>>I HAVE READ WITH GREAT INTEREST ALL OF THE STORIES OF THE CLUTCH PROBLEM,
>>ETC. I HAVE OWNED MY MINI FOR 3 WEEKS. YOU HAVE ME WORRIED, AS I AM
>>4 HRS. FROM NEAREST DEALERSHIP. MY QUESTION? IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE
>>WHO HAS AT LEAST 15,000 MILES ON THEIR MINI WITH NO PROBLEMS. PLEASE
>>REPLY. THIS IS IMPORTANT.

 

I would have been the first to defend the MINI and the "It's a new model so give it a break" argument but it is amazing how fast sitting on the side of the road for an hour, in the dark, with a car that won't move, will change your mind about it's reliability, especially a new car. I was motoring around happily a week ago and now it is sitting in the shop for 8 days.

 

MINI Dealer called about the clutch. It seems that although the clutch is worn and has a few burn spots from being a little too agressive they don't feel that it is abnormal. They are replacing the entire transmission and clutch system as something failed in the transmission and took out the clutch. That was as much info as they gave me. Hope to have it back on the road by Sat. I'll post more info as I find out. Either I got a week transmission or the 5 speed is thin skinned and isn't going to hold up much more than gentle trips to the grocery store.

 

Damon

Thanks for the update about your clutch problem. I'll PM you after posting this, so check for that in a few minutes.

Dave

 

MRS. CHIPPY
THANKS FOR YOUR COMMON SENSE ADVICE. I JUST WENT OVER THE 1000 MI MARK
WITH NO PROBLEMS AT ALL. SIMPLY LOVE MY LITTLE CAR. I CAN TELL YOU FEEL
THE SAME WAY. ABSOLUTLY JUST A DIFFERENT KIND OF CAR. MOTTO FROM
MRS. CHIPPY: MOTOR WORRY FREE!!
GARFIELD

 

>>MRS. CHIPPY
>>THANKS FOR YOUR COMMON SENSE ADVICE. I JUST WENT OVER THE 1000 MI MARK
>>WITH NO PROBLEMS AT ALL. SIMPLY LOVE MY LITTLE CAR. I CAN TELL YOU FEEL
>>THE SAME WAY. ABSOLUTLY JUST A DIFFERENT KIND OF CAR. MOTTO FROM
>>MRS. CHIPPY: MOTOR WORRY FREE!!
>>GARFIELD




Weeeee! I am so glad to be a help. I am looking forward to exchanging more posts with you.
Motor On my Mini GARFIELD Friend!

 

About shifting/clutch/brakes: When I approach a stop sign I normally shift to neutral when I get real close and apply brake slowly. I have always done this since
the 60's, instead of downshifting and leaving foot on clutch. My mechanical dad always said this would burn clutch out, but would be normal brake use. I have always
found this to be true. But this is a MINI Cooper, a new little car. Some opinions?

 

"Break pads cost a lot less than transmissions" is what I have always been told. I usually downshift for turns, etc., but rarely for stopping. At a traffic light, transmission is in neutral with clutch out, takes pressure off of the throw-out bearing. This is what my dad taught me when I first starting driving thirty years ago and it still make sense to me. I just cringe when I read on this site someone dropping into 3rd gear at 90 mph to pass someone. I guess I just try to be a little easier on the equipment than most people. With that being said, I corner fairly hard and downshift/upshift and accelerate quickly when the situation dictates it (like having fun, which is often in this car). Just my 2 cents.

 

I have always downshifted with a little heel and toe braking, matching the revs of the engine to the anticpated rev point for the new gear (make sense?). I put well over 170,000 miles on a '85 Honda civic transmission that way as well as MANY other vehicles and have never had to replace a trans or clutch. The old school of neutral gear, apply the brakes applies to older machinery, IMO.

 

>>I HAVE READ WITH GREAT INTEREST ALL OF THE STORIES OF THE CLUTCH PROBLEM,
>>ETC. I HAVE OWNED MY MINI FOR 3 WEEKS. YOU HAVE ME WORRIED, AS I AM
>>4 HRS. FROM NEAREST DEALERSHIP. MY QUESTION? IS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE
>>WHO HAS AT LEAST 15,000 MILES ON THEIR MINI WITH NO PROBLEMS. PLEASE
>>REPLY. THIS IS IMPORTANT.

Garfield - I have driven my MCS 14,500 miles, in 6-months, without any engine problems (although they did replace a leaking coolant reservoir @ the 10k service).
I've had a few squeaks and rattles - some they fixed, some still need attention - but nothing that would put owning a Cooper in a bad light.

