I have two things I want to talk about. The first one will be the Lurching Problem that I've been having to deal with.

I'll explain as best as I can what happens...

Let's say I'm going down the Road at a speed of 40 MPH, in 3rd or 4th gear..my MINI GP will begin to Lurch (feels kind of like it's bucking a little). Now the MINI GP lurches in all gears and at different speeds.

Also, when I let of the Throttle or Push down on the Throttle (lightly or heavily), the MINI GP lurches.

I took the GP to a Independent MINI/BMW Dealer and had them look at the lurching problem. The Technician did notice the same problem BUT when they hooked up a Scan Gauge and looked at the Fault Codes and other things...Nothing Came up. They, too, are scratching there heads wondering what's going on. I have Reset the ECU, BUT I still have the Lurching Problem. I have no Engine Modifications.

When I fuel up, I use either 91 octane or 93 Octane, Depending on what Gas Station I fuel up at. I try to fuel up with 93 Octane more. I'm not sure if this would make a difference but in the County I am in, all the Gas Stations have a 10% blend of Ethonal. Please note that the GP did NOT do any lurching when I bought it in Feb of this year.

Now for the last topic....

I had a tech inspection done on the GP last week to make sure that the GP is still in sound condition. Only problem they found is that the Right Inner-Front Ball Joint has little play.

What signs and symptons would I feel and/or hear if the ball joint was getting worst?? I do however plan on having a new inner ball joint installed before I go to MINIS ON TOP in June.

Thanks.

 

Do a search on yo-yo and see if that is what you feel. Maybe the by-pass valve. How many miles and do you track the car?

 

I've done searches on the yo-yo problem and I do believe that is what my MINI is doing. I've done a ECU Reset though. What else could I do??

The MINI has around 36000 Miles on it now.

I haven't tracked the MINI yet...but I have my first Auto-X school and event on June 5 and 6.

 

I have read you can zip tie the valve closed go for a drive and see if the problem is gone then you know to replace the By pass valve or just replace it $130ish about a hour to replace if that- if you think its the yo-yo. Is it out of warranty? as for the miles yours seems low but a whole host of of things may of loosen the ball joint. The inner one is not fun to replace due to the bolts- its not a hard job but.... its not quick job.

 

Any update on the lurching? My GP is doing the same thing, and they are scratching their head about it, too. My 4yr/50K warranty is about to expire, so I'd like to get this figured out while in warranty if possible.

 

The lurching issue may not be related to the yo-yo or ball joint problems. It is possible you have a slipping clutch. I recall this problem when I had my old '89 S-10 pickup, but it did not start until sometime after 130K miles. Read more here: http://www.aa1car.com/library/2002/ic100237.htm.

 

The lurching on my GP can be consistently duplicated as follows: with the RPM in the 3,000 to 3,500 range, especially noticeable in 2nd gear and 3rd gear, let off the gas (which simulates what I'd do in certain traffic situations), then get back on the gas, it is when I get back on the gas that their is a jolt, it is not smooth, even when I really try hard to smoothly roll back onto the accelerator pedal.

 

And, I already asked if it might be anything related with things like bad gas, FPR / O rings, SC bypass valve, plugs, fuel pump, motor mounts, intercooler end seals/couplers, fuel filter, bad O2 sensor, reflashing ECU software, or even something to do with the new clutch / flywheel assembly that MINI of San Antonio installed. We went through the entire list, he said none of that would cause the not smooth lurching.

I still think it feels like slop in the driveline somewhere, for example motor mounts "about to go bad." Or maybe it is the "drive by wire" system?

 

Did the problem start after the new clutch and flywheel were installed?

 

I also have a similar lurch with my GP and 50,000 miles. It started lurching after a clutch replacement but it does not feel like the clutch is slipping. The lurch is noticeable under light load and the clutch seems to grab fine under heavy load. I just suspected that it is the Bypass Valve and it just became noticeable about the same time as the clutch replacement.

Is there something with the dealer replacement (rebuilt) flywheel/clutch assemblies that causes them to slip under a light load?

 

I'm sure the lurching problem I'm dealing with had nothing to do with a ball joint problem. Actually, when I made this thread, I combined two problems. I asked about the Lurching problem and then I asked what the sympton of a failing Ball Joint is. However, I got the Right-Front Ball Joint Replaced so that part is taken care of. You also mention that it could be a Slipping Clutch. Would there be any BIG Signs that I could hear/smell/etc, to tell if my Clutch is Slipping?? I mean, sometimes when I leave from a Stop, the Clutch makes a God Awful sound that is quite embarrassing I must admit but the sound isn't a Squeeling sound and does not happen all the time.

