[Pauline]

Hello!

I was hoping someone here might be able to help me out. On Monday, I was driving down a dual-carriageway at about 65-70mph and I totally lost control of my Mini for no reason whatsoever. It was a straight road, and the road was dry. There were other cars around, and they all seemed OK, so I don't think there was anything slippery on the road surface. For a few seconds, the steering just wasn't 'there' - hope that makes sense! And the car swerved several times before I was able to get it back under control.

Since then, everything has been fine, but I'm a little concerned in case this happens again at high speeds. Is there anything that could cause my car to behave like this? I was just driving in a straight line when it happened, so it wasn't as if I lost the car on a corner or anything.

I'm concerned and ever so slightly scared!!

[MiniMeesch]

I'd get it to a dealer and tell them exactly what happened... also, maybe drive the same bit of road again and check there was no diesel spilt there or anything just in case... you may as well be on ice as hit that!

Good luck.

Quote: Originally Posted by Pauline

Hello!

I was hoping someone here might be able to help me out. On Monday, I was driving down a dual-carriageway at about 65-70mph and I totally lost control of my Mini for no reason whatsoever. It was a straight road, and the road was dry. There were other cars around, and they all seemed OK, so I don't think there was anything slippery on the road surface. For a few seconds, the steering just wasn't 'there' - hope that makes sense! And the car swerved several times before I was able to get it back under control.

Since then, everything has been fine, but I'm a little concerned in case this happens again at high speeds. Is there anything that could cause my car to behave like this? I was just driving in a straight line when it happened, so it wasn't as if I lost the car on a corner or anything.

I'm concerned and ever so slightly scared!!

[SoggyCornFlakes]

Hi Pauline

Yeah, pop along to the dealer and get it checked out - sounds eird and something you don't want to happen again

[Pauline]

Thanks....I wanted to see if anyone knew of any reason that the steering would just go like that before I took it to a dealer.

My dealer is always so booked up and they take ages to fix things and it would probably mean being without the car for a week or so.

If there's no reason for it, then I'll put it down to a slippery road surface.

[Parc77]

Quote: Originally Posted by Pauline

Thanks....I wanted to see if anyone knew of any reason that the steering would just go like that before I took it to a dealer.

My dealer is always so booked up and they take ages to fix things and it would probably mean being without the car for a week or so.

If there's no reason for it, then I'll put it down to a slippery road surface.

Think most Mini dealers are pretty much booked up for a couple of weeks when you try and book your car in.
They should give you a hire/curtosy car while yours is being looked @ especially if it is a part failure of any sort, am sure if its anything major they'll fix it.

[andyupnorth]

If the car drove fine before that incident and now drives perfecly afterwards it's 99% most likely that it was something on the road. Either that or you had a momentary seizure.

[ButtonIt]

Definietly sounds like somehting on the road surface. If you were braking then I might have put it down to your ASC or DSC playing up, but under acceleration it wouldn't affect it.

What were the road conditions like? Had it been raining? Could it have been a very big gust of wind? Or maybe even a severe tramline?

[Pauline]

Thanks everyone...I think I'll see how it goes over the next few days. It's just odd that it happened like it did, on a straight stretch of road and it hadn't been raining.

[Hickster]

The only thing I can think off that might cause this other than adverse road surface or weather conditions would be the power steering pump. I would probably give the dealer a bell as a precausionary measure and at least ask them the if they have any ideas.

[stillthewhizz]

I lost the back end of a Cooper S on Saturday, I wasn't speeding but it was wet. I just guess the traction wasn't there.

[RallyMINI]

The issue I have noticed is that on the baddly rutted roads around Mass, the 17" runflats with tramline up the edges and pull the steering around. It can make the car feel like its not doing what you intended.

just a thought...

RM

[mikeythemini]

I know you probly were not looking at the dash but was there a yellow light in the rev counter flickering while this was happening

[Pauline]

No, there were no warning lights. I see that yellow light come on all the time, when I'm pulling away from junctions and the wheels are spinning (God, I'm sounding like a right girl racer, and I'm not - honest!!)

I'll give the dealer a call in the morning and explained what happened and see what they reckon.

Thanks everyone

[SteveM3]

Doubt it's the car or you, sounds like oil/diesel/petrol to me.

[MINI-Morgan]

Quote: Originally Posted by Pauline

No, there were no warning lights. I see that yellow light come on all the time, when I'm pulling away from junctions and the wheels are spinning (God, I'm sounding like a right girl racer, and I'm not - honest!!)

I'll give the dealer a call in the morning and explained what happened and see what they reckon.

Thanks everyone

Nothing wrong with a girl racer lol

By the way you said the steering wasnt there id say something on the road such as diesel or ice if it was cold. Or possibly even oil if someone had a big problem recently.... if the power steering has failed id expect it to go really hard to move and not loose. But as the little short weelbase mini is twitchy enough getting unbalaced on a deep tramline is enough to get the back end out. Or as ive found a bumpy road is sometimes good enough.

Glad your ok though... could have been much worse!

[Mini Lou]

I could be way off the mark here, but it sounds a little like cross winds to me, I went through something similar in my last car and ended up in a crash barrier with 2 burst tyres (not so lucky!!!) I didn't have a clue what was happening, was like someone else started steering the car for a few seconds.....Mioght have been something else, but it sounds similar

[EBMCS03]

Well nothing like this happened to me before in my MINI but it happened like 15 years ago to my mom I was in the back seat... I was young but I remember the incident very clearly... we were going straight and then all of a sudden the car swerves and like basically made a sharp left turn into the on comming traffic side, (not intersection) LUCKLY there were no other cars on the other side. I remember it all, it we me, my mom, my aunt and my older cousin and my mom told my cousin to go out and check if there was a flat but there wasnt. *shrugs* We never did figure out what happened... it never happened again either... this was a 1980 somthing toyota corolla.

Sounds kind of like this inident... weird things... no real explaination...