Mini Cooper D 2011, 6 Gears.

When downshifting from any gear to any gear, but especially to 2nd gear, it feels like the gear hardly goes in.
It depends on the speed I downshift though, if I am at 15kmh and switching to 2nd gear it will go smooth. But if I am, however 25-30kmh it will be harder and it is still too early for 3rd gear.

When I switch gears up, I don't notice the problems. Does anyone else experienced the same? and has an idea to solve it?

p.s. - In the beginning I didn't know that I shouldn't downshift to 1st gear and I did that at 10kmh for example and it was HELL. I had to literally push it really hard inside. However, I don't do it anymore, since some people told me I shouldn't ever downshift to 1st gear. But point is that every gear lower it is harder to downshift into.

 

We don't get the D in this market, but it sounds to me like your clutch is dragging. Either you have a bad slave cylinder, air in the system, or a bad clutch that isn't releasing all the way.

The reason it works OK on the upshift is that speeds of the repective gears are more closely matched on upshift and the synchros can make up the difference in speed easily.

Do you have trouble going into reverse? does it ever grind going into 1st or reverse?

When the clutch is right, you should be able to downshift into first at 10KMH with no problem.

You car is still in the warranty period for your market, right? If so take it to your dealer and have them check it out for you.

 

As he said, there are no diesel MINIs in this end of the world. We hired one on vacation recently and we didn't have that problem. It shifted as well as an pretrial MINI we've driven.

 

You are using the clutch when you shift aren't you

I have not driven a diesel, but with the manual trans, you should be able to downshift into ANY gear at ANY speed as long as the gear you are going into does not take you into an over-rev condition, even without rev matching if done gently.

 

Well, I wouldn't make a habit of shifting into 1st at 20 mph just because you can, but your point is right.

There's obviously something wrong with the clutch......

 

Yes, I push the clutch till the end for sure.
Tomorrow will go garage and post you the result..

 

Not that I normally do it, but...Knowing that my rev-limiter kicks is at ~40 in first, while doing 50 in 4th, I depressed the clutch and easily slipped the trans into 1st. It went in very smoothly. And, no I didn't let the clutch out, I just wanted to see if I could do it.

So I am sure you dealer will find the problem is your clutch. Unless of course, there is something amiss in your trans.

 

Austin, just because you CAN do something is certainly no reason to do it.

We call people like you new transmission owners...