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Mini Cooper S Roadster issues

6K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  mike1967 
#1 ·
As a relatively new owner of a roadster there are a couple of issues that I'd like to get advice on.

1. When I drive with the roof down and go over a bump I find that the roof lifts and clatters back down and the sound comes from the passenger side. This seems to be because it locks down on the driver's side only. Should it be locking down on both sides or is the locking mechanism on one side only?

2. I'm happy with the overall roadholding and suspension but find that the car does seem to tramline badly on bad roads. From what I hear and read in reviews this is a standard feature of the car but I'm wondering if there is any brand of tyre that helps to minimise this effect. My tyre size is
205/45/R17 and it's currently wearing Bridgestone Potenza tyres. I should say that outright roadholding and cornering on the limit is not my highest priority; I'd trade it for a wee bit more control on bad roads.
 
#2 ·
Hi there. I assume you have the automatic roof? From memory when I had mine it doesn’t lock at the sides like the cabriolet does. On the versions that you have to fold back manually like in the US, when the roof comes back it locks in the middle and there is a button on the bulkhead behind the seats that you have to press to release it. It might be that there is something loose on the fitting that isn’t apparent when the roof is up. Is there a warranty on the car that you can get it looked at under.

Tyres, I had Bridgestone Potenza on my 2010 Cooper D Convertible and yes it tramlined and was a bit skittish but that never bothered me, I thought it was the fun of driving the MINI. When I had to have new tyres on the rear I ended up with Hankook’s and the handling seem d t9 be terrible, changing lanes on the motorway it felt like the rear end wasn’t as planted on the road as it used to be. I took it back to the tyre place and they were really helpful, it turned out that the Bridgestone’s have really stiff sidewalls, and the Hankook’s were softer, hence the ride being a bit strange. You might find that changing the tyres so something a bit softer will help.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for your replies guys. Yes, mine is the roadster with the semi-automatic roof mechanism and on looking closer it looks like it doesn't lock anywhere when it's down. Maybe it's an adjustment problem. I guess a visit to the dealer is necessary.
As regards the tramlining I agree that it's part of the handling charm of the car, which I enjoy, most of the time. Unfortunately the roads where I live are in poor condition and the car hops and skitters and follows the contours of the road in a way that means you don't always feel totally in control. Fine when you're "up for it" but if you're just pootling it can be a bit wearing. I think I read somewhere that Continental Sport Contact 3 tyres work well on the car.
 
#5 ·
if its got run flats on it change them to non runflats transforms them, just buy a couple cans of tyre weld to stick in boot just in case get a puncture, could also try running pressure a few psi less should settle it down a tad,
 
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