I was autocrossing this Saturday when all of a sudden my car came out of second gear and went into neutral. I was able to quickly pop it back into second and finish my run.

I am a bit freaked out by this as I am afraid that its a sign for things to come - transmission problems. Has anyone expereinced this? I have an 04 Mini Cooper.

The point of the track where this happen was a rather fast 2nd gear straightaway. Halfway through the starightaway you cross from one part of the parking lot to the other - there was a joint in the asphalt that has slowly eroded with weather and is now a pretty nasty bump. The car would go over this bump at wide open throttle going approximately 45mph. It would make a major thump and the frame would get a little unsettled, but didn't bottom out or anything. Can the transmission popping out of gear be attributed to the bump on the course?

Thanks.

 

did you accidentally hit the shifter with your hand? if you were modulating the gas the shifter can potentially pop out of gear if you touched it even without clutching-in. (im sure you knew that...but just a long shot). :smile:

 

I wish that was the case, but I am pretty sure both of my hands were on the steering wheel. I really hope this doesn't mean that my transmission is about to go.

 

Could be that you didn't fully engage second S*** happens when you're in a hurry. I wouldn't worry about it unless it happens frequently:smile:

 

But it was 4th and it went from a rare to occasional, then frequent event. In THAT case it meant a new tranny...

 

Ouch, thats a scary thought. I am pretty confident I was engaged fully. The autocross started off with a short straight at the end of which you get into the second gear. You spend the next 20 seconds going through slaloms and pulling medium speed turns. Coming out of the second medium speed turn was the dreaded straightaway with a ditch running right across it.

 

I recently got a new tranny in my 04 Cooper. On the way home from the dealership with my new tranny, I put it in 5th and put my foot on the gas. The shifter made a "thump" sound and dropped back to Neutral.

I was infuriated, but I think I simply failed to fully engage the gear. It hasn't happened since, and I've been on my guard for it.

 

I'd say you didn't have in all the way in gear. Don't worry about it unless it happens again.

 

I agree with those who say it probably wasnt fully engaged. Unfortunately theres no way to know for sure unless it happens again when you arent driving so hard. I know when I picked up Kathy a few weeks ago I wasnt used to the throw of the shift lever and i got kicked out of 2nd 3rd and 4th a few times before i realized that i had to push past the initial resistance to get it fuly into gear.

 

Thanks for the replies guys. I will take you word for it and assume (and really really hope) i wasn't fully in gear. I will keep an eye out for it and will post if it happens again.

By the way, if i were to get a new tranny with MINI because this one goes - would i get the old school one or the new 5 speed?

Thanks.

 

The dealers are replacing like for like. You won't get the new one, even if you beg and plead.