[Paul]

I can tell you the people at MINI are coming up with an official comment for us to post on the website. There has been some delay, but as soon as I can put this information on the site I will.

[mr.bill]

Apial, after they fitted the new suspension parts, did they do a KDS test on it? Just curious, because if the pull is gone, the drift should be too, unless there is still an alignment problem. On the highway here, my Z (same weight and wheelbase as the MINI) tracks straight, maybe a slight drift of one foot in a hundred yards due to the road camber. If the car is properly aligned, you should be able to drive with essentially one finger. If you have to correct it constantly to keep it straight, then it is not fixed, no matter what others may say. At least it is better now, so you won't have arms like Popeye.

[Apial]

No the car has not been back on the KDS. The dealer says that this is not needed now as the struts fit in the already adjusted locating mounts.

Due to the strong gales it is impossible to test the steering. My gut feeling is that I need more effort to turn right than to turn left still. It does not drive as straight as my Fiat Coupe yet. But at the moment even that car is blown off the road by the wind!

Another factor is that MINI has a highly geared steering rack. You feel that the steering is in top gear compared to the 316i that I drove the other week. A little movement of the wheel produces a lot of steering action. This also makes the wheel feel heavy compared to the 316i. The power steering is not very strong. This tends to give more feed-back. There is also a lot of castor on the steering giving a strong centreing of the wheel. The problem is that my wheel feels like it is still centreing a few degrees to the left, hence the slight pull.

The repaired drivers seat failed the first time I tried to use it. Also the drivers door refused to open in cold frosty weather. I think that a linkage needs more grease.
After Xmas the dealer can fix it along with the new headlamp when it ever arrives.

Just to add to the fun, the Fiats alarm has decided to go mad. It goes off all by itself. No fault codes are shown to explain why. The battery, alternator and current drain on switch-off have all been checked. I think a new unit will have to be fitted.

[Basil]

Quote:

Originally posted by Paul_Mullett
I can tell you the people at MINI are coming up with an official comment for us to post on the website. There has been some delay, but as soon as I can put this information on the site I will.

Everyone else seems so focused on their own problems. Thanks Paul, look forward to some "official" feedback.

[Basil]

Quote:

Originally posted by Apial
No the car has not been back on the KDS. The dealer says that this is not needed now as the struts fit in the already adjusted locating mounts.

Due to the strong gales it is impossible to test the steering. My gut feeling is that I need more effort to turn right than to turn left still. It does not drive as straight as my Fiat Coupe yet. But at the moment even that car is blown off the road by the wind!

Another factor is that MINI has a highly geared steering rack. You feel that the steering is in top gear compared to the 316i that I drove the other week. A little movement of the wheel produces a lot of steering action. This also makes the wheel feel heavy compared to the 316i. The power steering is not very strong. This tends to give more feed-back. There is also a lot of castor on the steering giving a strong centreing of the wheel. The problem is that my wheel feels like it is still centreing a few degrees to the left, hence the slight pull.

The repaired drivers seat failed the first time I tried to use it. Also the drivers door refused to open in cold frosty weather. I think that a linkage needs more grease.
After Xmas the dealer can fix it along with the new headlamp when it ever arrives.

Just to add to the fun, the Fiats alarm has decided to go mad. It goes off all by itself. No fault codes are shown to explain why. The battery, alternator and current drain on switch-off have all been checked. I think a new unit will have to be fitted.

multum in parvo.........Thats a very clever and appropriate little signature Apial.

[oxfordmini]

Mr Bill,

You can't compare your Datsun in the USA to a Mini in the UK. UK roads have a lot more camber than the USA, no matter what you see on Inspector Morse. I've driven extensily on both.

Your datsun has a different type of suspension system, hasn't got PAS not to mention the drive at the other end.

As for the pull verses the drift. If the car will pull up a camber (find a empty road and drive on the wrong side) it is a problem, if it pulls right then it is just camber sensitive which is what the drift is. I hope people arn't expecting to drive with their hands off the steering wheel as that ain't going to happen.

I've driven a car (not a Mini) which was percieved to have the same problem, on a control surface, which had about half a degree of camber, it would always pull left, driving the other way it pulled right. Even if a road looks camber free it probably isn't.

[rich]

Quote:

Originally posted by Basil



multum in parvo.........Thats a very clever and appropriate little signature Apial.

For those of us without a Classics education, what does it mean?

[Cape Cod MINI]

I beleive the translation is something like this.

Multum: "much, greatly"
Parvo (Parvus minor minimus): "small, little"

Therefore you could translate as "much from so little", "so much from so small", "big things come in small packages", a lot for a little", etc.
Thus, the MINI fits these loose translations.

[R1]

The MINI has now been tested by most of the television motoring programs. Most of them pull no punches when giving their verdicts on the cars tested. Why haven't any of them mentioned the steering pull? Are they finding it's no different to any other cars they have tested?

