To make a long story short, I've owned many manual transmission vehicles. I'm thinking something might be wrong with my countryman S All4. Anytime I've driven a manual, disengaged the clutch, the car will creep forward (while in first gear). However, I try this with the countryman, it bogs and dies. Does this sound normal??

I attached a video clip so you can also hear the creaking noise the clutch is making.

*Edit, I can't get the video to embed, but here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY4Io1_-lOc

 

Ah, new response try - the feel of the clutch pedal seems to me different from any manual transmission car I've had. As I "let the clutch out" (let the clutch pedal come up from being fully depressed), I find I have to step on the accelerator to get the engine RPMs up or I may get the "bogs and dies" result. Probably the most useful discussion about this was how to get off the line quickly with an ALL4 - RPMs in the turbo range and gradually letting out the clutch - not "dumping" it fully engaged.

I rarely stall the engine now, but I had this problem frequently in the first few days.

 

I think when he says he's disengaging the clutch, he means that he's disengaging his foot from the clutch pedal (thereby engaging the clutch). The clutch and the clutch pedal are two different entities! When you push the pedal to the floor, the clutch is disengaged.

In any event:
1. It sounds like you have a squeaky clutch pedal.
2. Yes, it's normal for the Countryman. Give it some gas.

 

Yes, what you said. haha

I figured it was, but wasn't positive. This squeak is quite annoying though!

 

It's been kind of weird coming from my 2003, which you could just slowly let off the clutch pedal and it would creep forward no problem. In my Countryman, that's nearly impossible unless you let off reeeaaallllly slowly. I wonder if there's a way to adjust the idle throttle just a tad.

 

I guess I'm lucky. Mine will creep.

Bill

 

The problems cited in the comments are the reason I didn't buy a manual transmission. My last two MINI's were sticks, and I was looking forward to my 2012 Countryman S All4 being equipped with one, too. The stick in the Countryman is one of the worst I have driven. I killed it twice backing it out of the dealership's parking lot for my test drive. That would be twice more than I killed my other two MINIs. I asked if it may have been out of adjustment, hoping it was fixable. Oh, well. My new MINI Countryman S All4 has an automatic. Still a neat car.

 

My 2012 ALL4 starts moving without throttle from a stop on flat ground if the clutch is released slowly. Zero stalls in 7000 miles.

 

You can tell where the friction point is? The test car's was at the top of the travel. The JCW Coupe I drove just afterward had the transmission I was expecting, but in the wrong car.

 

2011 and 2012 have different pressure plates which in turn will have a different clutch feel. Honestly I've taken my car to the dealer twice for it and there's no solution. Just have to get use to it.

Coming from a Subaru, all wheel drive cars launch differently and drive differently, you'll get the feel for it.

 

My 2012's clutch engagement point is about in the middle of the peddle travel.

 

Our 2012 All4 CMS with only 6500 miles is into the dealer today after my wife got stuck with absolutely no clutch or transmission going up a very scary snow covered hill. The clutch has been AWFUL since day one and the clutch is total different from the other two MINI S's we've owned. NOT to mention the horrible, embarrassing chronic burnt clutch smell we've had to deal with on the Countryman.

The car is still under warranty and they are replacing the clutch and flywheel for free under that warranty with the 2013 version clutch, the part numbers for which I got here on the NAM site on another thread.]

While I am overall happy with the Countryman, the MANY issues these cars exhibit are totally unacceptable on a premium priced car. Come on, 6500 miles and the clutch fails on a $35,000 car.

I drove Saabs for many years until they went belly up and parts were scarce and my fully loaded 9-3 cost me $24,000 in 2007 and never had a lick of the piddling problems the hoards are writing about on this and other forums.