Quote:
Originally Posted by GMiniStripe
Great thanks! mine is having some problems now that seem to be the cvt. When I'm driving on the highway when I let off the gas the engine actually rev's higher, acting like a manual would if I left it in gear and took my foot off the gas.

Great! what is the best way to go about doing this?

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by GMiniStripe
Great thanks! mine is having some problems now that seem to be the cvt. When I'm driving on the highway when I let off the gas the engine actually rev's higher, acting like a manual would if I left it in gear and took my foot off the gas.

Excellent, what is the best way of going about clearing the adaption values?

 

This may not work, but you can try driving around in sport drive mode for a few days. That has been known to solve strange ratio behavior like this sometimes.

If that doesn't work, you'll have to take it to the dealer to have them do it. I think they do it as part of the fluid change, so if you haven't had the fluid changed recently (should be done every 28k miles or so) , you could have them do that and reset the adaptation values at the same time.

 

So I had the mechanic reset the adaptation values and tried driving it around... It has slowed down how often the car does this but now it seems to have a hard time shifting into the last gear. So I can drive it comfortable at about 50-55 and then again at 70+ but anything in the middle makes her drop down a gear and run at 4000+ rpms.

Any thoughts?

 

What kind of behavior do you get in manual mode and sport mode?

 

It is a little easier to keep the RPM's from spiking but for the most part it acts the same... sometimes I can get the rpm's to drop by switching it into manual mode from automatic or vice versa

 

So in manual mode, the RPMs will stay high even in "6th gear" at 50-55mph?

I'm not sure what the problem is, but it does seem software related - either the adaptations themselves are off or a sensor that tells the pulleys where to be at certain RPMs and speeds is starting to fail.

It's really a guessing game though unless a code can be read from the transmission giving more of a clue. That would require special BMW diagnostic equipment though, and it might not come back with anything.

Here's a document that discusses how the CVT operates, which could help a little with troubleshooting:
http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/dept/pse/...F%20040323.pdf

 

Yea, even in manual mode it revs high around 50-55... sometimes.

Thanks for the manual I'll look through it and see if I can find anything useful.

If anything else comes to mind as far as next things to look at I'm all for it!

 

FWIW, a transmission specialist in my area who says he's fixed several CVTs says that it "always the speed sensor" that screws into the trans somewhere.
I just gave up on mine, hence this thread.

 

Well almost always anyway..

Photo from an (un)happy CVT owner somewhere on the site here. I had to save this..

 

ahh, yes, that WOULD be an exception!

 

Interesting. That would be part 1 in the diagram:



Rotational-speed sensor - part #: 24357518732

Runs about $320.

 

We're actually converting another CVT this week to a 6spd.

I've never seen the speed sensor fix one of these trans, wish it would that would be so much cheaper.

 

Will you be able to do the reprogramming without the entire car eventually?

After doing it a few times, I would think you would know what all needs to be changed in the ECU.

 

No every computer in the car has to be reprogrammed. If you try to skip on modules you'll get XP displayed, and ABS problems among other things I didn't even diagnosis, cause reprogramming fixed it.

 

Alright, So the transmission specialist gave up on my Mini. So I took it into a shop that is supposed to be a BMW specialist and they had two people drive it hooked it up to their computer and then called BMW's transmission specialist. The guy just called me back and they are saying that since the car has been doing it ever since I've had it then it is just because it is a CVT... meaning it is normal behavior for a CVT and I should not be worried.

This doesn't seem right... any other thoughts?

at this point I'm considering selling the car and moving on.

 

Honestly, if it were me, I'd sell it while the sellins' good! That's based strictly on the cost of replacing the CVT if it pukes, or the hassle of swapping in a manual, and the virtual impossibility of getting any decent trade-in value trying to sell it with a duff tranny. Run away now! Sorry to be such a downer.

 

There's quite a bit to be said about densmini's advice - now could be a good time to sell or trade and get something for it. I'm keeping mine because it has personal value to my wife and I and I plan on putting the 6-speed in at some point.

As to the transmission - last week was a crazy one for my MINI's CVT, but I think I've pinpointed one of the common failure spots in these CVTs. I started a thread about it here:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ure-cause.html

The summary is mine got stuck in low ratio as has happened to many, but it also threw a code - DME 1786, which is the stepper solenoid on the valve body. The replacement part is about $370 and only requires pulling the transmission pan to remove the valve body. I plan on giving this a try with my CVT sometime in the next month or so. Total cost after a new pan gasket and fluid should be around $500 with me doing my own labor.

It's certainly possible that your stepper solenoid is dying a slow death and thus the intermittent strange shifting. But, without a code, you can't know for sure.

 

FYI the other CVT to 6spd swap we were working on last week was delivered to the customer in FL last night.

 

Thanks for your thoughts... I picked up the Mini last week and while doing so the guy gave me one more Transmission Specialist to check with. I took it there over the weekend and he called me today and told me that their is a problem and it is definitely inside the trans but he stated that they don't sell parts to rebuild these. He thinks the car will last at least until the summer, maybe longer.

Is there anywhere that rebuilds or sells parts to rebuild these?

Really, I would like to drop the manual into this but it sounds like unless I take a roadtrip down to see Way that I would be in over my head.

 

There are places that claim to rebuild them, but I haven't seen confirmation here that they are reliable rebuilds, so naturally, I'm skeptical.

You can certainly get parts for them.

Minimania sells quite a few internal parts:
http://new.minimania.com/Search_Inve...ALL&Search=cvt

This places also sells quite a few:
http://www.europeantransmissions.com/

I plan on visiting that second shop around the new year to buy the stepper motor I'm hoping will fix my CVT. I'll report back on how it goes.

 

Completed another swap today They drive so well with the 6spd.

 

I believe I followed that conversion as it headed along 85 for a bit after dropping off my R50. Owner's a nice guy, and likewise nice meeting you, Way.

 

Way,
If I ship you my car (since I'm in CT) how long and what would cost be to do the swap? I have the 6-speed auto which works well but I think the Getrag might be better for the track. also could you re-sell my 6-speed auto?
You can pm if you like.
thnx.

 

+1
I would be shipping from MN
(i'll PM you)