All, please excuse my ignorance of this matter, but I seem a bit confused. I purchased a 2002 Base Mini for my daughter and have been getting it on "my" maintenance schedule. So far have replaced plugs, coil, wires, filters, fluids, etc.
My dilemma is the transmission. While reading through the Haynes manual for info on changing the tranny fluid, it states that the CVT is a 5 speed automatic, but when I drive it in sport mode, there are 6 gears. I thought the S models had the 6 speed Japanese tranny in later production years. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

 

Per the 02 manual:

M/S + Ð Manual mode and Sport
program
Switch from D into M/S + Ð:
Activates the Sport program and indicates
SD in the gear indicator in the speedometer.
>Press briefly:
CVT shifts from the Sport program to the
manual mode
>Press selector lever briefly towards "+":
Transmission shifts upwards
>Press selector lever briefly towards "Ð":
Transmission shifts back.
1 to 6 appear in the gear indicator.

Personally I am not a fan of Haynes books. I had a Bentley manual for my Gen 1 MINI.

Make sure you get the correct fluid for the CVT.

See this: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...id-change.html

 

Thank you. I'll look into getting the Bentley manual. Haynes have always served me well for many years, for many different vehicles. I guess not for Mini's.

 

CVT= $6000 repair waiting to happen....

 

Lets hope not.

 

Technically the CVT is an infinite speed transmission.

 

+1 on the Bentley manual. Do make sure you get the correct fluid for a CVT- it's not regular ATF. Several have reported longer life than expected and better shifting using the Redline CVT fluid as opposed to the stock Esso fluid. Also, apparently it's kind of difficult but not impossible to "burp" the air out of the CVT after you fill it so you can get enough fluid in.

Again, do your research on here and elsewhere. I don't own a CVT MINI but I am fascinated by them.

And tell your daughter to enjoy her car. MINI's are a blast to drive!

Val

 

Thanks all. So far it's been a blast to drive. I've been taking it on country roads that I usually ride my bike on. This thing corners ridiculously!
Kinda gives me the idea that I should get another one for track duty...but, i have kids with a daughter on the doorstep of college, so, not a reality.
So far, it seems really easy to work on.
Next on the list is new brakes and rotors, new drive axles, and re-do the headliner as its starting to sag.
Thanks again.

 

More correctly, it's an infinately variable ratio transmission with, of course, an upper and lower limit. Computer control of the tranmission gives the illusion of different gears when "manually" shifting.

That said, the Mini CVT doesn't have a stellar reputation and I'd never own one. And if I was given one or inadvertently bought one, not knowing the problems they have, I'd sell it immediately before it failed and get Mini with a more conventional automatic. There's nothing fundamentally wrong with CVT's (I have one in a Nissan Murano and it's brilliant), but I wouldn't have a Mini CVT.

If someone has a Mini CVT and wants to keep the car, use the very best full synthetic CVT fluid you can. Redline would be my choice over factory. And change it FAR, FAR more often than you think you should. CVT's can be very hard on fluid and the fluid can rapidly loose it's lubricating properties as a result. I'd be tempted to change the fluid every 15,000 or sooner. And I'd still keep my fingers crossed.

 

The warnings mentioned here of the CVT are not unwarranted. The stepper motor on mine failed at around 120k miles and I decided to swap it with a 6-speed manual from an S, which was cheaper than putting in another CVT and should be much more robust. The longest I have heard a CVT making it is just under 200k miles, with most documented failures here on NAM coming much earlier than that. Hate to be a downer, but you should start planning for the day the transmission has problems or sell it while it's still working. Unfortunately shops are not trained to fix the internal components and thus the repair is the cost of complete replacement instead of whatever part happens to go wrong on it.

If you do change the fluid yourself, do be sure to use the Esso or Redline - my recommendation would be for the Esso if at all possible since it's the factory fill. Shifts were smooth with the Redline in mine, but it is also when the stepper motor went out. It could be coincidence, it might not be, there is no way to know for sure.

You will also need to reset the clutch and ratio adaptations. Not doing so could lead to premature failure of the box, and it's possible it led to mine failing sooner. This requires a diagnostic tool - I used a OBDII USB cable and INPA, which is BMW diagnostic and service software. Do not skip this step!