Hey all,

First of all, I'm sorry for cross-posting this between two forums. I posted this question on minicooperforums about 10 minutes ago, but then I noticed that forum seems kind of... dead. So in hopes of getting a quicker response, I'm posting again here.

So today I did an oil change on my wife's 2009 hardtop base Mini (automatic). We've had it since March, and it's apparent to me that the mechanic did *not* perform a change before the dealership sold it to us (third party dealership, not purchased from Mini). The oil was black as night.

Anyhow, when I test drove it following the change, I'm noticing that when you let off of the gas, there is a decent amount of drag. The car decelerates fairly quickly once you left off the gas, and the drag is enough to make your head bob forward, making for a pretty jerky ride.

Prior to performing this oil change, I never really noticed the drag to be that extreme- however, I've only driven it a handful of times, so I may have simply not noticed it before. I didn't get my wife's opinion, and she didn't say anything about that when she took it out to test it, just that it performed better overall with the new oil.

I drive a Honda with a CVT, and I am used to this happening in that car. However, from what I've been able to find, the R56 does *not* have a CVT, so I'm wondering if the drag is normal?

If anyone has any insight it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

hi and welcome aboard...I guess my first question is how did you perform the ATF change? what ATF did you use? did you take the pan down and cleaned the metal dusting and replaced the screen/ATF "filter"?

 

I'm interpreting the post that you did an oil change on the engine, not the trans.

To do an ATF change is a little bit specialized, there are several threads here, in the 'modifications - how to' section. It isn't hard, just involved (there is no easy way to add the fluid, so it takes some time to add and check the fluid level). I definately noticed a difference in trans performance after the fluid change. Not necessarily less drag, but more consistent shifting.

If the car is new to you, check other things that can add to drag. Alignment and tire pressure comes to mind. There is also a chance that the brakes are dragging, but I haven't heard of that being a common problem on a MINI.

Have fun,
Mike

 

So I have not changed the transmission fluid, just the oil. This car doesn't seem to have the best maintenance record... no documentation came with it, but so far I've had to replace the breather hose, timing chain, as well as an o-ring on the gasket that was leaking oil onto the spark plugs. I've already taken this up with the dealer and have been reimbursed for some of it, but my point is I'm willing to guess that they also never changed the transmission fluid. We got the car at about 54,500 miles, so at this point would a transmission fluid change be recommended, even if it's possible it was performed at some point in the past?

Yeah I'm not going to lie, I'm definitely not experienced in that department. My profession is computer science, so auto mechanics make a degree of sense to me, but the most I've ever done myself are oil changes, filter changes, the stuff you'd expect any average motorist to be able to perform. That being said, I think I could probably learn how to change the transmission fluid fairly quickly given enough research.

I did check the tire pressure, needed a bit of pumping up but nothing extreme. Most of the caps are missing so I'll need to replace those soon. I'll have to give it a little test drive to monitor the alignment- will do that later this afternoon.

How would I be able to tell if the brakes are dragging?

Thanks for all of the advice so far all, highly appreciated.

 

the title is a bit misleading...lol

even though the transmission is "sealed" and has life time ATF and doesnt need replacement, a lot of people started replacing it to keep it healthy. I wouldn't assume anything at this point. you thought the car was is good shape when they didnt even replace the oil!

consider flushing the ATF at some point in time.

as for the braking, you would listen for that grinding noise while driving and smell if any!

 

Yes, I suppose you're right about the title. I'd edit it, but I don't see a way to do that. If there's a mod around I would welcome a title change if possible.

Noted on the ATF change- I will look into doing that in the near future.

Will also listen to the brakes during my test drive later. Thanks again for your advice!

 

no problem...if you're ever in the philly area i'll be happy to take a look

 

Jack up the rear and spin the tire. See if it drags. Pull it off and check the brake pad thickness. Maybe there is some issue in the brake system......sounds like to me.


YOU'RE SURE YOU DRAINED THE ENGINE OIL AND NOT THE ATF RIGHT? Sorry had to ask~

 

My wife's MINI is a 2013 R57 Justa, with an auto. I do notice more "engine braking" than I expected as well, but I also noticed that her auto holds gears longer before upshifts, and downshifts sooner than most autos I have driven, especially when in sport mode. I would say it's normal, provided you don't find any dragging brakes. I would also suggest a trans flush, just for maintenance and "peace of mind".

Motor On!

 

Noted- will give that a try this weekend as well. Yes, I changed the oil! Hard to miss the big sticker on the ATF

Thanks for the info! Sounds like this may be somewhat normal. I've noticed that the shifting tends to depend on how heavy you are with the gas. Generally, accelerating more slowly will cause it to shift around 2.5k RPMs, and if you're flooring it, it'll get up to something like 5k before it shifts. Not sure if that's intended, but glad I'm not the only one who's noticed weird shifting behavior.

 

I would not define it as weird behavior really. I would define my trans. Very much like
Renchjeep above. I believe that's how they are designed. Seems so.

 

My old car was an auto. If you shift the lever toward the driver (like for the manual shifting option), but leave it in the middle, it puts the trans in 'sport mode'. This means there is engine braking and higher shift points, but it doesn't do the other 'sport mode' changes like with the button (sensitive throttle, heavy steering). i used to use this for winter driving, and thought it was really helpful to slow the car down without using the brakes on slick surfaces.

The emergency brake wasn't likely used too much, and that could be a source of the dragging. Like stated above, jack up the back of the car, you should be able to spin the rear wheels without much effort. If the rear brake pads have been changed, there is a chance that it wasn't done properly and could be dragging.

This is a good forum to learn about these cars. They are fun, but need some love to keep them going.

Have fun,
Mike