So, I purchased my first Mini last weekend, a 2002 Cooper S with 94,500kms and a history of 2 young male owners. The car is in great condition considering it's age but I can only imagine the abuse the transmission has taken. The 1st to 2nd gear changes feel somewhat rough and I can occasionally hear a chunky, almost momentary vibration when gearing up to 2nd. 3rd is less obvious but slightly harsh. I've already changed the tranny fluid to Castrol Synthetic without a noticeable reduction in noise or roughness.

The car is well past it's warranty and I've heard that dealers doesn't repair or service Mini transmissions, they just replace them. Is this true? Has anyone had experience with servicing 6-speed tranny syncros in southern Ontario and the name/contact at the shop? I can only presume AAMCO and Mr Transmission would be a good start but every location is different and I'm looking for positive feedback before committing.

Otherwise I'd look at replacing the transmission, and if I'm going to do that I'd like to know if anyone has heard of a suitable aftermarket 6-spd tranny with higher gear ratios? I believe it already comes with a Getrag, so I can only imagine that would be top of the line already, right?

Thanks for any insight or experiences shared...

 

Mine makes noise from the linkage shifting from 1 to 2 and i never thought much of it it is a little bit more balky then other gears but its not a big deal in my book.

 

I'm a Automatic owner with that Steptronic thing... When shifting from 1 to 2 @ 5k rpms its kinda harsh.

But I've held the rev at 7k rpms and pull on the paddle and its less harsh(when in manual mode), maybe keeping the revs up helps? **or I may be killking my tranny :(**

I'm sure more experienced memebers can comment .

 

It might be a good time to upgrade to a dog engagement. Quaife makes them, and they offer different gear ratios too. http://www.quaife.co.uk/Mini-Cooper-...gement-gearkit

However, it is quite expensive. But at least you wouldn't have to worry about syncros anymore.

 

The auto is going to shift pretty harsh under load. Unfortunately it's still a 50 year old design with a torque converter. It still has to lock and unlock. Holding the RPM's means most of the load is removed. Accelerating loads the transmission/engine again.