I bought a used 2009 JCW with about 15000 miles on it.

The guy I bought it from said he had the clutch replaced but I don't see any paperwork in the pile he gave me and replaced at less than 15k miles seems odd.

When I'm driving down the road, 35mph and 3k rpm or somewhere around there, if I step on it hard (and don't down shift) the engine revs up to like 5 or 6k but the car only accelerates a little and then the rpm falls back down to 3.5k or so and the car starts to accelerate faster - like there's some slippage going on.

Also, when I start from a stop in first gear, sometimes theres a bit of a noise that sounds like squeaky brakes but its brief and the clutch doesn't feel very grabby and there's some slight vibration.

Any advice? I've never had to replace a clutch in my life so I'm not sure if its just worn (at 15k really?) or if something else is wrong? Whats with the vibration? Could my clutch be misaligned or something?

Thanks!

 

Call a MINI dealer with the VIN (last 7 digits) and they can pull the service records.

 

Presuming that you're not touching the clutch pedal throughout your engine rev, this is a classic description of the behavior of a worn-out clutch...

 

Bummer...

Not touching the clutch pedal while accelerating.

What about the vibration and slight squeakage? Is that normal for a worn clutch?

 

Sounds like it to me. If the clutch was replaced at 15K the guy had to beat the crap out of the clutch at the very least and maybe the car as well.

From the sounds of it I don't think the guy replaced the clutch. Rather he sold you a car that needs the clutch replaced.

15000 miles on a 2009 car is really low mileage. I don't know what you paid for the car but even if the clutch is bad you may have a decent deal as long as the motor isn't trashed.

Have you had the car inspected top to bottom? If not it may be worth it to take it to the dealer and have it inspected. Since the car is still under factory warranty you should be in good shape. They will also have the service records.

 

It runs fantastic - aside from the clutch. It's definitely quite a bit more powerful than a stock JCW. I think he may have done some software upgrades but when I eyeball the engine, it appears stock. The previous owner also got the extended warranty and the pre-paid service thing which I believe covers oil changes and minor, medium and major services.

I have a service appointment on the 28th.

 

Sounds like a good deal. Be prepared for the Dealer to claim abuse on the clutch and possibly a balk to repair it under warranty. Typically a clutch will not go out for closer to 100K so they may suspect abuse.

I have no way of knowing this it's just a guess on my part. Without knowing the history of the car it impossible to tell. If it was abused there will be signs of it on the clutch itself. It could be just a defective clutch as well. Stranger things have happened that's for sure.

Good luck with the car. The JCW's are a real hoot. It's nice to have the extra HP.

 

Sorry to hear that angryBits. It is concerning how many people are reporting premature clutch problems. I've never seen it to this extent with any other car I've owned. Hopefully between your extended warranty and maintenance warranty, they won't give you any hassle.

 

if its been re flashed you will be in trouble with warranty

 

Remember though.....the clutch is NOT covered under the warranty, not even the (Mini) extended warranty. It is considered to be a normal wear item like the brakes, and MAY be covered by the maintenance agreement. It theoretically depends on what they find on teardown. My JCW, with slipping clutch @ 26k mi., is currently at the dealer awaiting parts. I have the extended maintenance agreement. I also have my fingers crossed.

 

Well, that's a bit of a gray area where the clutch is concerned. The clutch would be covered under the warranty when it comes to manufacturing defects; but what you said is otherwise accurate. At least that's how MINI seems to view it... And which is why they rely on the all-purpose "owner abuse" dodge when you bring them a faulty clutch...

 

But it still could be defective. But unlikely.

 

Every time I hear a clutch story on here, it makes my blood boil. Regardless of what you may read on here, I don't think failing clutches is a very common issue on MINI's, but it does happen some.
I've had three BMW's, including two M cars, and when clutches failed during the warranty/free maintenance timeframe, they were routinely replaced without any question (not my cars, just others on Bimmer forums.) What I hear about MINI is that they usually try everything within their power NOT to fix it for free, it's the customer service philosophy here that's lacking. I hope to never find myself in this situation, but a failed clutch during the warranty/maintenance period should just be replaced, whether perceived "abuse" is an issue or not.

 

if it makes you feel any better, I was honest with my service advisor at my dealership and told him what I have done to the car, in which case I DO have my car tuned. But I know how to drive, never have tracked my car, and certainly do not drive like a maniac/beat the crap out of my car. I underlined these statements as I told him my clutch was starting to slip at a premature 20,000 miles. He was a nice guy, and pretty lenient when it came to mods. Eventually, he said he will replace my clutch for free as a "good gesture." Oh, and I also mentioned how I did some research online and found many JCW owners that also had premature clutch failures and that they got them replaced by their dealers to back up my case. All in all, I really think it has to do with who you talk to at your dealership. Good luck!

 

I believe the clutch should be a covered item under the 7yr 100,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty as are the brakes.

 

Update:

I got an appointment and brought my car into the dealership on December 28th. They test drove the car and agreed that the clutch and potentially the flywheel were in need of replacement. They said to confirm they would need to take apart the transmission which would cost $1300 and then another $1700 to fix (total $3k).

They said it isn't covered by warranty as the clutch is a standard wear item. They said it may be covered because of my extended pre-paid maintenance plan but because of the low mileage it's likely that the clutch was warn due to abuse and probably won't be covered.

That was the last thing I heard when I left the car with them the morning of Dec 28. However, evening of Dec 29, I got a call saying the clutch and flywheel had been replaced at no charge. Merry Christmas to me!

This was San Francisco BMW/MINI @ 1675 Howard st. in SF.

 

Great news Angrybits!!!