I've noticed increasing difficulty putting the trans into 1st and also 2nd gear on my 06 MCSC... I'm just under 10k miles though I've had the car 15 months now. I have had the dual mass flywheel replacement done maybe 2k ago (to stop the rattling noise at idle/neutral) I don't remember it being like this prior, but there was no instant beginning to the issue either.

This is my 2nd MCS (I had an 05 tintop for almost 2 years prior) and my 4th MINI altogether since they came out.

Basically, it takes way too much effort to force the stick into 1st gear, and 2nd gear is not too far behind in undue difficulty- the others are notchy but fine. The friction point of the clutch is very close to the floor, but I've found this is common among MCSs.

Before I take it to the dealer, I just want to hear from any of you that may have experienced this symptom, and what- if anything- was done about it.

I expect all the dealer can do is replace the tranny, and I'm willing to push them to do so to solve the issue, but as you know it always helps to know what's goin' on with other people before engaging the SA

Thanks for your input my friends, and please don't tell me to search "hard tranny"

.... just quickly post your experience if you don't mind

thanks!!

 

Was the throwout bearing replaced when the Flywheel was done? Liekly source. A thing to try would be replacing the transmission fluid and see if this helps. You are a little low on milages to really need it, but ti sounds like you have had some driveline hiccups already, and at the least, it can't hurt. Way less painful than having the dealer pull it all apart again and have your car for another week or so investigating it.

 

When you stop the car, and turn off the engine, with the clutch in or out, can you shift from first to second and others with ease, or is it still hard.

If it is now easy, then I suspect your clutch is dragging. If it is still hard, then the tranny or possibly the cable adjustment is the cause. Give this a try and let us know.

YD

 

I just tried this, and actually there was no problem, easy 1st & 2nd. Upon further thought, it seems to occur after running up thru the gears and then coming to a stop, putting it back into first again at a light or something- but when it does happen it's a PITA.

I don't use it as daily driver, (and my dealer is only minutes away,) so once I know a likey cause I'm fine to let the dealer 'deal' with it- however, I'll drive it tomorrow and pay close attention to how it acts.

Thanks... that was helpful! I certainly don't want to take it in and have the dealer say they can't duplicate the issue ... I hate that so the more accurately I can pinpoint the cause the better off I'll be.

It's not seeming to be a common issue tho, huh?

 

my first and second is gettin a little harder to push in also. i thought this was normal. but then again..i really want it to shift SMOOTH. mm hmm
earlier today when stopped at a stop light. i had it in neutral and before the light changed i tried to put it in first but it wouldnt go in. it went about halfway in.
so i put it back to neutral shook it side to side and then tried to put it back into first.
tried that about 4 times in about 4 seconds..hahaha
BUT..i guess that's a bit of another problem. either way..it's a little tougher then when i first drove my mini to change into first and second.

 

BartMack, if the clutch is dragging, your MINI may actually try to creep with the clutch fully depressed when your in first gear. Does this happen? If it is, then get to the dealer pronto as your syncro's and clutch disc are not going to last.

 

I don't know.... but for me, it's much easier to have the service dept mess with it than to attempt clandestine fluid transplants on my own -and risk them pointing a finger at me for not doing something exactly according to spec or whatever... hey, they own all the non-working parts for a while yet lol! ...but thanks for the suggestion on the possible culprit

 

actually that sounds exactly like what's happening with mine, only now 2nd is starting to resist as well...

what year & how many miles?

 

no, that hasn't happened, though I *think* the friction point is creeping closer to the floor... hard to tell b/c my daily driver is a 335 coupe with MT, and the clutch in that is sweet as candy, so I get spoiled

 

If you pump the clutch two or three times quickly, does it then go into first or second easier?

