Some weeks ago I detected that when I press 100% the accelerator I can feel (and see it) between 3000 and 4000 rpm how the car lose acceleration. It feels like if the clutch is slightly pressed, but that's the feeling I don't believe the clutch is related with the issue.
This doesn't always happen (1 of every 5 full acceleration).
It happens after driving 10 minutes or 2 hours, there is not related with the driving time.
It happens with any shift, it is not related with a specific shift.
There is not any other problem with the car (it starts OK, well cruice driving, nice aceleration) and all services done on time with best stuff (MOTUL/CASTROL oil, filter oil change on every oil change, NGK spark plugs change every 50.000Km, K&N air filter mod and filter changed frequently)
Always using the best fuel available and using fuel aditive every 5000KM.

I researched and apparently could be related to the spark plugs, HPFP, and maybe, with the timing belt.

I'm a little concerned about for 2 reasons: the health of the car and also because we all know that having a good acceleration, tomorrow can avoid an accident.

Someone had this problem in a Mini Cooper non-S?


EDIT (25/11/2015)

Friends,

after driving in city and highway and trying to reproduce the fault, I can say that my initial description is WRONG.

Here is the real issue (now I can understand the engine behavior, after cheking it more than 5 times):

When I press the accelerator to 100% I can see that for less than 1 second, the REVs are triggered (as if I slightly pressed the clutch or the gear was disengaged for less than 1 second, or timing belt slip for less than 1 second), from 3000 to 4000 RPM (in example), WITHOUT losing power nor speed. Then the REVs backs to normal (from 4000 to 3000) and acceleration continues normally.

There is something that is not engaging properly while doing a full acceleration and causes the motor to accelerate in excess (as revering on idle)

 

There is no HPFP to worry about on your car, the timing chain on the N12 cars seems to be more resilient than those of the N14 cars (that's not to say you're not out of time).

Have you had a proper tech tool connected to the car to see if there are any codes stored? I would start there.

How many miles are on the car? It could very well just be time for a clutch.

 

It almost sounds like a slight misfire or something. Is the car stumbling when it loses power and does it drive normally after the loss of power? Any check engine lights?

You mentioned that you've replaced the spark plugs but have you replaced the ignition coils? Might be worth looking into.

 

Hi nkfry,

It is a 2010 non-S with a N16 engine.
The car has ~60K miles.
I will check for warning/error codes stored on the car through INPA and maybe (if working) with Rheingold for posting it here!

 

It should be since the ignition coils never were replaced.
There is no other problems related with this behavior. It is really OK (driving, engine sound, etc) there is not any warning light and it is always running OK before the 3000 RPM and after 4000 RPM. There is something between 3000 RPM and 4000 RPM that is not good for the car.
The feeling is like when you shift to 6th gear with a very low speed (not enough) but without the classic stumbling.

 

I'm confused--it sounds like you're talking about accelerating in gear on one hand, and shifting on the other hand. Which is it?

 

what does "and see it" mean? If you mean you see the tach moving while the car is not, your clutch is slipping. If that's the case it will soon enough become obvious.

 

Sorry for the bad explanation.
The issue is present only with the gear engaged (any gear from 1 to 6) and accelerating and only in the range of from 3000RPM to 4000RPM (no before, no after).

I meant that when the problem occurs, you can "feel it as" if going from gear 1 to gear 6 (surely if you do that the car will turn off)

 

No, I don't.
When I said I can "see it", I mean that I can see that only happens when I'm between 3000 and 4000 RPM and not in any (random) RPM range.
Exactly between this RPM range.

 

Today I get Rheingold working on my car and I can find a lot of fault codes but nothing related with an "engine" fault or any other engine component fault.
I just could find that I have the rear led fog light burned out.

All Rheinglod checks were run for all errors found, so now, I have not errors fault stored and I will wait for some days to check it again.

Before that, here the fault codes that caught my attention but I think it are not related to the issue I'm trying to solve (I have deleted bulbs errors, etc):

00A872 JBE: Passenger-compartment sensor
005E56 DSC brake light switch signal implausible
00610F EPS: Message error: road-speed signal
00D517 No message (terminal status), receiver EPS, transmitter CAS
00A0B5 CAS: Fault, road speed signal
009319 KOMBI: Fuel-level sensor, left
00E71C No message (speed, 0x1A0), receiver IHKA/IHKS/IHS, transmitter DSC

 

Those road speed errors could cause it. If it's erroneously detecting slip, it will cut engine power.

 

Thank you for your alert GimmeBoost!

I will research more about that fault code and checking if it is stored again on these days. I will let you know.

 

Friends,

after driving in city and highway and trying to reproduce the fault, I can say that my initial description is WRONG.

Here is the real issue (now I can understand the engine behavior, after cheking it more than 5 times):

When I press the accelerator to 100% I can see that for less than 1 second, the REVs are triggered (as if I slightly pressed the clutch or the gear was disengaged for less than 1 second, or timing belt slip for less than 1 second), from 3000 to 4000 RPM (in example), WITHOUT losing power nor speed. Then the REVs backs to normal (from 4000 to 3000) and acceleration continues normally.

It is like going in the highway in 6th gear, at 3000 RPM then press and release the clutch partially and quickly.
I could find that in some cases, this "over rev" remains more than 2 seconds (then I release the acelerator and all back to normal)
It is not happening under 3000RPM, only on 3000RPM and over.

