Hey all, I am a bit reluctant to even mention this, and I am only doing so because someone else sat in my car and noticed this as well. The gears are a bit hard to find. It's almost impossible for me to hit first without scraping the sides with the stick. Same goes for second, if I bring it straight down it seems I should move it to the right a bit then down. But if I do that, it seems it should have been to the left a bit more.

Same goes for reverse... it's not hard to pull the stick all the way to the left, but then bringing it back up it's hit or miss. It seems like it should go straight in. I't been like this since day one, I don't think I could have FUBAR'd it this bad (no way), and I really thought it was normal until someone else drove my car the other day (much more experienced manual driver than I ever will be).

Thoughts?

 

Every 6 speed MINI I've driven has shifted smooth as butter. No trouble finding the gears at all. Might want to take it in to the dealer to be looked at.

 

has anyone dealt with the dealership in Sacramento?

 

Quite a few of us ran into similar problems when we first purchased our R56s. You'll find somewhat similar discussions in the archives. After a while though you don't notice any issue at all. You're just pulling slightly left for 1st and 2nd, slightly right for 5th and 6th, and for 3rd and 4th you just allow the stick to relax to the neutral position then go up or down into gear.

 

Took a few trips and a couple of miles to get used to the pattern, but I haven't really missed any gears. I went into reverse once at a light, but now I can tell which gear I am in by the position of the shift **** relative to my body.
I ran up an on ramp pretty fast the other day. I was shifting thru the gears and had my head on a swivel watching traffic. I thought "Am I in 4th or 6th?" because it was still pulling hard. One glance at the speedo and tach and I realized I was in 6th and moving at a faster pace than intended. Lil ole Percy was stretching his legs some. I slowed down before the wife started bleating!

 

The only issue I found the first day was that reverse was too easy to enter. I did it like 5 times the first day but realized it each time before i started moving except the first time. So I slammed the brakes stalled out and looked like a doofous. Hasn't happened to me since.

 

Over the first 1,000 miles, mine was a little tough to get into first & second, but now at 2,500 miles, it is as smooth as it should be. As soon as Redline comes up with a suitable gear oil, I'm going to dump the factory fill and replace with Redline. This should even make it better.

After driving and not shifting for 15 or twenty minutes, I sometimes forget wether I'm in 4th or 6th...it would be really nice if there were a display on the tach that actually displayed which gear one is in: ie: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6..just like BMW's automatics do when run in sport mode.

 

For me second gear felt a little crunchy for the first 500 miles.

The 08's (at least in europe don't know about US) are supposed to have the gear shift indicator that's supposed to display your current gear and the gear that it thinks you should be in.

But the gear changes do seem a little loud especially outside the car. It was the case with the other MINIs I test drove so I assume that's just a characteristic of the transmission.

 

Maybe you are trying too hard. The first time I drove an R56, a demonstrator, I hit reverse at a stop sign. Then I realized how smoothly the gearbox shifts if I just let it do the work. Seems like it knows what gear to go into next, with just a little rightward pressure on 5th and 6th.

 

I find the manual shifting isn't as smooth as it should be (and I grew up driving manuals, so I'm not new to them). I have occasional grinding noise when shifiting from 1st to 2nd, and I find 5th pretty hard to find. I took it in to the dealer for the grinding noise, but they 'didn't find anything wrong' but said that it has been reported already as an issue and there is a bulletin about it. They also claimed that it takes 2-3000 miles to really break in a transmission (I just hit 2000 this weekend).

It only happens once or twice when I first start driving - 3rd or 4th time I shift into 2nd from 1st, then it stops.

I'd like to know if there is a transmission fluid issue - if there is something that I could add since that seems possibly be the issue. Once it's going, the car is great.

The good thing about taking it to the dealer though was that they did a software upgrade and the flat spots I had in 1st and 2nd are totally gone, and it seems to have a bit more pick-up than it did at the beginning. Maybe it's was just a break in issue.

 

Like you, I hate to admit this, but shifting the MINI is sometimes difficult for me also. I've been driving manual and automatics for over forty-five years, and never missed (grinded/ground) as many shifts as with this car. Most cars naturally progress from lower to higher gears without thinking, but you do have to pay attention or you'll miss one! I chalk it up to not paying attention, and trying to show off! I do like the acceleration clear through the gears, though.

 

I havent ground the gears since day 1

 

Okay I'll admit that I worry....not that I've done it....about throwing the gearbox into R when I intend to go to 1st. The prospect creep me out. Other than that (and even with that) I truly love this gearbox. All other shifting is marvelous!!!

 

Maybe everyone is having trouble with the gearbox cuz they are used to having a 5 speed? Just a thought. I know it's gonna take me some SERIOUS getting used to the 6 speed when I get my car.

 

After driving and not shifting for 15 or twenty minutes, I sometimes forget wether I'm in 4th or 6th...it would be really nice if there were a display on the tach that actually displayed which gear one is in: ie: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6..just like BMW's automatics do when run in sport mode.[/quote]

I'm glad to see someone else thinking this would be nice. I mentioned it while test driving an 07 and the salesman looked at me like I was NUTS!

 

My car still has only has 155 mi. on it and there is a hangup going into reverse. All the other gears are good. I found that it's getting a little better each day so I'm chalking it up to not being broken in yet.

 

I've also gotten a little confused as to which gear I'm in after cruising a bit. I would also appreciate the a small indicator. IIRC, the 2008 are supposed to have this. Perhaps we bought too early.

 

Well thanks for your input guys, really appreciate it. Maybe it's true, maybe I am a bit too tense (for seome reason) and if I relax it should go right in... I mean I have no problem finding/getting into gears 3-6, so it's just R, 1 and 2.

For first gear, it almost seems like you pull left a bit, then you slide it up but slightly to the right. With second, it's a bit tough... when it has a hard time going in and i'm in traffic, well that's just a huge PITA.

I don't know, I would just expect it to be smooth 100% of the time. I will pay attention how tense I am being, and just letting the stick go in. thanks guys.

 

With the exception of reverse, if you just let the stick find the gears, it does. I.e. gently move the stick forward or backwards along the path it is directing itself. If you try to direct it, you will experience what you have.

 

+1 lighter touch is better.

 

I've found that after first driving in the morning the shifter can be a bit notchy for the 1st mile or 2. But I have also noticed that if the car is shifted at 3500 rpm or higher it is butter smooth. This would explain the problem when driving the 1st couple of miles as I don't rev the engine too high until it is warmed up. I have never heard any grinding noises though and have not had any problems finding gears. Overall I really like shifting this car.

 

I think the MINI has the easiest gears I've ever driven with. Both the clutch and the stick I find VERY easy... This was one of the first things I noticed both test driving, then driving my own.

I'm actually VERY suprised at the thread????

 

I'm with Birdman. The silky, buttery smooth 6-speed is one of the reasons I am SO excited to get my car!!!

 

The smoothest, most buttery, manual transmissions I ever drove were on Alfa Romeos. The gates and gear positions were solid and precise. Shifting was smooth.

The worst was a Triumph TR3. You could put it in 3rd (assuming you could find 3rd) and move it side-to-side as though it were in neutral.

The MINI's 6 speed is good, but not as butter smooth nor as precise as the Alfa.

 

Yep, agree w/ most here...the 6 speed is fantastic...smoooooooth....I'm really pleased with the manual transmission...

John