Anyone else feel stupid like myself when attempting to quickly put shifter into 1st from a stop only finding reverse instead? Has happened more than once and what a surprise to the vehicle behind me ! 1st and reverse just too close together in the pattern I feel.

 

I did this several times in the first week of ownership, but haven't done it since. I think it comes as habit from my prior 4 speed experience, where reverse was on the opposite side and first was the only thing over there.

How long have you had your car?

 

I haven't had that happen to me yet (New Owner), but I have been afraid that it could happen. To help keep myself from doing that, I've been putting the car into second (with the clutch depressed) as I wait for a light change. Then I move the shift **** into first just when I start off. I seem to find first best this way.

 

im worried about this happening to me too.... my last car had reverse on the other side!

 

I did it twice but noticed it went way too far to the left. one thing i learn is to make sure all the pressure it straight to the left when you go into first. You have to pull it back just slightly to get into the reverse position.

 

What he said.

 

How funny would that look? Your lined up at the red light, a civic si pulls up next door and acknowledges it's on... you rev it up... 3,500... ready to drop the clutch, notice the opposing traffic light is just changed from yellow to red.. you count-down......5, 4, 3, 2, 1 .. you dump the clutch, aimed straight to the next light, and your car violently goes backwards, you slam your head into the steering wheel, just micro-seconds before your brand new MCS goes up and over the hood of the brand new Z06 that was behind you.

But wait, the damage on your forehead and the Z06 isn't that bad, your relieved, but then you realize you have to get the MINI off the hood and that is where the real damage comes in as the entire nose cowl is ripped off the front of the Vette. Then the girlfriend who noticed you were going to race the Civic, politely informs you she was going to record it on her new Blackberry and got the accident in full.

Sorry, but it could happen.

 

I find that when I need to put the car in reverse, there is some resistance when you pull the **** to the left. You sort of have to push past the resistance to get it into reverse. Maybe you're just pulling the **** a little to hard to the left?

 

hmm... ive never done this. I feel like going to reverse requires a very significant effort to pull to the left over first gear making it very easy to avoid.

You should never have to force the stick in any direction... except when going into reverse.

 

Happened to me when I needed to get into 1st quickly. Haste overcame the gate resistance of Reverse.

 

Same here...I have to really give it a pull to get it in reverse. Everything else is effortless. Maybe I just need to hit the gym more

 

I still get it sometimes, but I'm used to it from years of BMW ownership. (it's a bmw thing really).

 

I've found myself in reverse instead of 1st more than once, while the MINI was still pretty new. After 9k miles my problem seems to have gone away.

 

Had the opposite embarrassment on my test drive since my MA hadn't yet told me you have to apply a bit more push to get into reverse. So, trying to be delicate with someone else's car, I went straight into third and stalled out. Felt like I was a kid learning stick all over again (but wasn't that fun? especially stalling on an incline right in front of a cap that one time)

 

I did it a few times but caught it before I released the clutch. I'm suprised at how effortless it is to put in reverse; guess I shouldn't have lifted weights. Personally I think it's better that the reverse gear on the left side of the gate instead of the right side; imagine going 60 mph and shifting into reverse instead of 5th.

 

I have done this a few times. Luckily my inner ear caught it before the car moved too far. Considering that the gate (yeah, I know its not really gated, indulge me) for reverse is further back (on mine at least) than the gate for the rest of the gears, I am surprised that it happens at all, and blame myself for being a butterfingers.


But, to take a little of the blame off of me: Why doesn't BMW use some sort of lock out? I've used many good systems on much worse cars. The last car I drove without one was a 3-speed, on a '65 column-shift truck. Any of either a push down ****, pull up lever, or even the dreaded "you may only shift into reverse from first" lockout would be slightly safer. Is there a technical reason for this?

 

I ground the gears on the Mazda on Saturday when I tried to shift into 6th. Alas, it has only 5 gears and that is where reverse is. Very bad feeling.

 

I've shifted into reverse a few times by accident. Generally when I'm trying to go between first and reverse quickly in the driveway or in a parking lot. Hasn't been an issue on the road.

 

I always pre-shift into 2nd before I go to first if I have been idling at the light in neutral. Two times of almost ...uh...front ending the car behind me was enough to make this an instinctive habit.

IMHO, there should be a "press down" mechanical action to put the darn thing into reverse, but that's just me.

 

Mine requires considerable pressure to the left to get into reverse. Enough so that accidentally or unconsciously doing it would be highly unlikely.

 

Mine also feels like it requires considerable pressure to the left when you're sitting there deliberately testing it, certainly more than you think you'd ever apply without meaning to, but in practice it's still not particularly difficult to get it over there accidentally.

 

Yea, I have been doing this as a matter of habit for almost 40 years. It sure reduces the risk of going to revers by mistake.

 

Yes; always feel stupid when I do this, especially since I"ve been driving manual trans for so long now! Every day we have to pass through a (real!) gate to get onto the military post, but we have to stop and show identification first. I feel a real RUBE when i accidently kick it into reverse instead of first (I usually do the second-gear thing too, but always double check myself.) Ah well. Just shrug it off.

I REALLY felt bad though, when I drove my buddy's MC cabrio - which only had 5 gears! - and felt like I just about dropped the transmission putting it into reverse!

I think BMW/Mini does the "resistance" "gate" because it's a much smoother transition than the push-down or knock-in type. BMW IS supposed to be a luxury car, right? ANyway...I guess the amount of resistance depends on how much you've been working out at the gym, right?? That must mean, so we don't feel like idiots putting into reverse accidently, we must STOP working out with weights, and do MORE fast twisty driving for that upper-body workout.

 

Wow, I'll have to watch for this. As a BMW owner I've been lucky enough never to do this (and to remember which car I'm in, since my dying Maxima has reverse down & right). Fellow BMW veterans- is the MINI tranny that much easier to pop into reverse? Didn't seem that way on the test drive.

 

The husband has had an '04 BMW 330i and an '07 BMW 335i -- I've had an MCS '04 and an MCS '07...All four feel the same going into reverse. THe BMW may have a little more resistance, but I may just be really used to it now.