[D-Cooper-S]

As title says HOW!!

Impossible

[dlpruk]

Do you play table tennis? Try the action of a left-hander's backhand smash to knock the gear lever across the gate. (Seriously!)

[D-Cooper-S]

it is hardest gearbox ever!

[118]

you have to be a bit brutal and kinda thump it right across

[KillerByte]

Takes a bit of getting used to but it will go with a little effort.

[118]

Quote: Originally Posted by KillerByte (original)

Takes a bit of getting used to but it will go with a little effort.

and some vaseline

[drainaudio]

Quote: Originally Posted by D-Cooper-S (original)

it is hardest gearbox ever!

What have you been driving previously?

The S box is a dream..

[AprilWhine]

Just slap it and it goes right into place. If you think this gearbox is hard, you should have tried my 1959 Vauxhall. And we won't even go into three on the tree.

[D-Cooper-S]

but how?

pull up and across or just up nd left

i had 206's before, rubbish gearbox but went in (and out) easily

[mini_mart]

push it to the left as if you were then going the put it into 1st, then push hard to the left again it will move across then push up into R.

i had this trouble with the courtesy car stuck on a car park for 1/2 hour before figuring it out

hope this helps

[cooperSMark]

yeah, reverse is a tad stiff... it's the same as the 3 series i used to drive. There's no push down, pull up, sliding collar, or anything like that.. just a whacking great spring which stops you selecting revers instead of 1st.

I find putting the palm of my hand against the right side of the gear knob and pushing sharply to the left is enough to push the lever beyond 1st. It should then just slide straight up (as in towards the front of the car) into reverse nicely then.

The other 6 gears are a dream to use.. it's a very precise and slick box

[balmy1]

Don't worry about getting into reverse I'm still wondering why my clubman wont go backwards when I try 6Th gear as it was in my mitsy colt. I still try occasionally after 4 months

[Freedo]

How long have you had your Cooper S for?!

[cooperSMark]

Quote: Originally Posted by balmy1 (original)

Don't worry about getting into reverse I'm still wondering why my clubman wont go backwards when I try 6Th gear as it was in my mitsy colt. I still try occasionally after 4 months

I sometimes wonder where the hell to put the stick next when i come out of 6th gear! Not used to having the 6th gear yet!

[balmy1]

yes I have to admit to trying 7 th gear as well !!!!!

[Silent1]

There's 2 techniques:

The smash - this is when you thump the gearlever to the left and then slot it into reverse

The shove - this is for the more experienced MINI user as it's pushed with just enough force to get it into reverse whilst not looking like you'd lose at arm wrestling to a girl

[Ant FR]

i remember when i picked my car up, i assumed it was a push down, Drove down the road from the dealers, got to the end of the road and bloody fireengine coming up the other way, so i had to reverse, could i get it in, nope. The firemen called me a ****** after i eventually managed to force it in.

So dodgy Bmw Mini reverese gears can kill people ( in a round about way)

[Paul]

Your dealer should have gone over that at hand over.

[Brayster]

ha it wasn't just me!! I had to ring the dealer the day i got mine and ask! (they didn't cover it) or even know about holding the key fob to open the windows?????

[MINI-Morgan]

lol, yeah its an experience the first time but it is a good box and a drivers gearbox unlike your previous car. Its gets easier in time too....I actually think the lock starts to get a bit looser.