i just ordered my 2005 cooper with cvt from mini of manhattan and was told some very interesting information regarding the break-in period. i was told that for the first 500 miles the car cannot exceed 90 mph - which sounded normal to me. but then i was told i am free to use the steptronic mode on the very day i leave the lot! this goes against everything i have read about waiting until 1200 miles to use the sd setting and steptronice mode. can anyone confirm?

thanks - drew

Drew, my wife owns a '02 Cooper CVT with 24K miles. Great car and I hope you enjoy it as much as we have enjoyed ours.

The CVT requires 1,250 miles to properly break-in (The Cooper 5-speed and MCS also have the same exact mileage break in restriction). That means do not exceed speeds of 90MPH and do not rev the engine past 4,500, so it is recommended not to use the "Sport" and "Steptronic" modes of your CVT transmission during that time.


Also for the first 300 miles, you have to be careful with your brakes (Avoid hard braking whenever possible) and go easy on the tires as well so they "set in" properly on the threads.

Following these steps will ensure a very enjoyable and troublefree ownership experience.



If you have any other CVT related questions, feel free to send me a PM.

I agree with Cooper4us. The important thing is to keep the engine speed down, and the only reason not to use SD or Steptronic is because in those modes there is a good chance you will exceed 4k revs. I decided not to take that risk myself and kept it in D until I passed 1250 miles. It's tempting to go into SD before then, but try to resist!

thanks so much for all the advice everyone. i guess seeing as i have two and half months to get myself prepared i should be able to convince myself to follow the rules!; )


cheers - drew

Is switching into SD mode as simple as switching the lever to the right? Can it be done while you're in regular driving mode while on the freeway? Sorry, had to ask. I just barely passed 1250.

Yes. Changing modes can be done at any time, any speed. A key thing to remember is the transmission "learns" your driving habits. If you manually shift ALL the time, the transmission will behave that way (more jerky) even in normal mode. If you drive it 90% of the time and someone else only 10%, it may not "perform" the way the 10% driver expects because the car is not used to their style.

Check with minihune and others, but I'm pretty sure this is correct.
Cheers,
J-Didi

Not only is it okay to switch between D and SD while you're moving, but also between SD and the different "gears" in steptronic mode. Furthermore, when you do shift "gears" in steptronic, or switch between the three modes, it works best if you do not let off the throttle. Having driven manual transmissions for years, when I first tried steptronic mode I let off the gas each time I changed "gears"...which resulted in lots of jerking. When you keep your foot on the gas while shifting, it is perfectly smooth.

I heard here recently that the CVT doesn't need any breakin at all and is ready right away, but as already said, for engine breakin you should keep the rpm's down.

I wouldn't buy that advice. ALL engines have a break-in period. The CVT engine is the same as the standard. The manual says 4500 rpm for 1200 miles.
:smile:

Oh....unh.. never mind. I think I just didn't understand what you were saying.

"CVT" doesn't need break-in but "engine" does....Doh! My bad.

Right. I heard that from a post, either here or on MINI2, and if I remember right, the poster had gotten this info from literature from the manufacturer of the CVT (can't remember exactly). I wish my "memory" worked as good as my "forgetter". But I did see/hear that.