Hi folks.

Now that I've had my 05 MCS for a couple of weeks, I am really enjoying it. As I posted before, I still think that every new noise and squeak that I hear could be a huge problem, but I'm trying to keep it together. Nevertheless, tomorrow, I am taking the car out to Prestige MINI in New Jersey to have a look at a few things since the car is still under warranty for about 6 more weeks. The main thing is the flywheel rattle at idle. It's intermittent but definitely not my imagination. Also, when I go the oil changed last week the mechanic saw that there was evidence of small, dormant coolant leak. And the right rear wheel howls at highway speeds but maybe my new Kumho Ecsta non-runflats that UPS just dropped off will take care of that.

But, my main motivation for this post is to get some feedback on the way the 6-speed shifter feels. Disclaimer: I have not owned a manual transmission car before this MINI.

My impression was that about 3 or 4 days after I got the car I started to notice that the shifter itself felt like it was "binding" somehow going into gear. Going into 1st through 4th gear, I go to put it in and after getting it halfway in I feel that I have to give it a little extra shove to move it past "something". It feels like metal sliding past metal. If I'm idling, and I put the clutch in, it feels really simple and smooth moving it into any gear, but if the car is moving I get this totally different, stiffer and rougher feel through the shifter. At first I wondered if it was always like that, and I didn't notice because I was too caught up just driving the thing. Yesterday I even thought I had it in first and tranny didn't agree, kicking it out of gear when the light turned green. But, if I shift slowly, and somehow just right, it will drop into gear with almost zero drama.

I've read on these boards a lot of folks saying that the shifter is inherently "notchy", and I'm trying to grasp that, so can you guys contrast that with what I'm experiencing? I don't want to look like a total noob when I go to the dealer tomorrow and say "there's something wrong with the shifter"... maybe that's what they all feel like?

As far as my driving habits, I have never stalled the car, I don't slam the shifter around (at least not usually), and I ground the gears exactly once. I've misjudged RPMs on a few occasions, resulting in a little bog, or forcing the synchros to leap to action to catch up with a poorly timed downshift, but I would be a little surprised if I hurt something in 2 weeks.

What do you think?

 

Changing the tranny fuild may help with the "notchiness" Red line was what I went with. The tranny itself are really good I don't think you have done anything to hurt it. How many miles?

 

20,600 miles. I would hope it's just breaking in!

 

shifts to 1st are usually binding. I wouldn't worry about the rest unless it doesn't want to go in.
Manual transmissions tend to give you the "feel" as you really are changing gears.

 

I've driven manual all my life - '73 Super Beetle, '81 Audi 4000, '87 Porsche 944S, a few trucks and now a Mini '06 MCSc, which takes the cake for notchy and 2nd place for stiff clutch behind the Audi 4000. What I do to make the gear slide easier is rev-matching. Mine has LSD so I wonder if non-LSD shifts differently. Soon it will be in for new tranny oil to eliminate the LSD groan. Hopefully it shifts smoother.

I've read that Redline MTF helps with the notchy shifting so you may want to give it a try.

 

Not having previous experience with other manual transmissions your best bet is to ask a friend who does have experience to sit in your car and shift and tell you what they think. Or have the dealer rep check it out and tell you what they think. I would opt for the first option before the second, just in case the dealer was trying to avoid a warranty claim by ignoring how the shifter felt.

 

My non s manual has the same grabbiness. It feels too snug, like you have to work past some resistance? And the resistance seems to have more to do with the shifter than anything lower, right? Mine clears up in warmer weather and after the car warms up.

 

The notchiness is normal. I love that feeling. The Gen 2 car isn't as notchy and feels "sloppy" by comparison. Fresh tranny oil will smooth it out a bit, but it's not really an issue.

 

I don't like it. It feels like I'm slugging away at a lead channel, widening it or breaking it down with each gear change.

 

Nowhere near as notchy a a Ferrari tranny.

The resistance you are working against are the synchros. Double clutch on the way down and wait for the engine speed to slow on the way up before shifting. It'll be smooth as glass. No notchiness at all if you forego the use of the clutch entirely. (I'm too lazy to shift that precisely, so I opt for using the clutch).

 

Oh, don't get me started on those!
(no, just kidding. Never even seen one in person)

 

I think I've noticed that. Also better shifting if you "dump" into gears.

 

Yes. Definitely in the shifter itself, I doubt my passengers would realize I was feeling anything. But, mine doesn't seem to change with the car warming up.

Thanks for the responses. I'm starting to feel that I have a perfectly normal transmission. I'll panic when it doesn't move the car. I think I will put some Redline in it soon and see what happens.

 

I was telling my brother, who drives a manual Matrix, about how the shifter felt "notchy" to me and he said, "that sounds great. I wish my shifter felt like that."

I'm learning in this world.

 

Everything sounds normal to me. The only thing that worries me was the tranny "kicking out of" first gear. Just so I understand it completely, was this on a downshift or from a complete stop? Has it ever done that before? That is usually a symptom of a bad syncro. I highly doubt that is the case (may have just not had it in gear all the way) but it would be good to rule that out.

