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Looking for feedback on clutch issues ('08 Clubman S)

5K views 8 replies 4 participants last post by  merebook 
#1 ·
My '08 Clubman S has been having issues with the clutch for over a year. The reason I have not gotten it fixed yet is the problem is completely random. It happens rarely but when it does you hear the clutch howl and sometimes feel it slipping. Issue has been really hard to nail down as it never does it when I drop by my local MINI dealer. However it has happened mostly when I am downshifting when making a right turn at an intersection or in stop and go traffic. Lately the noise has been much louder and the slipping more noticeable but it only does it a couple of times and then all is fine.

The clutch started doing this at around 70,000 Kms. It now has under 85K.

My local MINI technician tells me this could be caused by a light film of surface rust due to lack of use (I don't drive the car much so it's mostly sitting in the driveway). He says the clutch may slip once or twice until the rust has been polished off the flywheel.

This would make sense if it only happened right out of the driveway but it's not always the case. It can happen anywhere, in any season, around the corner of my house or after driving hundreds of kilometers on a road trip.

I tend to drive the car on long distances during the summer but in winter it's mostly driving around town.

I have been reading a lot of postings about premature clutch failures. Mine started doing this after the warranty expired so I am looking at a hefty repair bill if I go the dealer route.

I'm contemplating replacing the clutch myself or bringing it to an independent BMW shop. Aftermarket clutches are a lot less expensive and the labor charges are much lower if you avoid the dealer.

I can still drive it as this only happens rarely but I need a reliable car so I will probably pull the trigger on a new clutch pretty soon.

Looking for feedback from other owners who replaced the clutch on their second gen Cooper S themselves or via an independent shop. I want to know if it's a huge job for D-I-Y and if it's best to stick with the OEM clutch or go for a performance clutch (like a stage 1).

I don't plan to take the car to the track but I feel the OEM clutch may not be suited to the turbo engine. It would explain the premature failures I have been reading about.

Any feedback would be great.

BlueClubby!
 
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#3 ·
Yeah, sounds like that. Sometimes you can barely hear/feel it but other times it is quite loud and you definitely feel the clutch slipping for a second. What I find really weird is it can be months between these events and even then it'll happen a couple of times and it doesn't come back.

You would think the problem would be consistent but it's random and not easily repeatable.

Could it be something else???
 
#5 ·
Pretty big job for a DIY. The entire front of the car has to come off then you have to drop the subframe before you can even start to get at the bell housing. To give you an idea, at a dealership you are looking at around $2000 Canadian for the work.

Clutch howl sounds like maybe a glazed flywheel. I highly doubt it's rust and is more likely related to heat damage of the flywheel surface. That may mean in addition to the clutch kit, you'll also have to replace the flywheel.

If there is already slippage, then it's being damaged the more it slips. I'd get it seen too before it's undriveable especially since you mention that the symptoms are increasing in severity.

At around 85,000km I wouldn't describe this as premature clutch failure. If it was 30,000km and under then I would. I'm guessing you do lots of stop and start to have a clutch go out at under 100,000km.
 
#6 ·
Well it started doing at at around 70,000 Kms and 70% of this is highway mileage so not a lot of stop and go driving at all.

I have owned many cars over the past 35 years , most were manuals and I never had to replace a clutch. From what I have read on various MINI owner forums, this is not an unusual issue on these cars.

In my case the severity of the noise is increasing but not the frequency. I can drive for weeks without any problem then it may hit me twice in a few minutes.

You would think a glazed flywheel would cause this issue all the time. I mean... once it's glazed, it's pretty well cooked and so it should happen all the time or at least with increased frequency. So why isn't it the case? Very weird.

Thanks for the info concerning the work involved with the clutch job.
 
#9 ·
Clutch/flywheel replacement - Mini Cooper D clubman

Had to have clutch replaced under warranty (after being told that my driving was at fault when car was just out of warranty). I had taken it into the dealership to complain about the difficulty of changing gear and that I needed two hands to do it. I was told to double de-clutch! At that point It seemed that it was not my driving and I was told the clutch would be replaced under warranty. At Christmas the same thing happened again, but not the gearbox issue, and the car broke down. This time I was told it was the clutch and the flywheel and it cost me over £2100 to get it fixed. Again I was told it was my driving - "this car has been driven hard and badly". When my husband came with me to collect it the service guy refused to repeat this.
Anyway I have never ever had to get a clutch replaced on a car in my life and I have had cars that have done far more mileage than this one. 49,000 at time of the second clutch being fitted. Neither, I am told, to I drive cars hard and badly. Just wondered if there was anyone else who has had this trouble as I am thinking of pursuing a legal claim against Mini as I am convinced there is something wrong somewhere. I have the parts they removed from the car and wondered if anyone knew if by looking at them an expert could tell what had happened.
 
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