[mikemsm999]

I have an December 02 plate Cooper which has covered 53k with fsh. Last thursday my girlfriend was driving the car and when she went to pull away from the traffic lights it would not engage any gears except reverse! When it engages reverse it juts backwards and stalls. Rydale have jut rung me to inform me that they are pretty sure the clutch has gone and want to charge me £1200 to replace it!

A friend of mine is head tech in a local main dealer (not nini) and spoke to one of his friends that used to be a mini tech, he said that from experiance the fault was the syncros have collapsed and its a common problem on all mini coopers up to march 03....... Any ideas?

Many thanks guys and gals

[MINIMANIAUK]

It could be either the clutch or the gearbox synchros,they do indeed fail we can do an uprated clutch or standard fitted at a lot less than the dealer we also can recon your box £550 or uprate to a racing "dog box" which would be the end of synchro problems!! but at a cost-- the racing box is really for performance addicts give us a call on Newport 01663 866865

[Capsaisin]

Sounds like a gearbox fault to me. As your friend says early boxes were prone to problems. Could you actually feel the gears or was the gearstick a bit floppy? If it stalled in reverse, could be your gf actually selected 2 gears at once, it can happen if gears and selectors get loose on a shaft.
If it was clutch, I think £1200 is taking the p*ss. And no doubt if its really the box this quote will double.
Look at it this way, to change the clutch you have to remove the box so for a "normal" garage the labour cost is the same and you can examine both clutch and box for the fault. A clutch plate costs around £150 so £1000 for labour - really
There is nothing magical about a Mini gearbox or clutch. At your mileage I would budget on a new gearbox and clutch assembly, but get a friendly "local" garage to do it for you. The extra labour costs are minimal in fitting a new clutch plate when the gearbox is replaced. These are bolt on replacement parts which any garage can do, there are no special BMW rebuilding procedures involved and no special BMW secret way of fitting it all together.

I am sure that Minimaniauk are well meaning but I would not even consider a rebuild of your existing box, just get a new one (exchange???). In my experience the time and costs involved in rebuilding a box (which is quite complex and contains far too many shafts, bearings and cog wheels for my liking) is not worth it if you can get a new or manufacturers part exchange box. Certainly DO NOT let a local garage rebuild your box, Minimaniauk will know what they are doing as certainly as a local garage will not.
Thats just my own opinion, it could change if I were to be told an exchange box cost more than £700, but then I would certainly never pay £1200 for a clutch, I would rather bring my overalls out of retirement!! But thats just me.

[mikemsm999]

There were no signs of problem at all before my girlfriend tried to select first gear after toppping at the traffic lights.

What worries me is that i have today seen a few posts on other sites which have said about similar sounding problem were the local dealer in that area has said the clutch has gone and charged around the £600 mark even under waranty as a wear and tear items and has then changed the gear box as well as the clutch without further charge...... so was the clutch really faulty or was this a way of making some extra money and it was the gearbox which was faulty that would have been covered under waranty anyway?

The specialist that carry out the work one of my other cars has made some enquiries and has said that from people past experience it is the gear box, which he recons is about 2 days labour. Problem is that if i knew it was the box i know Mini were replasing them under warranty and when customers whos cars were not long out of warranty complained enough they carried out the work as a 'gesture of good will'.

Hard to know what to do for the best.

Thanks for the help guys.... KEEP IT COMING!

[le19h]

http://www.mini2.com/forum/faults-fi...lems-help.html

I had a similar problem... see the link above for the full details.
From Sytner Coventry, i have just paid for parts; clutch £180 fly wheel £120 or around those figures + VAT. (I have a quote for just clutch & labour at £610.

[Capsaisin]

Is this 02 Mini still under warranty? I would assume at this age it has no warranty so you won't get the box replaced for free anyway.
Have I missed something here?

[mikemsm999]

No its a december 02 so it is now out of warranty, however as they have had so many problems with these issues i know they were telling the dealers to change them upon demand and if the car was out of warranty to use their judgement and replace them as a 'Gesture of good will'. A car that has been designed as a hot hatch and covered 53k with female owners should not need a new clutch or gearbox surely!?

A friend work in Concept Saab next to Rydale so he was guna try and pull a techi to day and see what he can find out for me... finger crossed!

[Capsaisin]

There does seem to be a problem with early cooper gearboxes, so you could be right about BMW changing them out of warranty. If they agree to change the box for free maybe you will get a new clutch at parts cost, if so I would certainly have it done.
Best of Luck!

[mikemsm999]

Anyone else had this same problem?..... Looking for case history to hit the dealer with on monday!

[DEye]

There was an issue with the linkage ( cables ) coming off and leaving you in *a* gear... it happened to me - doing a three point turn and there i was stuck in reverse... the shifter flopped around like a dead fish...

Does it still shift ? can you move the stick ?

I have also heard that removing the transmission was a *NIGHTMARE* 12 hours out and back in

Good luck

[mikemsm999]

Not stuck in gear just wont go into any gear except reverse and when it does just hops back and stalls!

[micdesign]

I was wonder if you can help me?


I was driving my mini cooper s last Sunday, on the way out from the parking space i got in to first gear with clutch down, it made a funny noise like the clutch was not down. After that I cannot access the 1st gear, is like there is something blocking it.

I took it in to a garage today, and they quote me £600-£700 for taking it out (internal) and have a look at it, before that they cant tell me what wrong.

Can anyone give me some advice? just run out off warranty.

MINI Cooper S (may 03) (London UK)

Micah_cheung@gensler.com


Thank you very much for you help.....


Mic

[moonshine]

You could look at this thread re. recon gearboxes etc out of warranty

Clickety Click here

Gerry