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!
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!