I'm new to the forums and new to Mini! I just picked up an 02' justa with 73k on it as a little project car (it needs cosmetic work and other small things and I got it for a steal) and it has an issue that seems difficult to diagnose. In any gear, when getting on the gas (even slightly), the car jerks and when you let off the gas (even if you're cruising at 2k rpm in 3rd) it will also jerk. I immediately was thinking motor mounts, but what are the other possibilities? Anything throttle related? It's a very pronounced jerk and I'm scared (if not fixed), it will damage other components. Any help would be appreciated! Thank you and glad to be in the Mini fam!

(the car is a 5-spd manual)

 

I'd start by checking all your front end bushings. If not there may be axle related

 

Check CV joints.

 

CVT transmission or 5speed?
A CVT MINI is not a steal imo at any price....the fix is more than the cars value when it goes...
Since you imply gears (some CVT folks feel drops in the rpms when accelerating, and think of this as gears)...I would look at the engine mounts... being an 2002, it is likely you will need to convert to a newer style(very early 2002 cars, look at the production date on the door jamb) had non-conforming suspension parts and engine mounts....

 

It's a 5-spd. I would never buy an automatic mini . What do you mean convert to a newer style?

 

Inner ball joint(s) sound loose. Check the two bolts attaching the ball joint to the sub frame. If those are loose at all, it can be very scary.

Nik

 

Check you ball joints as suggested....XS really knows his stuff...heck, he had rebuilt the motor and most of his car in the damn near half million miles he has put on his car!!

Early 2002 cars had non-conforming suspension and engine mounts....
Many were swapped out by dealers in visits, but many early cars never went to dealers due to the rarity of them....so just be aware that if you try to do suspension changes, or engine mount fixes, you may need to swich a bunch if parts to get things working right....to the late 2002+ parts. When you work on these areas, please deal with a vendor that knows MINI's, and be ready with a camera, and have the production date from the drivers side door sticker....the 2002 cars have always been priced a bit cheaper....more so than the year and model would suggest.

 

Thanks for the kind words Zippy, it means a lot.

Nik

 

Good advice here already. Keep in mind how tight everything is on these cars and how small the margin for operating properly is. For whatever it's worth I managed to snap 3 passenger side axles in less than 300 yards before I replaced the top front passenger motor mount ultimately fixing the problem.
Depending on what your goal is with the car I'd strongly suggest replacing all of the bushings/joints/ends in one shot if you find anything worn. The poly control arm bushings are well worth the money also IMVHO. Take it from a guy that did everything piece by piece and has the perfect example of a love hate relationship with the car because of it.

 

If you need help with inspecting and/or replacing the ball joints we have an article that can help. I'd also closely inspect your lower control arm bushings. Those are good items to check and replace if they look worn. As said, you can upgrade to powerflex bushings HERE as they prolong tire life, improve the performance of your MINI, give you better handling and they are more cost-effective than OEM bushings. If you have any questions please let me know.

Tech article - http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarti...eplacement.htm