Also, sometimes when I shift down, for example, from 5th to 4th, the GP will turn, usually to the left. It turns a little bit but it's noticable and this is Shifting Down in a Straight. I thought it was that my left hand was causing the problem, but I found that to be wrong. It doesn't do it all the time though.

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To answer GoodFinder's question: NO, I have NOT Received any Updates about the Lurching Problem with my GP. When I go to the Shop next time which will be soon since I need an Oil Change in about 500 Miles, I'll be sure to ask them. When I had taken the GP to the Shop about 2 Months ago, which is a Independent BMW/MINI Sales & Service Dealer. The Technician that drove my GP DID notice that the GP would Lurch. From reading the Service Report they gave me, the Technician said, "We are not positive that the Lurching problem is Abnormal - we need to drive another GP to verify."

They do have a GP there actually, one that is for Sale. At the time I came to the shop, the GP was being housed inside the shop. I've noticed that they recently took that GP out of their shop. I will ask them if they noticed the same Lurching problem in their GP, even though their GP only has around 15,000 Miles on it.

This is just my .2 cents, but maybe if I had the TSW Dampener Package (New Series) Installed on my GP, that might cure the Lurching Problem. The problem now is though, I've gotten so use to the Lurching Problem, that I'm not really aware of it as much as I was before.

 

Wow, three different scenarios running in this thread now. ONEFASTGOKART, you may be hearing a "whirring" sound when you let out your clutch early on when it is cold. This usually indicates a worn throwout bearing. They seem to do it early one. The one in my old '02 MCS made that sound for over 30K miles. I was planning on installing a new clutch, throwout bearing, and flywheel, but I ended up totalling it. Even now, I hear the sound faintly in my current '06 MCS, and I only have 52.5K miles.

The link I provided helps to provide a better explanation on the lurching issue as related to a slipping clutch. I don't think you would really smell the clutch burning unless you were making hard accelerations or had to ride the clutch hard when starting out in 1st gear (like on a hill).

Not sure what the issue is with the downshift issue where your wheel turns to the left.

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For GoodFinder, I'm not sure the driveline is an issue. The manual transmission has a direct gear drive to the axle shafts. The CV joints in them eventually go bad, but you would notice that by the "clicking" sound when you take turns.

As for the drive-by-wire issue, the only problem I ever had was making really fast shifts. I think my foot was going fast, the synchronization between the accelerator pedal and the throttle body was interrupted. Of course, a knock sense can also explain this, as the ECU would temporarily retard the timing.

I asked about whether the problem started after the new clutch was installed to indicate a possibility it was not properly aligned. It just stinks because the transmission has to be dropped again just to visually inspect it.

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quikmni, it is possible your BPV is beginning to show signs of the yo-yo effect. However, if memory serves, in the VGS mod thread, most people had a problem with the '03 and '04 models. I did the VGS mod on mine, but it was not really necessary. I'm going to eventually get a Detroit Tuned BPV and take the VGS mod off.

In your case, it could be a misaligned clutch as well. Did you only get the clutch replaced, or did the flywheel get resurfaced/changed out as well? Perhaps the two surfaces are still mating together, or the flywheel is warped.

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In any case, so long as you go to the MINI dealership, or a known good European specialist shop, they should have a good working knowledge of how to install the clutch.

 

You sure it's not the motor mount? When I replaced mine the surging was definitely reduced. Also check the serpentine belt and the belt tensioner. There's some amount of surge inherent in the front wheel drive / supercharged setup. But replacing the motor mount really helped my situation.

 

JumpingJackFlash, thanks for your input.
The clutch and flywheel were replaced at a Mini Dealership with a "remanufactured" set so I hope it was done correctly.
I initially did not suspect the BPV because just as in your case my 03 MCS had yo-yo and I did the VGS mod. My 06 did not initially have yo-yo and I believe Mini redesigned the BPV around 05 with a stronger spring that was suppose to resolve the BPV issue. I just wonder if the spring is getting weak. Yesterday I was going to tie-wrap the BPV but I could not get the yo-yo to occur so I need to wait until I can consistently make the yo-yo happen.

 

quikmni, thanks for the response. I have asked before if there is some kind of peep hole to see the clutch and flywheel without taking the transmission down, but I don't think there is. Since bthayer23 mentioned the lower mount was a problem for him (or her), maybe check that out.

 

I have the same issue with my 2004 MCS w/94k miles. From zero throttle there's a single "bump" when throttle is applied and if I let off the throttle quickly there is a triple "bump".

I've replaced both engine mounts and the upper stabilizer mount, so it can't be those.

I know my control arm bushings are shot and my ball joints may be needing replacement as well.