Was happy to finally take delivery of the new MINI. Everything was great for about a week until Thursday morning upon starting and attempting to put into reverse I heard a loud clunking noise and the car died. Subsequent error messages were displayed mentioning a drivetrain malfunction and something about chassis destabilization, if I remember correctly. Was able to start it after a minute or so and the computer said to "drive moderately" and seek service.


Dropped off at MINI dealer and it has been there ever since. Service advisor has apparently been communicating with offsite MINI engineers and they're still trying to determine the problem. Sounds like half of them think it was a simple computer glitch, while the other half thinks something could actually be wrong. Irritating either way.


Any other similar issues out there?

 

Frustrating for sure, hope the techs can figure it out, and fix it. Let us know of the final outcome.


Your car looks very similar to mine, very nice.

 

Afraid I can't help with your problem, but know I would be depressed we're it I.

On another note...is your car Moonwalk Grey ?

it looks fantastic ,

 

Thanks. It is Moonwalk Gray. Didn't have time to order one with my exact specs, but this one comes pretty close.

 

SWEET !! I really got to see one in the "flesh!"

Good luck with your service hope it is a computer glitch!

 

Dr. Mini. Sorry to hear that. Look on the bright side though - it will be fixed. My MA was telling me how he was in his new F56 S when a huge truck ran over his hood and crushed it almost flat! They have not written it off - so now he has to wait for it to be repaired knowing it is no longer a factory finish and definitely not as good as new.
They will replace all the faulty parts on your car and it will be...."As Good as New"!
Love the color BTW.

 

I had this same error occur to me... But no clunking.. And the error went away after 10 minutes of driving. Hasn't returned..

Good luck.

 

This same thing happened to me on Saturday. In addition to the drivetrain malfunction message, it would sometimes say I was below the minimum oil level and to add 1 quart of oil. Since there is no dipstick in the engine, I couldn't confirm this but there had been no prior indication of oil use. Then, that message would disappear. I had it towed to the dealership yesterday. They are checking it out.

 

"Since there is no dipstick in the engine, I couldn't confirm this"

This is going to a problem.

 

Can you shed more light on this? A huge truck ran over his hood? While it was attached or detached? I had this image of a monster truck with 6' tires crushing the entire front end like a pancake. LOL. I'm trying to figure out what actually happened.

 

Often on startup and until the oil temp goes up, if you use the oil check function it will say "low oil". Once up to operating temps, that goes away and it says "OK". You do not get a true reading until oil is warmed/some mileage done. If you check it after you have been driving a while, and it says "low oil", I would be concerned (or just add some or all of a litre/quart you should have with you anyway).

 

Did it look like this? Because if so I'm now in the same boat. No clunking or stalled engine, but the warning came up today when parking. I switched off the ignition and restarted the car and it disappeared. Called the dealership and they told me not to worry about it unless it shows up again.

 

Ugh, not good. A friend's F56 Cooper/auto had the very same issue. It has been at the dealer for over 3 weeks now with engineers/MINI working on it and no clue what is wrong. She had an "Engine/Drivetrain Malfunction" warning appear on her screen with a overview pic of a MINI with a red engine and trans. I noticed that yours is an 'S' model, so it may be a transmission issue. Argh, those dang AISIN transmissions!!!!

 

No dipstick.... I was under the impression that all cars without dipstick had a virtual dipstick to Check the oil level, I have an Audi with the virtual one and that's how I know the oil level, I check it Avery week. Good luck with your MINI I hope you get it back soon

 

My f56 mcs check drive train soon warning came on today. I have 1800 miles and it is an auto did you guys get the same warning? Anyone find the solutions yet?

 

Mine is a manual. Talked to the service department late this afternoon again. They aren't sure what caused this. They are logging a PUMA (?) with BMW. They say all looks fine mechanically and electrically. I reemphasized my concern on being told to add a quart of oil when I had no way to confirm the oil level. Oh well, they assure me all will be fine shortly. I want to believe...

 

In my friend's case, PUMA replied saying that there is no fix at this time and the vehicle should be released back to the customer until a resolution is known. She has had the MINI shut off on her a dozen or so times when trying to back out of her driveway, so she is not taking the vehicle back until it's fixed.

 

Could you explain a PUMA to me so I can have the dealership on the same page as everyone else? I want to make sure my case is documented properly as well.

 

If your dealership does not know what PUMA is, then you need to find a new dealer STAT!

If your dealer is communicating with the engineering/logistics team in NJ, they are doing it via a PUMA case so that the issue and correction are documented with the manufacturer.

I would like to also note that the warning screen you posted is NOT the same as the "drivetrain malfunction" warning being discussed here, so your MINI may have a completely different issue which should be appropriately documented and communicated by your dealer/technician to MINI.

 

wow....I am sorry to hear about you'r friend! hope she'll get it fix soon. my drives perfectly fine. no strange sound or stalling. This is my first Mini I love the way this car performs.
I am bringing in the car to the dealer tomorrow morning hoping they can shed some light on this check drive train soon message on the car.

 

A PUMA case is a case in which they contact BMW/MINI troubleshooters/engineers. You send them what info you have and they give you specific test plans to follow. Then write back with the findings and repeat process until issue is resolved. I have seen that error message before but vehicle didn't die. Just had erroneous faults that had no legitimacy, updated with newest programming software and fault did not return. Hope this helped.

 

If the latest model doesn't have a dip stick does it at least have an easy way to add fluid or have they left it the same as previous models

 

Not sure what you mean? To add oil, you just do the normal, unscrew the "oil" cap and pour it in. Do not add it until the system tells you to add "1 litre". No dipstick, so can't check it as you add. It sometimes takes a bit of driving before the electronic oil check shows the corrected level. At least, that is how BMWs system works. I am more familiar with BMW than MINI.

 

Sorry should have been more clear. I was referring to the autos ATF.

 

Our F56 automatic did this for the first time this morning. The screen said "drivetrain malfunction". We took it to the dealer immediately. It seemed to drive normally.