>>Raider, welcome to MCO! :smile:
>>
>>Stumble - a problem unique to certain MCS. Car "stumbles" at launch when rpms are around 3K. Varies in degree of intensity and frequency of occurence. On some cars it's mild. On others it's harsh enough to be described as like "hitting a brick wall." Not every car has it at all. BMW is working on a software fix.
>>
>>Stalling - a particular problem with CVT Coopers. Also related to "shaking" and vibrating at idle. Reportedly fixed on new production (mid to late 2003) cars, and via software upgrade to earlier cars. Again, only a CVT problem.
>>
>>Yo-Yo -- a sort of "hesitation" experienced in the lower half of the RPM range...generally in 2nd gear. Also software related (probably). Seems to happen mostly to MCS, but also possibly regular Coopers. Not every car has it. BMW is working on a software fix.
>>
>>Bog -- low, or a reduction, of torque below 3K rpm, usually experienced at launch. Seems to be more common in Coopers than MCS, but could happen in either. Not every car has it. Seems to be software related and may be related to throttle and/or traction control systems. Software fix (not done yet) is supposed to address. But some owners report that lightening the car (e.g., lighter wheels/tires), adding an intake, adding the pulley mod, or other performance enhancements help. Also helped by turning off DSC (if you car has it).
>>
>>Otherwise, do a thread search. There's LOTS of info on this on MCO. Enjoy...

 

>>I wonder what BMW say when you go in to get that clutch (that is not covered under warranty) fixed?

That is the one thing that really bothers me, and I *have* reported it to my dealer to prepare them for the potential legal battle in their future!


>>I have driven with DSC on and pushed the car to it's limits inducing DSC intervention - the DSC effect is nothing like the "Bog".

I don't know about yours, but I have honestly never really had bog issues in my MCS with the DSC off. But that's just me. I used to get it somewhat regularly in my MC but not with the DSC off and never when I revved up high before doing a sudden maneuver (i.e. a quick left turn at a light in traffic). Again, this goes back to my belief that certain symptoms can be (to some degree) more readily avoided with certain driver input. When I first got my MC, I bogged all the time and scared myself more than a few times. Over time though, I found that I could control bog by making sure that I was revved up to 3500+ (and perhaps chirping the tires a bit) before making a quick maneuver. But, as has been said in other threads, that's MY PERSONAL experience, and your mileage may vary (YMMV)!

 

M'k Chi.. placation has worked and I no longer feel the need to string anyone up by their toenails. :smile: Just that something happens--like needles through my eyeballs--whenever I'm confronted with suggestion that it's just me.

As for the clutch... didn't Graham recently post something about a warranteed clutch replacement on his MINI for just this reason? But his is the only story I can recall with a happy ending...

BOG: I don't even have DSC and I've been in situations at least twice where I thought I might be preparing for the Great Gig In The Sky. More extreme bogging (I resent this problem if only because of the silliness it's insinuated into my vocab) happens only rarely, and *usually* (though not always) when the AC is on.

 

I *HATE* it when I get needles in my eyeballs!!! :evil:

 

>>
>>The Mini is a performance oriented vehicle. Most performance vehicles have some eccentricities and a learning curve associated with driving them well. Spend some time really getting to know your Mini and you will learn how the car responds in any given condition & in turn how you should respond.
>>
>>If you want a vehicle that will give you a homogenous driving ‘experience’ get a Honda.
>>

First off, let me say that my MCS is not by far my first “performance” vehicle. I also have been blessed with a car that has no stumble, yo-yo or bog (it will bog at extremely low rpm’s, but a little clutch slipping to get the rpm’s up solves the problem every time) and I still have my original windshield and coolant tank.

What I have had is a car that has had to have seven unscheduled dealer visits in its short five and a half month, 7,600 mile life and one of those visits was on the back of a flatbed truck. This car has been plagued with an every ending assortment of electrical problems that the dealer has had difficulty in diagnosing and fixing, not to mention an ensemble of rattles, buzzes and clunks. My windshield molding has come loose twice, I fixed it right the second time. My radio display is starting to malfunction, I have an annoying buzz in the driver’s side HK speaker and my power door locks still do not function properly which will require another dealer visit.