YD

 

I have noticed lately (past couple weeks) that my '06MCS is hard to get out of 1st and 2nd gear, not feeling any resistance in going into the gears, just coming out of them. Any suggestions are welcome as the dealer is 190 miles (one way) away. Thanks

 

my mcs is an 06 with almost 5k miles. not much.
sometimes it's worse than other times. sometimes its fine. O.o

 

Sounds like the slave cylinder might be dying a slow death. My gears were getting stuck like yours. Then I could not shift out of gear at all. turned the car off for a min and started it back and the same thing. My clutch was also getting stuck halfway and I would have to pull iot out with my foot to get the gears to engage/disengage. The other night I was at a drive thru and sitting with my foot on the clutch, with the shifter in first. Then all of a sudden my car starts lurching forward, still with my foot on the clutch, it went into gear by itself and the brake would barely hold the car in place. So now it is at the stealership getting worked on they have not yet told me the problem, when I took it in with a Mon morning appointment, yesterday they still had not looked at the car. If this had happened on the highway or in traffic I would have been in trouble, big safety issue IMO

 

A failing slave would result in slow to non-pedal return when depressing it. I still think fluid is a place to start. Go ahead and take it to the dealer, you are close, and it isn't your daily so it makes it way easier.

 

I get something like this, notchy into and out of first, sometimes doesn't engage, and the tech's answer was to wait a second or two after putting the clutch in. Not really a fix but it was what I was told. It seems to work, as does the addition of an engine damper.

 

Now I am a bit perplexed

I drove the MINI yesterday, a beautiful coolish summer day with the top down.. and it only happened 1 time, at a stoplight, where it didn't want to go into 1st. The rest of the time- smooth as silk




I guess for the time being I can only chalk it up to British 'personality'

...kind of reminds me of a Fiat 124 Spider I had so many years ago that worked perfectly on sunny days, but if it rained or got cold, random functions would simply stop working for no apparent reason. That was a memorable auto... no doubt long a pile of stylish Italian rust by now tho

 

It definately sounds like the release bearing to me. Mine was having that problem for a while until it got to the point where the clutch would only half disengage. I am pretty sure I fried my sincros and 6 month old clutch driving it around like that. It always got worse as the car heated up. The clutch also felt like it was rubbing on something. Like rubber on rubber.

Good luck...hopefully the stealership doesn't try to claim it as a wear part that is not covered.

 

I reiterate my advise. Get this fixed. As AliceCooper notes, your syncros are sufereing. Enough debate and miles. Please get her looked at before your trans is history.

 

Yep, sounds like a pilot/throwout bearing going bad. I had the same issues on a Ford Escort that I owned once. As AZMCS said, time to get her to the shop.

 

I've got an 06 MCS also, hard to get into first and second sometimes. When it's hard to put in gear, sometimes it's almost impossible, but usually it works fine. I'll mention it at my 10k oil change, I"m at about 7500 right now. Should I take 'er in before that? (Dealers only about an hour from here)

 

If you are not far from the dealer, it is definetly worth taking it in.

 

As people are saying, get it in to the shop fast. Whatever the the cause (master, slave, clutch, t.o. bearing, pilot bearing), you're beating up your tranny. The premature tranny wear caused by this problem will undoubtedly show up after the warranty expires.

 

Have you tried putting it into 3rd then first? If that works, I would be worried about the sincros.

I JUST found out what caused all of the problems with mine though...The fork that activates the clutch is bent on one side. This causes more force on one side of the bearing, which I believe caused the rubbing noise, and eventually caused the pressure plate to break (shear completely) causing the release bearing to separate. Hopefully this does not happen to anyone else.

 

Nice helpful input

 

This could be completely irrelevant, but I am posting it in case it can help.

The S54 M Coupe we had ran into problems getting it into gear, turns out it was a problem with the 5 speed used on many BMWs at the time and was caused by a problem with the shift pin. Many service depts tried to simply replace that but in most cases the whole transmission had to be replaced (sometimes more then one time...). The clutch on ours also had to be replaced (on our dime with miles on the car in the teens..), they said it was somehow contributing to the problem...

Anyway, not sure if that helps but I guess it couldn't hurt to check the shift pin.