Finally took my Countryman out for a small road trip to DC, 8 hours sitting behind the wheel and cruising on the highway, I can finally see how well the countryman performs. But i did realize something, every time when I took my foot off the gas pedal and let it coast, the car stutters. It felt like the car being dragged backward at the time I release the gas pedal. It was more noticeable if I released the gas pedal quicker. My is automatic, and I was driving it with the sport button on, do you think that's what cause the stutter? Also, it seemed like it took a while to shift to the next gear between 5x mph to 60mph. I saw the rpm was held at around 3k for sometime before it shifted to the next gear and dropped back to around 2x k. Is this normal? Does anyone experience this?

Thanks

 

Could the stutter be the torque converter unlocking?

 

The 'stutter' you describe sounds like the 'burble' sound effect that is engineered into the exhaust system and activated by the Sport Button. It is designed to imitate sounds made by British sports cars 'back in the day'.

 

Also, although I don't have an auto trans, I believe that when Sport Button is pressed, the auto trans maintains the current gear rather than shifting up to a higher gear. The effect is to drag down your speed with much more engine braking than you feel when Sport is OFF. The Sport Button ON also causes each gear to be held to much higher RPM than when OFF.

 

it's actually not the burble sound i heard from the exhaust system, but you actually feel the car being dragged backward a bit (stutter) when your foot is off the gas pedal, I think i should try again w. the sport button off to see if this will feel different.

 

Sorry for my ignorance, im not really a car person, so not sure what the torque converter unlocking is. x.x

 

Yes, for gear 1-4 is fine, i see the pointer goes up to around 3krpm mark then quickly shift to the next gear. But for higher gear, the pointer seems to halt at around 3krpm for a while (and you can hear the engine is trying to run hard to reach the shift point.) basically I have to keep pressing the gas pedal and make it reach 3krpm and shift to the next gear.

 

sport button not only tightens up the suspension and steering, it also changes the shift range and throttle configuration. (responsiveness) I have the All4S automatic. I find that it drives much better in sport mode when I actively use the steptronic shifting. Find myself driving most of the time using the shifter now.

 

I was under the impression that engaging the Sport button only remapped for better throttle responce!? Not changing anything with steering and suspension!?

 

I'm not an expert on automatic transmissions either, but it's sort of a fluid clutch that allows slippage between the tranmission and engine. For example, the slippage allows you to bring the car to a stop without having to take it out of gear or have the engine stall. On most, if not all cars that I've seen in the past 20 years or so, it's designed to "lock up" once the car is moving in higher gears to eliminate the slippage and save fuel. On many cars it's also designed to unlock when you take you foot off the accelerator, so the car can coast with less engine drag, again trying to save fuel. On some cars you can feel it engage and disengage, or at least see the engine speed change on the tachometer as it's happening.

 

Well I'm not sure what the stutter could be other than the backpressure of the engine because the revs are so high... Basically on the highway you want to be in 6th, unless your passing or going up a steep hill... Sport mode keeps you in 5th for as long as possible, so the two alternatives are take it out of sport, or manually shift it into 6th That is what I usually did when I had my convertible (that was an auto).

Sport mode changes steering feel, throttle response, gear changes (if an auto), and the popping and burbling from the exhaust. It does not change the suspension at all... There are no active dampers on these cars.

Hope this helps
Kyle

 

Thanks guys. I think the engine drag is always present, but perhaps it's just more noticeable when the sport button is on, coz the car does slow down quicker when the gas pedal is released. Sometimes it saves me a lot of brakings. Also I read the menu, it mentions when the gas pedal is release when coasting, the fuel supply will be shut off. Perhaps that cause the stutter also? But just not quite sure why by design, sport button will hold at 5th gear as long as possible. Is there any advantage to that?

 

The advantage to holding the gear and preventing an upshift is quicker response (i.e. acceleration) to the driver's movement of the accelerator pedal. Gears multply torque to the wheels, so holding a lower gear gives quicker acceleration (up to a point). The disadvantage is higher fuel consumption and higher sound levels. The car defaults to shifting for lower fuel consumption. Pressing the Sport Button changes priority to acceleration.

 

ic, now I know a bit more how car works. another question, it's totally not related to this topic by the way. i read from other threads that people changed the oil after break-in or the first 2-3k. the service reminder shows that my first service will be at 12k and more than a year from now. Is it better to change the oil earlier for new cars? Mine only has around 2.5k on it.

 

See this thread:
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ge-thread.html

for a great deal of opinion on the subject...

 

I changed mine at 2,000... and then again at 7,500. And will do so once more at 15000 when my car says it's time for a free oil change :D (I know the new MINIs have a lower service interval, hopefully that will update on my car)

Kyle