I have said it before and I will say it again. The MCS is a lot of bang for the buck, though with an MSRP on my particular vehicle of $25,815.00 not necessarily a cheap car. It is a lot of fun to drive, handles extremely well and has decent power but is definitely not a road burner in stock form. That being said I must say that ownership has been annoying and at times inconvenient. My last “performance” car was a 2001 BMW M5, a true performance car that had zero problems but at three times the price.

I currently have a 2004 BMW M3 with SMG (a true performance car at 2 and a half times the price) that is on the Don Quijote and is due in Port Hueneme on October 15 at which time I too will be getting rid of my MCS. To excuse the apparent problems that seemingly a lot of MINI owners are having with their cars because of price or that it is a “performance” car may work in the short run but is not the recipe for continued success. BMW had better address these problems sooner rather then later.

:???:

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2003 Chili Red/White MCS, sport pack w/white wheels, cold weather pack, black leather w/anthracite dash, DVD-based Navigation w/OBC, HK sound, MFSW, PDC, rain sensing wipers & auto dim mirror.

 

Jerry,

Have you looked into Lemon Lawing your MINI? 'Cause it sure sounds like you got stuck with a stumble-free lemon to me!

 

Andrew,
Maybe your right. Come to think of it...If the price plummets, I can can afford more than one MINI.

 

If I've said it once, I've said it a dozen times... If I had enough money to buy an M3 (or better yet, an M5), I'd be right there. But I don't, and don't expect to any time soon. Therefore the MCS is a mighty fine car for me. Mild stumble and all. Not to diminish anyone else's feelings about problems with more trouble-filled cars.

Maybe I should start a "Give me a dollar so that I can buy an M car" thing (like what's his name Kevin did a while back )

 

>>Jerry,
>>
>>Have you looked into Lemon Lawing your MINI? 'Cause it sure sounds like you got stuck with a stumble-free lemon to me!

Perusing the California Lemon Law is a process I quite frankly don’t want to take the time to pursue to get another MCS. I think I will be happier with the M3 anyway.

The MCS is a fun car to drive but it was not the right car for me and I am more then willing to pay for my mistakes. My biggest problem with the MINI was the lack of a competent authorized dealer close to me. There is not another car on the market that drives like a MINI that sells for such a reasonable price so I guess there are some trade-offs that must be expected.

 

I think anyone who's had the "bog" will quickly disagree with anyone trying to claim it's not a severe hazard. I NEVER use my A/C anymore except when cruising on the highway just to avoid the bog. I've had three particularly severe instances and during one of those (#2), the car almost completely gave up on me (I was on a hill) until I magically managed to quickly reach over and turn off the A/C, while also doing some clutch/throttle trickery, trying to get the engine to start responding again. How my heart managed to keep beating still amazes me and I was so glad that no one was coming up behind me. Since that particuarly instance a few months ago, my no A/C policy has been in effect. Once I forgot to turn my A/C off after exiting the freeway and that led to severe incident #3.

The worst part is that I'm half afraid to have a dealer try to address most of the mechanical problems with my car with some of the reports of poor service and dealer incompetence that I've seen. The one dealer visit I made since my car was new, the dealer pretty much brushed off my complaints (was even less enthusiastic since I didn't buy from them) and then didn't even do some of the work they claimed they did (luckily it was was just refilling the washer fluids). Before I ordered my MCS, I was already a member of many of the boards and read up on a lot of the problems, but figured "well, I hope I'll never have any of those"...well, instead I do have a decent share of them or have at least briefly encountered quite a few of them. So for some issues (such as this on), I'd say they're pretty persistant in the model rather than rare happenstance.

So even though I plan(-ned?) to keep my MCS for "forever" (particuarly since it's my first new post-college car buy), I can easily see how someone could warrant the problems in this brand/model as being a reason to sell their vehicle or put a lot of thought into buying one (as I've briefly entertained the though of selling mine quite a few times and was also in the position of being a new buyer evaluating the likelyhood of the problems discussed on the various boards). It's fun when it works, but extremely aggravating/frightening when it doesn't...

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2003 DS/DS MCS w/ Sport Pkg
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