hey my gearbox is frozen! it's 19 degrees out, it's been colder... i parked overnight with it in reverse and this morning it's not going anywhere (but backwards!). i'm 300 miles from the nearest mini dealer... any ideas? is this normal? it's not going to thaw anytime soon, so am i sol?

yikes!
christina

 

Well, you could start it up and sit there for awhile to melt the water off of the shifter cable. Too bad it is in reverse, cuz you are gonna have to sit with it

 

well that sucks... good thing i have seat heat! hopefully some ice is the only problem.

 

It probably is. You live in NY, according to your profile. Did you get the warm, rainy weather followed by cold, snowy weather? Water got splashed up there and then froze.

 

i'm in maine right now, hence no mini dealers... but yes, it was rainy and sloppy yesterday (and 55 degrees!). this morning... 19. eew. well off i go to spend some quality time sitting outside!

 

ok well thanks for reassuring me it was just ice... i went outside and no problems... i guess it warmed up enough when i was out there wrestling with it the first time. remind me not to leave it in gear in freezing weather...

thanks again, everyone here's always helpful
christina.

 

sorsha6 - It's a difficult decision when parking MINI's outside sometimes.

If one has the car in gear so that the e-brakes don't freeze up, then the
gearbox gets frozen in gear and would have to keep their foot on the
clutch while the car warms up... which could prematurely wear out the
throwout bearing.

If one uses the e-brake so that the gearbox doesn't get frozen in one
gear, then the e-brake freezes up.

I hear there is a technical service bulletin (TSB) for frozen cable
linkage that should be covered under the warranty.

 

I hear there is a technical service bulletin (TSB) for frozen cable
linkage that should be covered under the warranty.

You are correct. My 2002 Cooper had it's shift linkage cables covered under warranty this week.

 

My wife just called and was stuck in A-ville NC with the same problem. It was 22 degrees and the car sat for about 3 hours and froze up, no rain or ice or snow, just a cold gearbox. It is now moving again, but sluggishly. Will take it in for a TSB check next week. Too bad this week will be the coldest in a while and no service till next week.

 

Get.your car in for the cables they will cover under warrenty through mini

ask your advisor for the updated cables there is a production brake .so make sure they get the right ones ,

though ask your service advisor to order ahead of time so they have the cables ready .i live here is mn where the weather is -34 below my own cables are frozen stiff at night . for the time being leave the car in neutral and
warm the car up with the defrost on the feet . its hard to move but you can move the stick PUSH HARD IT WILL MOVE TRUST ME .I work in a shop that repairs all new minis in mpls . ive seen a few cooper s with this problem my self .good luck NY . COLD WEATHER IS HERE . MOTOR ON

 

Thanks, its going in Monday for service on its dislike of cold weather.

 

I think once a block heater is installed,should be less problems.Get mine soon,
warmed waterjacket,whole block heat,,,,,,priceless,I hope

 

Here in Quebec, weather has been very very cold for the last 2 weeks (-25C) and my MINI sleeps outside... Every single morning, my gearbox is frozen but I got used to it and I can shift but pulling hard on the shifter! It is really a pain but I've already got my cables changed twice last winter and it is still freezing...

I have another appointment next week to get those cables changed again and hopefully, it will be sorted!

Don't worry, you can drive it and after 10 minutes, it should be ok!

 

Are the cables different on the '05 ?

We left our MCS parked in the garage for 4 weeks over Xmas/New Year whilst we travelled back to England. It started first time, with no hint of any hiccups or yo-yo and the gearbox/handbrake were both fine :smile:

However, temp was probably only just below freezing. It's around zero F at the moment with 18" of snow forecast, so we'll see how it behaves

 

Don't pull too hard or that cable will break and you will be waiting for roadside assistance.

 

Any one have a copy of the TSB? Or have had the cables replaced recently? Mines a 2002, so assume its out of warranty. Looking for some info before calling the dealer as mines been frozen when the temp drops below 20 F or so.