Tracking CVTs

[velveteen_mini]

My car is a velvet red 2003 Cooper with CVT. I have been having idle issues since almost the beginning. The car will bog when I come to a stop. Sometimes when I start the car it almost dies when I put it into drive. When I do short, multi trips this happens a lot. After many software updates, I was offered a new CVT at about 70,000km. (about 43,000 miles) The problems are still there but not as severe, except for the short trip issue. MINI Richmond has NOT closed the tranny warranty work order.

Now, less than a year later and less than 20,000km, the EP warning is coming on. , Took the car in and was told my brake light switch needed replacing as, if it fails, it can trip the EP since it is connected to the tranny. $124. That was Monday. Today is Wednesday and the EP light is on again. I already had an appointment with MINI for a pre-trip as we are going to MMW in two weeks and I wanted an oil change and to find out what caused a bang two weeks ago. I thought maybe I hit a rock but never saw one in front of me or felt one hit a tire or saw one come out behind me. On Monday, MINI got me in for an emergency look-see. Today, they say it can wait until my Friday appointment. I'm glad my work order is still open. Will not be a happy camper if I break down on my trip because they haven't found my car's problem.

Anyway, mark me down as a CVT owner with tranny issues. The car is a rare colour so I want to hang onto it but, if I need another tranny, I see either an S manual or Rav4 in my future.

[Sejanus]

Quote: Originally Posted by velveteen_mini (original)

My car is a velvet red 2003 Cooper with CVT. I have been having idle issues since almost the beginning. The car will bog when I come to a stop. Sometimes when I start the car it almost dies when I put it into drive. When I do short, multi trips this happens a lot. After many software updates, I was offered a new CVT at about 70,000km. (about 43,000 miles) The problems are still there but not as severe, except for the short trip issue. MINI Richmond has NOT closed the tranny warranty work order.

So did you get a new transmission put in at 43K?

[velveteen_mini]

That I did, which is why I am worried right now.

[Sejanus]

I can see why, but isn't the new transmission still under warranty?

[AprilWhine]

Are you having the repairs done at Crown MINI in Richmond VA?

[DreamingTwig]

Funny... I just found this thread the other day and now my MINI's gone into limp mode. The day I call for my 70,000 mile tune up.

The CVT goes nuts and the flat tire light (even thought the tires are ok) is on too.

Dash looks like a christmas tree.

More on this one soon.

[ontheroadagain]

Can you describe "limp mode" and what year is your CVT - an '04? Resetting the flat tire monitor doesn't work? Please do follow-up and let everyone know the outcome of your service - and I'm hoping for good news and it being something simple.

I hate reading this thread, but it's important to be aware - while not fatalistic.

[Aurel]

Quote: Originally Posted by DreamingTwig (original)

Funny... I just found this thread the other day and now my MINI's gone into limp mode. The day I call for my 70,000 mile tune up.

The CVT goes nuts and the flat tire light (even thought the tires are ok) is on too.

Dash looks like a christmas tree.

More on this one soon.

hey Dreaming Twig ... fellow NEMINI member ... post your tales on NEMINI as well please. We have a thread going there with similar issues.

[Sejanus]

Quote: Originally Posted by ontheroadagain (original)

I hate reading this thread, but it's important to be aware - while not fatalistic.

Actually the point of this thread wasn't exactly to report CVT problems. It was to start a list of CVTs without problems and then track to see how many, if any, developed them. So far I do not believe any of the owners with CVTs without problems listed here have developed any.

[ontheroadagain]

Good point.

Quote: Originally Posted by Sejanus (original)

We've had a fair number of people lately who been experiencing CVT failure, or have we? It seems like there is a problem, but since reports of trouble are by definition self-selecting and often come from new members it's hard to know if these are just isolated cases or a signficant number of failures. I know of one or two CVT owners who were posting on here and then had trouble, but I also know of several, Willy first and foremost, whose cars have been fine. What I suggest is that all of us who have CVTs that are running fine post on this thread saying just that, CVT year, X thousand miles, date, no problem. And we keep doing this every month or so and see how many and how long we all go with or without problems. The more CVT owners who "sign on" the better sample size we'll have and maybe we can get some sense as to how big a problem or not CVT failure is. Many of us have posted this sort of thing before, but it's scattered in various threads, this way we'll get all our "data" in one place.

OK, me first.

Sejanus-'02 CVT, 68,000 miles, Nov. '06- no problems

Are you still driving your '02?

[DreamingTwig]

Quote: Originally Posted by ontheroadagain (original)

Can you describe "limp mode" and what year is your CVT - an '04? Resetting the flat tire monitor doesn't work? Please do follow-up and let everyone know the outcome of your service - and I'm hoping for good news and it being something simple.

I hate reading this thread, but it's important to be aware - while not fatalistic.

Hey there... I'll clear up what's going on...

The MINI's an 04 with alllllllmost 70,000 miles on her.. She was set to go in Friday (July 6) for the inspection/fluid changes.

Duh...
My "Service Engine Soon" light came up.

But wait there's more. MORE lights come on...

No shifty, no shirty...
She goes off into "Limp Mode" meaning that I can't use any other mode that "D". No SD or 1,2,3 etc. As soon as I try an "EP" shows up in that D spot and I can't shift up or down. Only one mode. I drive it on stick mode all the time and driving making me nuts.

What flat tire?...
The low-tire light came on and stayed on.. All the tires read (no preasure leak, no damage) fine and several attempts to reset it have failed.

My MA wasn't in the show Saturday, so I'm going to call him Monday morning and see what the next move is.

[Sejanus]

Quote: Originally Posted by ontheroadagain (original)

Good point.

Are you still driving your '02?

Yup, I'll break 78,000 in the next couple of days. Radio, radiator and window have all needed work recently, but the CVT (knock on proverbial wood) has been absolutely fine.

[AprilWhine]

Quote: Originally Posted by Sejanus (original)

Yup, I'll break 78,000 in the next couple of days. Radio, radiator and window have all needed work recently, but the CVT (knock on proverbial wood) has been absolutely fine.

And in the same time, the fuzzy hubby and I probably haven't put that many miles total on all four MINIs in the family.

[ontheroadagain]

Good for you and your CVT, Sejanus - that's what I like to hear! Here's to "proverbial wood", too.

Aprilwhine, I am shocked, shocked that you and The Fuzzy One haven't surpassed that mileage - in total, no less! Seriously, though, I'm always rather amazed at how little mileage some folks seem to put on their MINIs. I'm just over 20k on my one year old '06 right now, but it is my daily driver. For economy and the environment, of course, it's much better if one doesn't have to pack on the miles daily, but if one does have to - the MINI does makes it much more fun.

[AprilWhine]

Well, we would have had 6k more miles if we hadn't towed them both from VA to NV.