Hello all!

I recently bought a 2012 Cooper with the 6-speed Automatic transmission. I am dealing with a squeal noise coming from the engine when the car is running and I crawl in and out of my parking space. I have read the threads about the water pump defect and I have an appointment tomorrow with my dealer so they can check it out.

I wrote a thread about it but for some reason it never got posted so I'm gonna use this one to ask 2 questions.

The first one : Is there anyone out there that had to replace the water pump on a car that has less than 1K miles on it and was it successful? I have read SO many posts from people saying that after being replaced, it works for a couple weeks and the squeal comes back. Some people had it replaced 5 times or more and it still isn't successful. It really annoys me, especially for a car that costs more than 30K. I can't understand (even if I really try hard) why do I already have to deal with such non-sense out of the factory line. Just the idea of going through a repair for it to potentially fail and get worse gives me a hell of anxiety. I've always said that once we start touching and playing around with stuff like that, it's the beginning of the end.
The mechanic I spoke on the phone with at BMW/MINI says that the problem I described over the phone seems to indeed be the water-pump acting up. I feel like I drive an 1968 Honda pick-up truck that has never been serviced. It makes that high pitched noise when the car is still and another high squeak when I shut off the engine. The worst part is that it runs perfectly fine.

Second question has to do with the automatic transmission. I'm not new to them, I have one on the MBenz and one on the Jeep. This particular one feels VERY rubbery. I don't know how to explain it clearly but it sometimes (especially when the car is cold) feels like a manual transmission used by a 12 y.o. It's not jerky like a transmission that goes bad and shift abruptly, it just feels very unsettled and it really takes me to push hard on the throttle sometimes to make it shift especially going uphill. You'd think that with 6 gears it would shift like a breeze but all in all feels pretty much like a jerky affair. Am I the only one here to experience that on a 2012 model or is it typical of the AISIN gearbox? IMO, a Toyota Yaris shifts better than my Cooper - this doesn't make sense. I'm so annoyed by the water-pump, I'd rather avoid telling the mechanic to look into the tranny, too.

Any thoughts or help would seriously be really really really appreciated. I love the car, I really do. But now and after only 600 miles, I have a gut feeling that I made a mistake and I ended up buying a lemon or something that's gonna cause me trouble at the end of the road. I bought it with every single option available out there, thinking I'd keep it at the end of the warranty, but I feel this isn't gonna happen and I'm gonna spend half my time at the dealership.

Not a happy camper today. :(

Best,

 

Hi MiniCali,

Searched this site for the same. So I bought my 2012 MCS in February 2012. At 2000 miles, we started hearing a squeaking noise out of the engine bay. Dealer checked it and replaced the water pump, so far, so good.

At around 2500 miles (this happened yesterday 5/7/2012), while on a busy Northern California freeway (rush hour traffic), my automatic transmission failed. No Drive, no Reverse. The car felt like it was stuck on N. Literally had to push the car three lanes to the side. Traffic was barely moving, this was the only saving grace. It had to be towed to the dealer.

While at the dealership, they said that they found metal filings in the transmission fluid, meaning something had failed in the transmission. They are now replacing the whole tranny. Suppose to take 4-6 days.

Like you, I was enjoying my Mini, now I'm a bit afraid to get back in the car. I hope your experience will be better than mine.

 

Does your squealing noise go away or is it continuous? Does it only happen when hot or cold or both?
My transmission has always been a little jerky but I figured it was just because of the turbo and the extra power. I see you have a non-turbo, I figured it would be smoother shifting...

 

I had to have my water pump replaced at 1100 miles. The dealer said that the water pump was good just making some noise. It sounded like a tea kettle going off. I have 3700 miles now and haven't had anymore issues. Love my Mini!!!

 

I also have a 2012 Cooper, roughly 1300 miles on it. I'm noticing some of the same issues with my automatic transmission, especially at lower speeds. It took me a while but I finally realized I was feeling the gears shift and man, it's clunky. Is this normal for this car or should I take it in? I didn't notice it for the first 750 miles or so, but now it only feels comfortable over 45mph. I've only had the car for 2 months so I'm still feeling out its quirks - not sure if this is just a quirk or something that should be checked out. Thanks!

 

Are you driving in "S" mode? if so that will exaggerate the clunky feeling. You will learn how to drive it to smooth it out over time.

 

Is this the water pump going bad sound? Mine started this today!

Short version:
Longer version:

 

Welcome to my world. Water pump just replaced, HATE the automatic. I keep hearing "they all do that" or "you will learn to drive around it". You know what, I shouldn't have to. The auto in these cars is crap. I'm not happy with my Mini purchase at all, I was lured in by the hype and believing that you get what you pay for. With the Mini, you get to keep paying more and more as it keeps breaking down. My warranty runs out very soon and I'm terrified.

 

Maybe this is something that has changed for 2012, because my auto shifts great. Its not as smooth as our Bmw, but its certainly close. I also dont expect the same level of smoothness with a 4 cylinder engine as I would with a 6 or 8.

 

Can't believe how badly these cars are engineered. Argh!!! You are basically paying high price for MINI for its cuteness factor, not the reliability. I ordered a brand new mini hardtop in March 2012, picked it up in May 2012. I was lucky that it did not break down on me until 15K. The squealing noise upon turning or reversing led to detection of water pump failure. That was replaced and in next two days, the check engine light came on while driving on a highway. Turns out that the thermostat was broken. With minis, you are not talking about problems such as power window not working or radio not working, but major engine-related issues that can jeopardize your safety on the road. I personally felt that owning a mini is a full package - lot of fun driving but equal or greater amount of stress that it will break down anytime. I would rather spend my time doing more creative things in life than calling mini roadside assistance all the time, or authorized dealers to follow up on repairs. Slowly and steadily, this car drains a lot out of you besides money. What did I do to resolve it? Cut my losses and traded in mini for a much more reliable car that has better value for money.

 

I've got my own squeaking problem on a 2013 MCS R57 Automatic. Maybe someone will recognize it.
I can say that I definitely don't have any issues with the way the auto transmission works.

 

2013 MCA no issues, 18,500 miles. Wondering if this is S-related.