Love my new MCS...all is well...have 350 miles on it and got it just a week ago...but find shifting in reverse hard to do...is this the normal soon to loosen up gear box that new cars have or do I have a problem.
Thanks,
JKD :???:

 

I picked up my MCS 2.5 weeks ago. I never noticed it being hard to put into reverse. I have noticed that the gearbox has loosened up over the 900 miles that I have put on it.

I have heard from other MCS owners that it should loosen up for you over time. If it does not, take it to the dealer.

 

This same topic came up a few weeks ago. The gate is a little stiff. Try putting the shifter into second and see if that makes it easier for you to get it into the gate. That's what I normally do. It's a habit I developed from my Datsun Roadster days. Enjoy your new baby!

 

1 - The gearbox will loosen up a bit with use.
2 - You'll get used to it and it'll be come plenty easy.

Trust me, you want it a bit hard to get into reverse. It

should take extra effort. As it is I almost downshifted into reverse from 2nd when trying to downshift into first during an autocross.

Enjoy your MINI!

 

Reverse *was* kinda balky up to 800 miles or so. Rest assured, the entire gearbox gets "smoother" as the miles go by.

One thing I did was to sit in my car in the garage and practice putting it into reverse. You'd be suprised how much this helps both you and, probably, the break-in of the gearbox. The correct downward pressure (i.e.; straight down, not forward or backward) on the shift level before you move left and up seems to help find the gate easily.

My two pence,

Theo

 

I'd agree with Koopah. You might want to have some practice sessions, because, although the gearbox *does* loosen up over time, I really feel that it's more a matter of getting used to the motion. The way I taught myself to do it easily (this works for me...maybe not for others) was to make my hand flat...like you're going to slap something...then turn your hand so that your palm is facing directly to the left. Place your hand so that the right side of the shifter "ball" is about three inches to the left of your hand. Now SLAP that ball to the left until it won't go any further and then push straight up! It's now in reverse. If you do this same motion without the hard slap, then you'll end up in first every time.

Enjoy.

 

I just went in for my 10k service and mentioned the hard shifting into reverse issue on my car. They are putting in a new tranny. I think I heard of someone else getting a new tranny over this issue. I will let you all know how the new one works out.

Andy

 

>>Place your hand so that the right side of the shifter "ball" is about three inches to the left of your hand. Now SLAP that ball to the left until it won't go any further and then push straight up! It's now in reverse. If you do this same motion without the hard slap, then you'll end up in first every time.


I agree: you have to slap it.

 

>>1 - The gearbox will loosen up a bit with use.
>>2 - You'll get used to it and it'll be come plenty easy.
>>
>>Trust me, you want it a bit hard to get into reverse. It
>>
>> should take extra effort. As it is I almost downshifted into reverse from 2nd when trying to downshift into first during an autocross.
>>
>>Enjoy your MINI!


The above is so true. Think how bad it would be to shift into reverse by accident.

When I first got my S in March, I thought it was hard to get it into reverse gear, now it is a piece of cake. So either it got easier or I just learned how to do it more efficiently.

jc

 

Hmm... Is this the first car you've owned with this shift pattern? I rarely drive JerseryGirl's MCS, but I've never noticed reverse being difficult to get into. Then again, my Jetta, her M3 and her old Passat all have the same shift pattern. When we first started datingand I was driving an old Integra (R down and to the right), I found reverse hard to engage when driving her cars.

 

Get yourself a Whalen Shift ****. Its a great product for many reasons, not the least of which is that it makes reverse much easier to find.

 

This topic always amuses me for the simple fact that I can't think of a single situation in which you would need to smoothly shift into reverse.

I use two hands or the slap, whichever suits my level of agression at the time. I'd much rather have to overcome the detent than slip it into reverse when I really wanted 1st...

 

I have about 13k miles on the car and going into Reverse is still really tough when the car is cold, like say in the morning. It's annoying but it's just reverse.. oh well. What is more annoying is that clack sound when going 1-2 on the getrag, things just feel different with that shift compared to the others, but it might be my imagination.

 

My reverse gate is also really stiff. It is definitely much stiffer than any BMW shifter I've ever driven.
The beauty of it is that my female friend can't get it into reverse, so she can't back it out of my
garage. That way she won't be borrowing my car anytime soon :smile:

I found that it was easier to pop my shift **** off than to put my shifter into reverse........

 

My '04 MCS has 1,900 miles and I have found that the gearbox engages reverse much easier than during the first few hundred miles of use. I personally have no problems engaging the reverse gear and have learned the proper technique to do so.

The best way to engage reverse is to put your palm in the same position as if you were going to shake hands with someone else, then do a gently but firm thud movement towards you and voila! you are in reverse. There is no need to break off the shifter...

I have found that the reverse is easier to engage when it is located in the lower right gate in the shifter quadrant. the Cooper 5-speed has the reverse gate under the 5th gear gate.

If you do it right, you will never have a problem and shifting your MCS in and out of reverse will become second nature.

 

>>This topic always amuses me for the simple fact that I can't think of a single situation in which you would need to smoothly shift into reverse.
>>

Try parallell parking in San Francisco!

 

This topic always amuses me also. Coming from the BMW world, a detented dog-leg reverse is normal and expected. Hearing all these complaints about effort to overcome the detent and accidentally shifting into reverse is downright hilarious. To all the BMW gearbox newbies:

#1. Go sit in the drivers seat of your MINI Cooper S (Cooper's don't apply since they have that other reverse style)
#1b. Make sure to have your clutch pushed to the floor throughout (duh!)
#2. Kick, punch, slap, arm wrestle, bulldoze, molest....do anything it takes to get used to the feel and effort required to shift into reverse. My best analogy is to do an arm-wrestling style motion to the left to overcome the detent.
#2a. Sometimes the detent is higher effort than others; pull the shifter over to past neutral to the 5-6 gate to "backup before ramming" and then let 'er rip with the "body slam" arm-wrestle.
#3. After getting past the detent, simply HOLD that effort to the left, and also push forward.
#4. You have now successfully engaged Reverse, YAY!
#5. REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT until you can engage reverse without thinking twice
#6. Exit the MCS, come back here and say you were just being a pre-conslusive toolbar.
#7. During future Motoring, DO NOT EVER repeat the "arm-wrestle" manuever while driving (unless you're trying to spend money quickly).



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