 

I may have the flywheel rattle also. Can you describe the sound? I have had my clutch replaced under warranty about a year ago and also run out of factory warranty in about 6 weeks.

 

I may have the flywheel rattle also. Can you describe the sound?

With the car running out of gear clutch is not pressed, do you hear a noise? if yes push the clutch in does the noise go away? if yes its the fly wheel.

 

Some of these have what is called a twin mass flywheel. I don't really know how these work but I am assuming it is meant to help balance the rotating mass with an inner mass in the flywheel. I have seen this type of assembly in some experimental airplanes that are used for mass balancing, but they don't have the ability to make noise.

I have never driven a car or motorcycle with a manual transmission that doesn't have some sort of pressure plate and clutch disc in conjunction with a flywheel. My best guess is that it is the bearing assembly used to release the pressure on the flywheel that is making noise, this is what is called a throwout bearing.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...76&hg=21&fg=05

These usually last a long time though. If the noise stops when the clutch is depressed it could be this or a bearing in the tranny when neutral is selected.

 

So I just drove back to Brooklyn from Prestige MINI in Mahwah, NJ - in an '09 Clubman loaner car. They are keeping my MCS over the weekend and are replacing, under warranty, the flywheel and clutch. Also they found a thermostat leak and an oil cooler leak that they are taking care of.

I have to say I am really impressed with the service I got there. ZERO attitude. I didn't have to ask twice, I told them about the flywheel, CASUALLY mentioned that the clutch has squeaked a couple times, and then got some breakfast next door. 45 minutes later they told me they would be doing all that work under warranty. Everyone treated me with respect and was very cheerful. Rosa, you know who you are.

There is a TSB about the flywheel, which I knew, and apparently one about the clutch too. As far as my notchy shifter, it's probably normal, but we'll see how things are once they replace the clutch.

Some Guy - I think it kicked out of gear because I didn't have it all the way in first. In fact I'm sure that's what it was. It's just that I thought it was in gear since I felt the lever meet some resistance, but it wasn't all the way there. The tech today said maybe the clutch wasn't disengaging all the way, so a new clutch may help, it if the clutch was not performing 100%. 99.9% of the time however, the car shifts fine.

burl and 03BRG - I posted right after I got my car a couple weeks ago about the "helicopter sound". Basically I have to be sitting a light or stop sign, with the radio off (no rain, either) to hear it. It's not a really loud noise. At first I thought it was just the sound of the engine running until I realized I could make it go away by pushing in the clutch. The noise is a choppy whirring sound, not unlike a helicopter going "dug dug dug dug dug dug". It sounds metallic and isn't causing noticeable vibrations, just that sound.

I have read here that the car does indeed have a Dual Mass Flywheel, and that is the part which they have issued the TSB for. I am assuming that is what they are replacing on my car. I think I read that the replacement flywheels are improved to avoid this in the future.

So yeah, in my case they immediately agreed it was the flywheel. No arguments. I was so glad. My first time bringing in a car I own to a dealer for warranty work and it was a perfect experience so far. I expect to get the car back on Tuesday. I feel very fortunate to have this work done, since I only have about 6 weeks left under warranty.

In the meantime, I will enjoy this brand new Clubman for a the weekend (but I miss my clutch pedal! It's auto).

 

Quick update - got my car back from Prestige MINI in New Jersey today. They put in a new dual mass flywheel and clutch. No more helicopter sound. The clutch feels good. Everyone at Prestige from the ladies at the front desk to the service advisor (Rosa) to the service manager (Matt) to the mechanic I spoke with were all friendly and treated me with respect. They got the work done exactly when they said they would and I was literally in and out of there in 10 minutes today with the pick-up. Thanks Prestige!

 

New FW & Clutch... good for you!!!

 

Ive been there a bunch of times to look at a few minis there and I have to say they are very nice there. They have events there too which is definitely cool. When we came there one day to tell them about a few problems my car has we apologized to the sales lady for not buying from them haha. she thought she was gonna make a sale.

Anyway, im glad to hear the work came out good. Ill be taking mine there for a new ball joint and coolant fix. Sounds like they do a good job.

on topic: I love the notchiness of the tranny, it feels sporty and BMW like. If you guys want notchy all you have to do is SIT in a M3 and go through the gears, THATS notchy. My 3rd gear is more nothcy then the others, but that kinda normal since 2nd-3rd is the toughest gear to shift into if your ripping on it. (I grinded 3 times within the first week I had the car to get used to it... now I havent grinded since)

 

Notchiness, eh? I like it. You can feel what is going on with the shifter in MINIs. The clutch would be better if it were stiffer.

The shifter in my brother's Honda Fit seems disconnected and gives no feed back. The clutch in that car is like stepping on a marshmellow.

 

I wonder if '06 MCSc has different clutch as mine is quite stiff... only 2nd to a 1981 Audi 4000 that had cable clutch.

 

Maybe you should do some more squats.

I had an '06 MCS loaner once - the service adviser let me take a manual one. That clutch was noticeably softer than my clutch. Come to think of it, this is probably because of my brake/clutch fluid - it is Motul RBF 600.