I just picked up my MINI last night, it's an automatic. Whenever I start up the car and then move (reverse or forward), the car rumbles back and forth, like a manual would. What is the deal with this? It reminds me of what my old car would do right before it would die. Help!

 

hunhhh?? I think you have to explain that better.

 

I think you are referring to the "rubber banding" motion of the CVT tranmission. This is normal for the early model year CVTs...2002, 2003, and I'm not sure but I think they may have fixed this feeling in the 2004-2005 CVT MINIs. At low speed ("creeping"), you may feel a back-and-forth motion happening to the car...this is the nature of the CVT transmission and usually does not signify a mechanical problem...if you do not hear any grinding noises coming from the transmission, I wouldn't worry about it. Is your MINI used? What year is it, how many miles?


rock on,

-boognish