Alright I'm tired of the dealer incompetence and now have to ask some of you what the issue could be and where to go from here. I searched various ways on here for others, answers.. something that related to my issues beside the throwout or pilot bearing sound that I know I have but..

I have transmission clunk when shifting into 1st(i think syncro or gear selector/fork issues) while not moving, at a dead stop. Then when driving going into 2nd and 3rd gears, sounds like a loose transmission gear feeling or messed up LSD, I replicated it 8+ times with the shop foreman in car, he said he doesn't hear it(but trust me its loud enough and the clunk resonates slightly thru the chassis). So I grew a light bulb, pulled up next to someones house in the area so the sound was audible off their garage door and he says it's normal sound. I said "no it sounds like I don't have any fluid in the transmission." I also have the throw out bearing sound or some internally constant tick that doesn't speed up with rpm but they don't hear it.

Sooo here I am again having to be Mr. Director/Producer with 2 mics to pick up the sounds around the transmission area. I had to do this to get my timing tensioner work done.

I will not stop until I get a new LSD trans and clutch in my car because I'm covered for it, been dealing with this for 4,000 miles, the trans is going to ****. I think MINI USA gives BS101 courses for dealers to be this way, you know to BS owners and push them away especially when you have bought motorers and maintenance until 100k. /rant

What's the next course of action short of driving the car thru the showroom floor?

 

I also have a '07 MCS 6 speed manual with limited slip differential. How many miles are on your car? At around 40K miles I replaced the fluid in my transmission with Redline MTL. The owner's manual and the sticker on the transmission says it's "lifetime" but I don't buy that any more than the 18K mile oil change interval for the engine. For what it's worth the transmission seemed to shift better after changing the fluid. For the cost of a couple of quarts of MTL it may be worth a try to see if it helps your issues.

 

80k on the car. Fluid has never been replaced, shouldn't have to be with "lifetime" fluid. My car is under warranty until 100k and the sounds and looseness has gotten worse, so it should go anytime now. I would replace fluid, I just don't want to give MINI an out.

 

I hear you, but it made an improvement in my car too. Nothing drastic, but noticable. I changed it within the first 5k miles of owning the car.

-JL

 

Well I talked to MINI USA and they referred me to another dealer in the area and has everything documented for me. So I'll probably know Friday or Saturday what's wrong, they told me to explain the issue and also the misfortune with other dealer and if they are the same way to contact them while there. So I can only assume this other dealer is known for doing "odd jobs" that are paid for by them.

 

Do you have a short shifter? If its looseness in the shifter feel, or if you have a short shifter, it could be the cable or shifter, or cable slack (shouldnt be any though) knocking up against the bottom of the shifter dust cover when you shift. Its only shifting into first though? not 5th?

 

Stock shifter, only mods are in sig. Thought the nm tq insert would help. But the probleis more pronounced and noticable with it.

 

Update:
The problem is the throw-out bearing. It's not covered under MINI Next or extended maintenance. WTF!! I was told if my clutch was going out it would be covered, due to when doing the clutch under maintenance the TO bearing comes with the kit and is done also.

The 2nd issue causing a rattling at idle sometimes or knock/clunk/click when shifting are the balljoints on the front left and right control arms(the middle one that presses onto the arm itself) BOTH are shot, I repeat BOTH!

What's the point of having 2 warranties that do nothing??

$1,966.61 for clutch/TO done

$1,386 for new control arms, rubber mounts pressed in.

That's $3352.61 for just those 3 things.

*I was just also told I'm 2qts low on oil but I just changed my oil 4 weeks ago at MINI of Main Line when I got a state and emissions inspection, and they overlooked the LCA bushings being busted.

Very big thanks to Otto's MINI for finding these issues out, topping off my oil and not raping me on diagnostics fees. MINIUSA opened an investigation, 3-5 days I'll know where I'm at.