This is our first winter with "Mini Driver" and when the outside temp. dips below freezing something also freezes-up preventing us from putting it in gear. After the car has warmed-up (maybe 10 min.) everything is OK. What is going on? We are having the coldest January I can remember (-7 yesterday).
Thanks,
Tom

 

Water freezes, not oil, so you must have moisture in the linkage. Take it to the dealer and get used to having to do that.

 

Welcome to NAM!

You have a bad clutch cable...or more specifically, bad grommets sealing the end of the cable. Moisture gets in there and freezes. Take it to your dealer and they'll replace the cable (this is a known problem that seems to occur on manual transmission MINIs regardless of model year). Washing the car under the hood (or up from below) will exacerbate the problem, but also just general atmospheric and road moisture can cause the same thing.

DO NOT FORCE the shift until it warms up and wants to shift. Forcing it (as you've probably guessed) will only cause more damage and may actually break something...thereby insuring a ride on the flatbed to the dealer.

 

I’ve sent you an email offering our assistance. If you prefer, you can call us at 866-ASK MINI and please mention Reference # 200402307041 so that we can help you more efficiently.

 

i cant shift because my shifter is too cold. dont ask why but i licked it earlier and my tounge stuck for a sec and now it hurts cause i pulled away and pulled skin off or something. it was -5 out and there was some snow on the **** that i mistakenly brought in with me so... yea