerating onto the freeway when something in my transmission snapped in my 2003 Mini Cooper, (69,000 miles). I had to have it towed to Crevier and they quoted me $7400 for a new transmission.
The mechanic said they do not open up Mini transmissions therefore I need a new one. The transmission itself can be bought for $5800 through a non-dealer type. The unit price is roughly 1/3 the value of the car.
I will most likely have to piece out the car since it's not worth buying a new transmission for it.
Sharnell of Bakersfield CA (07/04/06)
I purchased a 2003 Mini Cooper 1 year ago. I loved driving it until a belt broke in the sealed transmission. The Mini dealership said they can only replace the entire transmission,$7000, not the part that broke.
I was referred to the company who makes the transmission out of Germany. They do not want to sell the part, only a new transmission. I have called several transmission shops; none of them are able to purchase the belt needed to fix the tranny!
#13
08-25-2008, 04:46 AM
#14
08-25-2008, 06:53 AM
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As far as I know, even the manual transmissions had problems until they switched that to the Getrag.
Yes, general wisdom is not to get the first year or two of a model, but I doubt that anyone socked with a $7,000 repair bill [or less for other issues] will give MINI a pass because "all cars have growing pains and problems."
In any event, the OP wanted to know about the CVT and my response was more geared to those who said they were unaware of the early model CVTs having problems.
Pardon for the deficient / incomplete posts.
Last edited by MichaelSF; 08-25-2008 at 08:04 AM.
#15
08-25-2008, 07:47 AM
Whats funny reading a bit of history about the CVT in general it came from industry (diesel) machines with very low RPM applications. Knowing that the CVT cant handle the MINI engine redline of 7k (why they lower the redline in the CVT to 6k) makes me think that maybe it really isnt the best solution for a higher RPM motor?
Dont know but as for now at 75k mine is running strong.
100k waranty so it will fail at 101
Dont know but as for now at 75k mine is running strong.
100k waranty so it will fail at 101
#16
08-25-2008, 08:02 AM
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Whats funny reading a bit of history about the CVT in general it came from industry (diesel) machines with very low RPM applications. Knowing that the CVT cant handle the MINI engine redline of 7k (why they lower the redline in the CVT to 6k) makes me think that maybe it really isn't the best solution for a higher RPM motor?
Don't know but as for now at 75k mine is running strong.
100k warranty so it will fail at 101
Don't know but as for now at 75k mine is running strong.
100k warranty so it will fail at 101
For sure MINI / BMW determined something was amiss, hence their discontinuance of the CVT in later years.
And yes, Murphy's Law: Warranty expires = things fail the next day.
True Confession: I might sell my MINI in January 2010 and get a newer one. Reason: The manufacturer warranty will be up six months later. I will get a better price on it if I can sell it with a full warranty remaining.
I will then get another then two-year-old MINI with two years remaining on the manufacturer warranty.
But then again, who wants the hassles. I love my MINI. So maybe I'll just keep it forever since it is in mint condition [appearance and mechanical.]
Last edited by MichaelSF; 08-25-2008 at 08:16 AM.
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08-25-2008, 08:15 AM
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Do you have a ZF Manual for the mini CVT?
Hi, I really would like to rebuild one of these trannys. Do you have a technical manual for this cvt?
Does anyone have a schematic of the internal parts?
I found rebuild kits on ebay and other places but they don't have a schematic to show what goes where.
I have an 02 MC with a cvt that has a broken belt. I bought it as project knowing that this tranny is troublesome but didn't understand this belt is hard to come by and that too over $800. Used trannys are like $3500.
Help !
masifiqbal
Does anyone have a schematic of the internal parts?
I found rebuild kits on ebay and other places but they don't have a schematic to show what goes where.
I have an 02 MC with a cvt that has a broken belt. I bought it as project knowing that this tranny is troublesome but didn't understand this belt is hard to come by and that too over $800. Used trannys are like $3500.
Help !
masifiqbal
#20
04-01-2010, 05:36 AM
We came home from the Mini store yesterday with my daughter's CVT having been diagnosed as terminal. 63K miles and she's in love with her little car. She doesn't have $8000 for a new transmission, nor does she have money for a new car.
These are the things that cause a company to lose a customer forever. She's really hurt because her little car is dying.
I cannot, in good conscience, recommend the CVT to anyone.
Even Mini can't seem to agree with itself. They tell us to follow the manufacturer's recommendations on everything. The CVT is manufactured by ZF. ZF's white paper on the unit says the fluid must be changed every 45K Km. Early on, Mini recommended that, too. Now Mini says that the fluid is lifetime stuff -- never change it. We wish we had followed the manufacturer's suggestion.
Perhaps 63k is its lifetime to Mini???
These are the things that cause a company to lose a customer forever. She's really hurt because her little car is dying.
I cannot, in good conscience, recommend the CVT to anyone.
Even Mini can't seem to agree with itself. They tell us to follow the manufacturer's recommendations on everything. The CVT is manufactured by ZF. ZF's white paper on the unit says the fluid must be changed every 45K Km. Early on, Mini recommended that, too. Now Mini says that the fluid is lifetime stuff -- never change it. We wish we had followed the manufacturer's suggestion.
Perhaps 63k is its lifetime to Mini???
#21
04-01-2010, 05:54 AM
I was in your daughter's shoes a month ago. I ended up in a new R56. I loved my R50 more than anything, and cried everyday for weeks when it started having problems.
Try a specialty transmission repair shop. They can do better than $6k, although not by a whole lot (I think I was quoted $4500).
I feel like the sudden change in the stance on fluid changes has to do with early diagnosis. If you aren't pulling the fluid out every so often, you won't see the pieces coming out as the belt comes apart. Your only symptom of failure in most cases (although mine was not one of them) will be complete failure...which means no CVTs being replaced early under warranty.
It's a total scam IMO.
If you are good at scrounging parts on the cheap, it can be swapped out for a manual for less than $6k...there are a few threads here where it has been done.
I'm so sorry for your daughter...I totally feel her pain
What are the symptoms her car is showing, out of curiousity?
Try a specialty transmission repair shop. They can do better than $6k, although not by a whole lot (I think I was quoted $4500).
I feel like the sudden change in the stance on fluid changes has to do with early diagnosis. If you aren't pulling the fluid out every so often, you won't see the pieces coming out as the belt comes apart. Your only symptom of failure in most cases (although mine was not one of them) will be complete failure...which means no CVTs being replaced early under warranty.
It's a total scam IMO.
If you are good at scrounging parts on the cheap, it can be swapped out for a manual for less than $6k...there are a few threads here where it has been done.
I'm so sorry for your daughter...I totally feel her pain
What are the symptoms her car is showing, out of curiousity?
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