Im currently looking at a 2003 mini cooper s with 42k miles. The clutch has not been replaced yet and im wondering what mileage they are typically going at. I have been scouring around the internet and found many horror stories. Could some people post how long their current clutch has lasted for the first generation mini s?

 

57k and still fine.

 

Service records say mine went around 20K and was replaced under warranty.

 

My stock clutch had to be replaced when the throwout bearing started grinding and sticking. It only had 32,000 miles on it, but the disk was in great shape. Then I had a SPEC stage 2 clutch untill it melted to the pressure plate 8,000 miles later. I have a new OEM kit in now with about 1,200 miles on it and it's working, but I miss the performance of the SPEC stage 2 clutch.

 

Funky throw-out bearings notwithstanding, clutch life is too dependant on driving style and usage to make a blanket statement about how long they'll last.

I recently worked on a '04 MCS with a touch over 50K miles and the clutch was shot... car was(is) barely drivable... our '03 MCS has 66K miles and feels little different than our '07 MCc with less than 5K. My daily driver (non-MINI) has 160K on the OE clutch... my old Acura had 229K on the OE clutch when I traded it.

 

My '03 MCS is just over 70K with the original clutch, and all is well...

 

clutch and (glazed) dual mass flywheel replaced under warranty at 25K, 2005 S. although the flywheel was pretty messed up, the clutch itself was OK, but the dealer's policy is to replace both at the same time.

$2,900 including new master slave cylinder

 

126K and still fine. (Knock wood. )

 

Wow

Mine is at 50k... still good

 

DOuble WOW !!!
My 2003 MCS is at 78000+ and still going strong also. (Fingers crossed and knocking on wood)

 

And considering I've been on spirited runs with geowit, that's saying something!

 

90k miles (145k KM - Canada eh!) on my first clutch. lots of track days and city driving too! feels strong too.

I think this is very dependant on the driver (user) find someone that thinks they have parts faulty/wearing and drive with them for a while.. explains some things.

phil.

 

'05 R53 S - OEM clutch died at 25K miles. Glazed disc, replaced under warranty no questions asked. Second clutch seems to be holding up well @ 40K miles. Time will tell if this one will outlast the factory clutch. My opinion of the German LuK sourced MINI OEM clutch kits = CACA I have been driven manual transmission cars for well over 20 years with no problems. The factory clutch on my R53 was "BABIED" and these clutches do not seem to respond well to that. The second replacement clutch I am pounding like mad and seems to be holding up GREAT.

 

did they use the dual mass fly wheel in all the 1st gens?

 

21k and mine is just starting to noticeably slip.

 

54k miles and daily abusive launches... still good.

 

Got my MCS with 40,000, and now have 57,000. Clutch is doing just fine with aggressive driving. I've typically had good results with clutches lasting on most of my cars...

 

I replaced mine @ 66,000. I drive very aggressively and really wanted a spec 2 and lightweight flywheel. It was starting to slip, but no serious problems. $1,500.00 for the clutch upgrade.

 

Yes.

 

Hey nabe - how are ya!

How stiff is a SPEC 2 comp to OEM?

I dislike stiff clutches.... Hurts my foot after a while (getting old).

 

70k and still doing fine.

 

75k and no problems - mileage includes about 150 autocross runs

the original clutch was replaced when the Quaife went in at 21,000 miles, just as a preventative measure and to reset the "wear clock".

 

Replaced the clutch in my '04 MCS at 134,000.
Dad taught me well!

Jim

 

To me, aggressive driving and clutch abuse is two different things. A person with good technique can drive aggressively and not harm the clutch much at all.

A person just driving to work and back can ruin a clutch very quickly with poor technique.

The only time there should be any wear on a clutch is moving from a dead stop. Every gear shift, up or down or anything else should be practically no wear, if done properly.

I ride with people whose clutch technique is totally abusive and they don't realize it at all. They depress the clutch every time they touch the brakes, even at highway speed. That of course causes them to have to let it back out with less than perfect speed match.

They over rev the engine when moving from a stop and feather the clutch forever until they get rolling, argh.

They hold the car on hills with clutch/gas balance.

When coming to a 90 degree street turn (no stop sign or red light) where you should already be in the correct gear long before the corner and just touch the brakes as necessary with the clutch engaged and make the turn and be back on the gas.... these people I ride with, very nice, wonderful people btw, will push in the clutch and coast around the corner, then let the clutch out (another wear session), realize they are not in the correct gear, then clutch, change gears, clutch out again, more wear, etc. These people are not young drivers... they have driven clutches all their lives and just consider replacing the clutch every 30-40 K a normal thing.

I not criticizing, just make an observation about how some people drive who are abusive to their clutches and don't realize it.

Anyway, I hope to see a bunch of you at MOTD next week.

Stop me and we can sit and chat and complain about everything there is about everyone else we know .

'YD' on the back window of my 06 CR/W MCS.

 

So it seems that beating the hell out of the clutch will make it last well into the 100,000's miles?

Been driving stick shift for 22 years. I agree with all the points stated above. When I have passengers in my car they never feel any shifts. I drive smoothly, rev match to perfection and use combination engine braking power and brakes to stop the car from highway speeds.

I am not convinced 100% that the MINI OEM clutch is such a high quality piece. Seems to me its reliability is either hit or miss. It either lasts 100K miles or dies on you before 30K miles.