80K on my wife's silk green MC. Replaced the fluid around 40K with Redline. Also replaced the clutch already (throwout bearing blew up), and just replaced the shift linkage when I could only get it into 1st, 3rd, and 5th.

But so far, the Midlands is OK.

 

My first Midland failed at about 59,000. Just out of Warranty(Warranty had been extended to 55,000 since my car was a demonstrator). However Mini agreed to pay for the tranny. I paid for the labor and needed a new clutch anyway. Now at 116,000 my second one appears to be failing. Im pretty sure it is the tranny. Shifts ok but a ticking marble rumbling running sound when you accelerate and decelerate. When I coast you do not hear the sound. It is not a wheel bearing. This is how it sounded when my first one went kaput. Im debating now on three things. Get the Midland rebuilt with parts from Mini Mania. Install a Gertag six speed with no cruise control and modification. Finally just trade the car. Personally I have really enjoyed my Mini but this has pretty much disgusted me with the Product. I really feel Mini knew there was a problem with these transmissions. It seems they have a shelf life of just over 50,000 miles. I feel for anyone who has a 2002-2004 MC with 50,000 plus on it right now. I love driving a Mini but do to the economical factors I have experienced with this product I probably will not purchase another Mini or BMW product.

 

If you install a Getrag, cruise control wont work??? I must have missed that. Does this apply to either Getrag? (5 spd or 6 spd)

 

I think you can get the car programmed to use Cruise again... according to the TxSpeedwerks how-to guide.

I put a 2003 Getrag 6-spd in mine and cruise works in 4th and 6th, but not 3rd or 5th - not too big a deal, but annoying. Never worried about getting it programmed though, 6th works so I'm good.

 

I had a similar problem when i had transmission issues on my R50 @ 29,000. The exception on mine was that it turned out the clutch went on mine. Now im @ 43,000 miles and things are going smoothly. I want to do a tranny swap so i decided to have a 'Getrag' account w/mybank.lol. I just need to find a place in texas that has experiance doing the swap :/

 

Click click click.... Midlands #3 coming up, 300 miles away from 100k.

Where is TX's write-up on the 6-speed swap. Anyone? Thanks for the help!

 

I believe the article is still available in the Motoring Alliance newletter issue #2.
Look at the right column of this page: https://www.northamericanmotoring.com/alliance .

If that doesn't work, pm me with your email and I can send a pdf file of the article as an email attachment.

 

TSW had it on their website, but now I see that TWS was bought out by Way Motor Works in June - I didn't see it anywhere on the WMW website.

I think I have a copy he emailed me, but it's kinda big.

BTW - my wife's 03 Cooper is at 85K with the original midlands. Still working great. But I've been running Redline fluid in the gearbox since around the 40K mark.

 

Hey all you Justa people,
My 06 R50's Getrag has decided to start breaking with 77k on the car. I'm getting it swapped for an 05 6-speed. Expletives deleted!

Word to the wise-- if you thought the facelifted Coopers resolved the weak link in the drivetrain, think again. It seems the only solution is a 6-speed with a lightweight flywheel. Those trannies seem to be unburstable (a perfect match for the Tritec engines!)

 

my new midlands is sitting in the back of the coop waiting to be dropped in

 

My cruise works just fine with the swap. The only thing that needs to be done is to lengthen the reverse light wires (there are 2 wires).

You are crazy to not source the parts to do a 6-speed and to put the Midlands back in...but that IMHO.....

 

Why don't u shut up and go fix your POS??

 

STFU GTFO! How about you come and help me fix my POS? Dood..the B-A is stoopid. It just started and went around the block and now it doesnt want to start again. Im gonna set this thing on fire.

 

Oh yea.....THA FTMFW!!!

 

I'd do what ever I could get my hands on cheap/first. The upside to the 5spd is if resale/trade-in, it wouldn't contradict the VIN build.

 

Anyone have any experience running BMW-MTF-LT-3 in their Midlands?

I had the original fluid in until 49,000 miles, then changed it out for
Redline MTL, then had a slow transmission output shaft seal leak at about 58,000,
and the shop replaced the seal, drained, and refilled with what they said was definitely
Texaco MTF-94, although the invoice listed 2 liters of LT-3. After about a month and
noticing 1-2 more mpg than usual, I finally sent it for analysis (Blackstone Labs), and the
viscosity and Ca, Zn, and Phos were compatible with about 70% LT-3 and 30% MTL.
I ran about 1000 miles before I found this out and had it flushed and refilled with MTF-94.
The MINI dealer that my shop gets it from sends it out in unmarked containers poured from their
20 liter cans of MTF-94, so I sent the new fluid for analysis as well to make sure it was
the correct stuff (this time it was).
I'm hoping there was no bearing or synchro damage from running the LT-3 for
1,000 miles of fairly gentle driving, including two 60 mile legs, two 20 mile legs, lots of 10 mile legs,
and lots of shorter trips.

