Few Questions

Hey Cousins. A have some questions in regards to my wifey’s mini cooper:

• MPG – how come it looks like I get only 19 mpg highway driving? Any Ideas?
• Bumper to bumper traffic acceleration – sometimes when I encounter traffic congested areas, it feels like the car is a bit jerky (sorta like when one is learning to drive stick shift) although my mini is automatic.
• Engine whine – how come everytime I start the mini it sounds like the engine whines.

Thanks for any input

 

Hi there, I'll try to help:

1) Mileage: don't rely on the computer calculations, see what the real mpg is by manually calculating it based on gallons used to miles driven.

2) I've only driven a Cooper CVT a bit so I do not know if that is normal or not and if the cause is the tranny or the jumpy drive by wire throttle I've heard some mention. Shifting in manual mode vs letting it search on its own might help.

3) I'm gonna take a guess here that the whining you hear is the steering (which is normal).

Hope that helps, cheers

 

thanks for the response I was just a bit worried because the main reason we bought this was for its mileage. Although we only use this car (for now - since me and the wifey commute together) for 3 days max (a month old mini cooper and so far we have 723 miles) and I have filled up gas on average, $12 - $15 due to high 91 gas prices. Hmmm, maybe I should try that. We have the CVT too but I have noticed that it really is jumpy like per my last post, a person trying to learn to drive stick for the first time.. Steering, oh okay. I will try to add more miles to it this coming 3 day weekend.

 

eval, are you going to that sacramento bmw cca meet over in Valley Motorwerks (Rancho Cordova)I highly recommend Walter Ford and his crew over there (Valley Motorwerks), they specialize in BMW/MINI cars.

 

Hmm, I don't think that was in the last BMWCCA email I received the other day (perhaps too far to be included in the Golden Gate chapter stuff?). I doubt I can make it since the SO is working 6 days a week and we have only so much time to get stuff done around that :( If you go post it to the Norcal board and let us know how it goes (and take pics ).

I've never owned a CVT so perhaps someone here who has one can chime in to advise you on it.

 

The whine is most likely your power steering pump, which is electrically driven. It is most prominent when the car isn't moving, or moving very slowly, (like when you're parallel parking). This is completely normal.

 

Oh, I am not a member but since Valley Motorwerks is where I get my mod stuff done is the main reason why I heard about this. I am not sure if I can make it either. My parents are in visiting for the three day weekend.

 

hmmmm..I hope so, it just sounds like a mechanical wooshh and hiss pretty concerning stuff since my current e46 bmw had a recall about this three years ago (same sound). Oh well. Thanks

 

MIB is a manual and the OBC says I get 29.9 or 30.0 mpg in town driving.

But then again an automatic will not get as good mileage as the manual.

Oh for the day for a true Sequential Manual! Though the Getrag in MIB is not that bad!