I recently bought a 2005 cabrio (non-S), auto. I love it. LOVE it. but i've since been reading horror stories about the CVT transmission. I think my car has this. Is there anything I can do in advance to protect myself from a $7k+ repair? I have a 3-year warranty, but I'll be making payments well after that.

 

Get an extended warranty and change the CVT fluid every 30k miles. But really, it's just a design flaw. You in theory could do all the preventative maintenance in the world and still have it go

 

Extended warranty. Look at warrantydirect.com as one option. I can vouch that they work.

 

I don't think it's a design flaw, as mlpearson states.

There are a large number of CVT MINIs on this forum that have well over 100K on them, and the one single thing they all seem to have in common is regular fluid changes done at the dealer. Those that have failed never mention having had regular service done on them - I think that's the answer.

Like most MINI maladies written about here on the forum, I think the number of failures vs the number of cars sold with CVT's represent a tiny, tiny number.

That said, if you don't service it you will pay, and it IS ridiculously expensive to repair/replace, considering what it is.....I'd rather see you spend the money having your car serviced properly than to spend $3K or $4K on a "warranty"...

 

I agree that it's a good idea to change the CVT fluid. When a CVT fails, it is sure to be reported since the cost is so high. I have seen no data on failure rates and the relation to fluid changes. If you do your own work and need the fluid, send me a PM -- I have some extra.

 

I had an 02 MCa with 110xxx miles on it that I traded it this year for a 2010 MCS. I never had a problem with the CVT, I changed out the fluid at the dealer every second oil change. It was a great little car.

 

I have owned two CVTs the first a 2004 with 95,000 miles and my current 2004 with 52,000 miles no problems with either. Fluid changes every 30,000 miles.

 

I have an 06 MC with the CVT and Grassroots Garage stated the same thing that every one above me stated. Change the fluid every other year. I might just pay to get it done yearly since I love mine. Also it handled great on the Dragon this year.

 

I agree with most in this thread....I have maybe replaced 8 CVT transmissions since 2002. I have worked on thousands of them.

 

deleted.

 

That makes me feel better- after reading all the horror stories I was getting ready to trade my wife's '04 Coupe. It has 82k on it- we bought it in '07 with 48k on it and had the tranny fluid changed last year when it came time for Inspection II. $350 for the dealer to change it sure beats $6-8k for a replacement.

Bill in Nashville

 

What is involved in changing the fluid? I read the Mini shop manual that said something about a special hose/fitting and procedure to recalibrate and it sounded too complicated. I am pretty mechanical though as I've done most of my auto work over the years and have completely restored a couple of old BMW bikes...

Bill in Nashville

 

If you remove the battery box, you can find a fill hole at the top of the transmission housing. If you fill from here, you don't need the special filler tube. Many shops just drain and refill with 4.5 qts of ESL 799A. I don't think that the transmission needs any reprogramming.

 

Is there a filter/screen in the pan like most automatics have that needs to be cleaned or replaced?

Whatever you do, if you remove the pan to clean it do not use red shop rags to wipe it out, they leave tons of microscopic lint that will instantly clog the filter and ruin your tranny (and your day) Wash it out in a clean parts cleaning solution then blow it dry.

 

Apparently you can only get the fluid from a BMW dealer. There is a product manufactured by Febi that claims to be the equivalent, but I don't know. I'm not sure how many miles since we last changed ours, but I should have some time before the next one.

Bill in Nashvegas

 

Yes, there is a filter, but is unlikely that it really needs to be replaced.

To remove the filter, you must remove the CVT pan, and that's quite a job.

You can buy the fluid from several sources, but only in 20 liter kegs. That's how I ended up with some extra to sell.

 

This thread has made me feel MUCH better, too, after all the horror stories floating about. Like anteloopy, I have an '05 cabrio (non-S) with a CVT that i LOVE LOVE LOVE (despite never owning a non-manual and having reservations going in). I started to become worried that I may be driving a ticking time bomb ... with no warranty left and a year and a half before it's all mine.

I started fretting & sweating more a few months ago when I began detecting a slight hesitation when first accelerating. Would that even be an indication of trouble starting to brew? What are the early symptoms?

MINI dealer is FAR from here, so I recently took the car to an indie garage in town for a consult (while having other work done). They said, well, these cars have a history of ... I stopped the tech and said, yeah, I know. The hesitation is quite subtle, and I even started questioning whether it was really driving differently than before ... or if it was all in my head as a result of all the bad stuff I'd been reading here! Bought the MINI used at Bill Jacobs in Naperville, IL, and they told me (when I inquired later) that it had the tranny fluid changed before I bought it at 25K miles. Guess I can either trust them on that or ... It only has 33K on it now, but I've driven it gently and only added 8K miles in 2 1/2 years. Thinking about having it changed this fall, anyway, just to be on the safe side.

Thoughts? THANKS!

 

Just wanted to say it's good to see some positive feedback on the CVT. I hate to hear about anyone having to shill out $6-9K for repairing one.

 

Just make sure that they used the right fluid. CVT fluid for Japanese cars or Fords is not the same. You must have ESSO EZL 799A which can only be had from a dealer (bring your own container) or in large quantities. A good independent shop would get the right fluid.

Someone also suggested that you should use sport mode for a day or two since that does something to reset or re-adapt the computer's shift parameters.

So, if they changed the fluid at 24K with the right fluid, and you now have 33K miles, it would be overkill to change again. ZD, the transmission maker, say's change it every 28K miles (45K km). There is no time interval specified, but I'd think that every four years would be conservative. Did you buy from a Mini dealer? If not, I sort of wonder why they would change it before it was required. Maybe I would change it again.

 

With all the hassle of changing the fluid let the dealer do it. If you do something wrong or the level is not correct or you cause a leak or get dirt in the tranny your on your own. The fluid change goes a long way but honestly not too many CVTs fail. Dont worry its rare

 

04 with a CVT approaching 80k miles without a problem (I've only owned it for the last 40k). I got an extended warranty just in case, but I will be upgrading before it expires.

 

I'm not a fan of extended warranties, but I too bought an extended warranty ONLY because of the CVT horror stories on here. Spent $1600 on it, but I feel better. As a side note, my AC went out and all but the $50 deductible was covered ($1300 bill). So... I really do feel better about it now.

 

Extended, third party and tire warranties are getting a lot better. There are a few pretty bad ones out there. Just need to play it by ear whats good and whats not

 

Our 03 Mini has the CVT. We had the Fluid changed as recommended by Mini at 30k miles. Have had no problems. I was told by Precision Imports who does most of the service on the Mini. If you service it & don,t abuse it it should be fine for a long time.

 

Yes,,it's good to read positive feedback. I'm addicted to reading everything and anything about Minis. I like to try and learn what I should know and sometimes I do worry way to much about things that could go wrong.
What ever happened to that person that could take off for parts unknown in a junker with a bad spare and only a couple of bucks ? Well,,,for one thing,,a daughter with expensive tastes.