One interesting thing is this:
If you ask a MINI dealer's parts and service department if it's ok to run LT-3 in a Midlands transmission,
they'll look it up and tell you NO, you shouldn't do that.
If you tell a MINI dealer they sent LT-3 instead of MTF-94 for your Midlands transmission,
they'll say, oh, that's ok, we do that sometimes.

For comparison, the cSt 100C viscosity of MTF-94 is 10.5 with 3200 ppm Calcium (detergent/dispersant)
and 1700 ppm Zn and Phos (ZDDP anti-wear additives), but LT-3 has almost no Ca, very little
Zn and Phos, and the viscosity is only about 6.1. I don't think LT-3 has it's heart set on protecting
a Midlands transmission from bearing wear.
LT-3 is the specified fluid for 1st Generation 5 speed Getrags and 7/04 - 9/06 6 speed Getrags without LSD.
Redline MTL is very similar in makeup to MTF-94, btw.

 

Not to be a d1ck but you just analyzed on the periodic level the oil put in a transmission. Good information though I doubt anyone to go to the extent you have to confirm the oil in their case.

As long as you've documented everything extensively (as it seems), I believe if you were to have trouble on your transmission you would have enough evidence to prove in court a claim in your favor.

That's pretty hardcore effort on your part.

 

I just had a gnawing uncertainty about whether they put the wrong fluid in, and it
wasn't too much effort to collect 3 oz from the fill plug and send it in.
Oil analysis is $25 plus postage, the sample kit is free, and they run it and email you
the report the same day they recieve it if it gets there early enough.
3 liters of MTF-94 fluid to flush and refill plus an hour of labour adds up to about $170.
The wear numbers weren't too bad - Iron and Copper were about the same
as typical transmission oil after about 30,000 miles. That seems like a lot for oil
that had only been in for 1000 miles, but there was about 30% older oil in the
transmission mixed with the newer stuff.
The shop did flush and refill with the right stuff for free.

 

Man...all this talk about oil wear and periodic tables.....

WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND THIS:

• I initially grenaded my Midlands....to no fault of mine I speculate ....my shifter fork snapped a weld internally. I patched her up and drover her for about 5k miles when I blew fluid all over the freeway. I get towed by a buddy in another Mini..... Not thinking rash...I said...why the hell not...lets see how long the Mini's trans can hold up with NO fluid in the trans case (it had Redline prior). I drove that beotch for 2 weeks until a misfortune or lack of remembering a gear popout under acceleration....and I may say at SPEED onto an interchange and a 7k+ RPM spike...blew my poor Midlands like Jiffy Pop. May the poor whee Midlands R.I.P. 6-speed swap shortly after. Oh btw...you want to know where the fluid came from? A damn blown seal....bwahahahahahaha.....Irony at its best.
• Now onto my engine. Plain and simple....I havent changed my engine oil for roughly 80k miles. You would think it was gooed....but its not..lol. Car runs perfect....and when THAT motor goes....I will swap her out too....Good day to you sirs.....

 

I have to ask - why not?

It's easy to do, doesn't cost much. Are you just religiously opposed to changing the oil?

I'll admit - I change the oil more often than is really necessary. But that can't do any harm. Running the same oil for 80K miles can't be good.

 

IDK why really. I can change the oil in 15 minutes if I wanted to. Maybe its my toxic nature...lol. My thought is if I blow the motor...I blow the motor. I already have an S trans...might as well mate it to an S motor. Honestly, it runs great and I drive it like I stole it every day. Bugger just keeps taking the abuse. I have 105k on the odometer. The car will be sitting for a year coming up in a few weeks so it can rest then.....

 

The 6-speed swap was the best thing I have done so far. And as far as matching VINs...this isnt a '32 Ford or a '69 RS/SS.....Its a Mini Cooper....lmao.

 

Well, turns out the loud noises from my transmission are from some of the bearings that went out. So now I've got to get my midland's rebuilt. I wish I had to cash for a 6sp swap, but unfortunately that isn't happening. It'd also be nice if I lived in England where I could drive into the shop and have it fixed within 4 hours at a fraction of the cost.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Trans...ht_4602wt_1165

 

yeah, it looks like a good deal, but then you have to factor in all the other components needed for the switch, then labor. Then you're suddenly looking at >$4000