There is something that is not engaging properly while doing a full acceleration and causes the motor to accelerate in excess (as revering on idle)

 

It sounds like you need a clutch, the only thing that wouldn't be engaging properly to cause the revs to climb exponentially without a change in speed would be a slipping clutch or massive wheel spin.

 

Thank you for your fast reply nkfry.

Is there any way to check the clucht health (through software, INPA, Rheingold) or the only way is just going to the MINI dealer for diagnostic and (if it is the problem) just change it?

 

Only way to gauge the health of the clutch is to drive it and feel what it's doing.

I would recommend a local euro shop over the dealer, as they'll charge you an arm and a leg for that job.

 

I know what you say makes sense and surely there is a problem with the clutch. I just hope you are wrong and the problem is not related with the clutch.

I will continue inventigating and if I can not find another "issue alternative" I will go to the dealership next week just to hear the diagnotic.

 

After testing the car on the highway is time to say that I can assure that all indicates that there is a clutch problem (how gjxj and nkfry said).
I believe I'm lucky because driving in a very prudent manner, there is not clutch slip signal (it works fine, as normal).

Today on the morning I get a tech guy to my house (independant premium cars shop) to check the clutch with the "handbreak test" and he said that, in cold, it seems to be fine so the damage could be not critical and we are in a good time to repair it before it can be a worst story.
The tech was very honest and kind. He told me that the most expensive in this situation and with my car is removing and installing the clutch (he will be doing that job). The clutch reparation can take just some hours, that's not the problem.
All repair (if there is not another major problem) will cost approximately $ 700.

On monday, I will let the car on the independant shop to remove the clutch and send it to repair it (the car shop send all clutches to a clutch repair factory). I'm lucky again, since in my city there are excellent clutch repair factories and there is not necessary to buy an OEM kit (could be replaced for a better one if repair is not possible).

I will let you know

 

Last saturday I did the "deglaze" process to my almost dead clutch (I don't believe in that because I did know I will be repairing my clutch).
Basically, I was driving 100KM/H and keeping the RPMs (3K approx) I started to release the clutch slowly (less than 10 seconds).
Later with the car stopped, and handbreak, I rev the car to 3K, put the 2nd gear then I started to release the clutch slowly just to 1K RPM (less than 10 seconds).

Sunday (next day) I filled the fuel tank, I added Liqui Moly octane additive and drove the car very hard (full throttle, reaching the 4K RPM before next gear, and starting every gear from a low speed too)
I could not get the clutch slipping issue in any gear nor any speed.
Believe or not believe???.


I mentioned this to the tech guy this morning before leaving my car.

My son is already in the euroshop car hospital in the middle of it surgery.

Euroshop believes that on thursday might already have the car ready (maybe tomorrow, something to let me know).

I hope for your prayers!

 

While waiting for news from the euroshop tech I was reading a lot about clutches (perhaps too much).
I could see that depending on several factors (contact space, contact materials, etc.) the clutch can handle a higher load (torque) from the engine.
The higher load supported, the harder clutch behaviour/pedal will be.

I was thinking that I have done many things to my Mini:
1) ECU Tuned (no rev, speed limit, plus HP increase)
2) Sport mode installed
3) K&N Air Filter
4) Octane additive addition on every other fuel tank fill
5) JCW 17' wheels (instead of it lighter OEM 15')

It is possible that because I'm demanding higher performance to the car is this a good opportunity to improve the clutch?
It will be a good option for the car or I just should replace it as is today and wait for the next fail? (100k kms more )

 

The stock clutch will be just fine.

You didn't add much horsepower, if anything at all depending on what tune.

 

Car is in my house again.

Clutch disk totally refurbished (that include kevlar face instead of the organic one).
Clutch disk was almost worn and it was fixed on the perfect time.

Flywheel resurfaced (it was ok but when a clutch disk is replaced, flywheel must be replaced or resurfaced).

All other clutch components replaced for new ones.

The car shop guy said that before testing on the highway I must take a wheel alignment due to the car front was manipulated. It will be done tomorrow in a car shop near my house.

Now the clutch pedal feels really softer, but when I'm releasing it I can feel that the grip is higher than the first day I drove the car some years ago (when I got in the car to prove it today, I could not move in first gear, very aggressive clutch grip. I like it ).

By the way, manual transmission box was checked and all OK.

I will wait some days in "normal" drive then I will test it under highway pressure (high revs with hard shifting ).

Thanks for reading and special thanks to gjxj and nkfry for his quick and correct diagnostic and advise after I was able to give a correct description of my problem (there was not an acceleration issue)

 

After 3 days driving the car with clutch refurbished, it feels really better, more responsive and with agressive aceleration.

Maybe a placebo effect, but there is not a problem since it is like it feels right now.

 

It's not a placebo effect, you fixed the problem and you're actually putting power to the ground now instead of the clutch slipping. No doubt that it feels faster because it actually is.

Glad it's resolved. Did you get anything special or did you just go with a factory clutch disc?

 

Hi GimmeBoost, thank you for your comment!

The clutch was not replaced, it was refurbished.
Flywheel was totally OK but it was resurfaced (refurbisher policy)
The organic material on the clucht disk (was worn) was totally removed and replaced with a kevlar composition.
All other clutch disk components were replaced for new ones (springs, hoops, ball bearing, etc).

Next clucht repair surely will be just replaced for the OEM clucht (flywheel can't be resurfaced twice, it is not good).