[BruceK]

Quote:

Originally posted by R1
The MINI has now been tested by most of the television motoring programs. Most of them pull no punches when giving their verdicts on the cars tested. Why haven't any of them mentioned the steering pull? Are they finding it's no different to any other cars they have tested?

That’s a good question. I would bet that before BMW releases any MINI to the press, it is well sorted out and any obvious flaws are corrected or another, fault free car is substituted.

Sorry to appear cynical, but I'm sure it is done that way.

[R1]

Quote:

Originally posted by BruceK
I would bet that before BMW releases any MINI to the press, it is well sorted out and any obvious flaws are corrected or another, fault free car is substituted.

Good point, but a lot of the cars tested were "Y" reg and BMW doesn't seem to have a fix for the pull / drift acording to some of the posts on here!

[LMB]

Quote:

Originally posted by R1
Good point, but a lot of the cars tested were "Y" reg and BMW doesn't seem to have a fix for the pull / drift acording to some of the posts on here!

I read somewhere a while back that due to the Mini's design BMW weren't going to make that much money on each Mini sold. With that in mind I don't believe for one second that BMW don't have a fix for the 'Pulling to the left' syndrome. But rather they don't have one that is economically viable.

LMB

[Basil]

Quote:

Originally posted by LMB


I read somewhere a while back that due to the Mini's design BMW weren't going to make that much money on each Mini sold. With that in mind I don't believe for one second that BMW don't have a fix for the 'Pulling to the left' syndrome. But rather they don't have one that is economically viable.

LMB

If it was a "design" problem, ALL MINI's would have the "pull". Move the factory to Germany. That will fix it.

Apologise to insiderMINI

[Basil]

Quote:

Originally posted by BruceK


That’s a good question. I would bet that before BMW releases any MINI to the press, it is well sorted out and any obvious flaws are corrected or another, fault free car is substituted.

Sorry to appear cynical, but I'm sure it is done that way.

I have to agree BruceK. These problems just have to be the way the cars are being put together. Cars built on Tuesday's or Wednesdays are probably the ones to get.

The older I am the more cynical I become, because less of the written word is the truth......

[ricardo]

Quote:

Originally posted by BruceK


...I would bet that before BMW releases any MINI to the press, it is well sorted out and any obvious flaws are corrected or another, fault free car is substituted....

Back in the summer, Car magazine got hold of a Cooper pre-launch (much to BMW's annoyance). This had not been prepared as a press car. Car complained of understeer (which was not present in subsequent MINIs they tested) but no problem with a pull to the left.

It's hard to reconcile this drifting/pulling problem with the car praised so highly for its handling by Car, Autocar and Auto Express testers. Clearly there's a percentage of rogue examples out there which behave totally differently to the cars they tested.

The official explanation/statement will make interesting reading - let's hope it is explicit about what has caused the problem and how it has been eradicated.

[rich]

Are you MINI2 guys (i.e. Paul Mullett et al) in touch with BMW regarding this issue either formally or informally? Can you press them for a response that can be quoted on this forum?

If BMW will not respond directly to this forum, do you have any contacts in the motoring press that could lobby BMW for a straight answer?

If BMW actually spoke on the subject, maybe all us Mini enthusiasts could get on with talking about something more positive & interesting in this forum. After all, that would be in BMW's interests

I'm not bored with this subject & I don't want it hushed up because it's negative about our beloved car... I just want some bloody answers so we can all move on

[LMB]

Quote:

Originally posted by rich
I just want some bloody answers so we can all move on

Don't we all

LMB

[Basil]

Quote:

Originally posted by Paul_Mullett
I can tell you the people at MINI are coming up with an official comment for us to post on the website. There has been some delay, but as soon as I can put this information on the site I will.

Paul has contacted BMW Rich.....still waiting

[oxfordmini]

Quote:

Originally posted by Basil

If it was a "design" problem, ALL MINI's would have the "pull". Move the factory to Germany. That will fix it.

It won't make any difference as the parts would still be supplied by the same company, it isn't an Oxford assembly issue.

Quote:

Originally posted by BruceK

That’s a good question. I would bet that before BMW releases any MINI to the press, it is well sorted out and any obvious flaws are corrected or another, fault free car is substituted.

All press cars are built to optinum tolerances so are, for want of a better word, perfect. BMW is unlike other manufacturers who fiddle the cars, i.e fit better engines, stiffer suspension etc. I think it was CAR magazine who recently commented on the fact they believed Skoda had fitted a 225bhp engine insted of the 190bhp in a Octavia RSi they had for testing. (a follow up car was much slower)

[Paul]

I have been in touch with MINI UK, several times, about this and they have in turn been in touch with Munich and the USA etc..

I have requested on all our visitors behalf for an official statement, specifically on the pulling to the left issue. The right people do read this site, and do take note... but this feedback is taking a very long time.

What with the xmas and new year break I was not expecting anything this week, but I would hope very much so to have a reply next week, as this isn't going to go away if you ask me.