 

Weeeeeeeeee back to you Mrs. Chippy! Thanks for reply. How many miles on your
MINI? I HAVE READ WITH INTEREST ABOUT COOLANT TANK AND CLUTCH. IT SEEMS
THAT SOME OWNERS HAD TROUBLE FROM THE GET GO. HAVE HAD A LEMON BEFORE
WITH MERCURY AND FIESTA. TO CLUTCH OR NOT CLUTCH AT STOPS? MAYBE TIME
TO RETHINK DRIVING HABITS. :smile: WORRY FREE MOTORING!

 

I agree, your dad taught you well. I have read on this site that it is cheaper to replace clutch than brake job. With normal driving like you stated, here's hoping this little car will go over 100,000 without either one.

 

Are you saying that when you approach a stop, you downshift to first and leave foot
on brake (lightly) until stopped, and leave foot on clutch to hold car steady?

 

Mrs. Chippy: I must share this with you. Dropped a little coffee on my red cloth seats this morning while getting out of car. Am just sick, like I burned my best friend. I immediately cleaned with micro cloth, but sure hope no stain is left. Any
suggestions? One thing for sure, no drinking in little car. Law of the MC.
Crying in the sink!
WORRY FREE MOTORING!null

 

OPPS. Mini got my new transmission in the car but forgot to order the lifetime super special transmission fluids to go in it. They can't get it until Monday so I get to keep my GMC Pickup for another few days. Wouldn't you think BMW and MINI transmission fluids would be the same?

 

This is my first manual transmission car, and it is a blast to drive. There is, however, a few mistakes I make from time to time. Every now and then, I will start in first gear, and the car will jerk back and forth until I engage the clutch and re-do first gear. Is there a way I can prevent this? I know it can't be good for the lil guy.

I have been reading the previous posts, and many of them say that you are in neutral while coming to a stop and then use the brake to slow down. My dad has always told me to do the same thing. But, the MINI manual states, (and I wish I could type it verbatum) that drivers should never come to a stop without the MINI in gear. Without the gear, you have no resistance to help you stop. Check it out. So, when I now come to a stop, I just leave it in the gear I was in until the RPMs reach about 1K and by then, it's time to engage the clutch. Thoughts?

 

One more question...

Does everyone push down the clutch pedel all the way to the floor when you are shifting? My MINI clutch engages very high, and I only need to push it about half way down before I can shift. I try to remember to push it all the way down, but forget sometimes, because it's so easy to make fast shifts the other way.

 

>>One more question...
>>
>>Does everyone push down the clutch pedel all the way to the floor when you are shifting? My MINI clutch engages very high, and I only need to push it about half way down before I can shift. I try to remember to push it all the way down, but forget sometimes, because it's so easy to make fast shifts the other way.


Well, go figure. As soon as I posted this question, my dealer gives me a call to ask if I will talk to a newspaper reporter about being a MINI customer. So I said I would, as long as he would answer a few of my questions. David told me that ideally, you should push the clutch all the way to the floor, but no one ever does that. He said that even he gets lazy and sometimes hears the grinding noise. Wow! A MINI God grinds his gears? I am normal!

 

>>This is my first manual transmission car, and it is a blast to drive. There is, however, a few mistakes I make from time to time. Every now and then, I will start in first gear, and the car will jerk back and forth until I engage the clutch and re-do first gear. Is there a way I can prevent this? I know it can't be good for the lil guy.
>>

It sounds like you don't have a basic problem with the clutch. You may be experiencing the "jerk" effect from the first gear being too tall for a smooth start. I have an MCS and I have to let the clutch slip more than I'd like to get a smooth takeoff - give it some extra gas while still having the clutch engaged partly.

>>I have been reading the previous posts, and many of them say that you are in neutral while coming to a stop and then use the brake to slow down. My dad has always told me to do the same thing. But, the MINI manual states, (and I wish I could type it verbatum) that drivers should never come to a stop without the MINI in gear. Without the gear, you have no resistance to help you stop. Check it out. So, when I now come to a stop, I just leave it in the gear I was in until the RPMs reach about 1K and by then, it's time to engage the clutch. Thoughts?

I can't find the section in the manual where it talks about coming to a stop without the car in gear. What I did find was the following: Do not hold the vehicle in place on slopes by slipping or "riding" the clutch. Use the parking brake instead. Riding the clutch causes the clutch assembly to wear out sooner. Could you have it mixed up? I usually disengage the gear when I'm coasting to a stop without waiting for 1Krpm. The brakes shuold be sufficient to stop the car without the "engine braking".

 

>>I can't find the section in the manual where it talks about coming to a stop without the car in gear. What I did find was the following: Do not hold the vehicle in place on slopes by slipping or "riding" the clutch. Use the parking brake instead. Riding the clutch causes the clutch assembly to wear out sooner. Could you have it mixed up? I usually disengage the gear when I'm coasting to a stop without waiting for 1Krpm. The brakes shuold be sufficient to stop the car without the "engine braking".


That isn't the part I was thinking about in the manual. I will look at it tomorrow and find the section I am thinking about. It may be the "unofficial" MINI Manual I read that in.