I brought my car to MINI of Peabody today because it's been making a strange noise since last Thursday/Friday. It sounded exactly like driving down a driveway with a ridge of crusty snow in the middle and having the bottom of the car drag along it. Apparently what I was actually hearing was unhappy ball bearings. The mechanic put the car up on the lift, and pointed out to me the fluid dripping from the transfer case, right by the driver's side front wheel. Then he grabbed the driveshaft to the wheel and jiggled it visibly up and down, which isn't supposed to be possible. I don't know crap about transmissions, but all of this is sounding quite bad.

MINI of Peabody said that they had seen a few other cars with this problem recently, and that the transmissions have been redesigned in some way to prevent this from happening (I have a Sep '02 build with 15k miles). They arranged for a rental for me, and the Enterprise guy that came to pick me up actually said that HE had given rentals to at least a few people at the MINI dealership with this same exact problem.

I'm floored, because I hadn't read anything about this issue here, but maybe I just don't spend enough time in "Beneath the Bonnet."

So, now I'm pimping around town in a Saturn L-series, which I paid $5 a day out of my own pocket to upgrade to from the godawful Cavalier. Supposedly I'll have my car back by Wednesday at the latest. I'm really hoping that the new transmission won't alter the feel of the car, which was just about perfect. Does a transmission switchout necessitate monkeying with the ECU, reflashing with updated software, etc.?

This is just another nail in the coffin of my relationship with Herb Chambers MINI in Boston. Three reasons:

1. I called them first this morning to make an appointment, because I live practically across the street. Next Monday was the best they could do for me, even after hearing the nature of my problem. I turned around and called Peabody, and they said I could bring the car in TODAY. I don't even want to think about what might have happened if I drove around for a whole week waiting for my appointment in Boston.

2. Peabody gave me a rental, or at least paid $35 a day toward one. I didn't even have to ask; it was offered immediately as they were explaining the bad news to me. Herb Chambers would have said I was SOL.

3. I can see it right now: Bring the car into Herb Chambers. Car goes up on the lift. Fluid dripping from transfer case. Glance inside car, see B&M short shift kit. Immediately inform me that short shift kit voids the warranty for my entire transmission. Peabody didn't even mention it, and they definitely noticed it, because they took my car out to listen to before they put it up on the lift.

So, long story short, this situation sucks, but MINI of Peabody is doing everything they can to make it right.

I thought part of the reason I bought a NEW car was so that I wouldn't have to worry about things like my transmission seizing up?! I am now much less likely to keep this car for its full lifespan, or at least for very far beyond the warranty period. Don't get me wrong, I still love the car to death, but I'm not stupid, either. What surprise might be lurking at, say, 60,000 miles?
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Chris,

That sucks. At least MINI of Peabody sounds like they are doing the right thing (sad when good customer service is elevated to greatness because the general standard has been lowered so much. )

I know what you mean. And I'm already at 41,000.

Keep us posted.

Dave

 

Sucks to hear that. I have an Aug 02 built cooper and haven't had any probs yet at 20K miles. Hope you get everything worked out.

 

Hate to say it Chris - but it's still a mechanical device, stuff is just bound to go "ka-put" sooner or later. Don't let a free new transmission spoil your fun. The Warranty is to help you out if stuff craps out "sooner, rather than later". I'm glad to hear Peabody was helpful, but it sucks that Herb Chambers were such ***-wipes

Try maintaining a car after 120K+, that's when the repair bills really start adding up (especially with a BMW!)

 

Yeah, but the problem is when the things that go kaput are made by BMW and cost 2 or 3 times as much as the same parts in other cars. If I wasn't under warranty right now, this would probably be costing me two or three grand. I feel like now I'm hooked on the MINI and can't stomach driving anything else, but that I'd better keep a big chunk of contingency change lying around once the warranty expires.

In Herb Chambers's defense (and this may be the only time I ever utter those words My drain plug for my oil was tightened absurdly tight when I had the car in for its 10k service, and I called up HC this past Saturday to see if I could bring the car by for a quick adjustment (what, maybe 90 seconds?), so that I could change the oil. The guy on the phone talked to me like I was a six-year-old kid who wanted to change the oil in my dad's Ferrari. He wouldn't even entertain the notion of it being possible for long enough to consider helping me out. I was seriously tempted to walk over there and chew the guy out, he bugged me so much.

Now, conveniently, I can just have Peabody right their wrong while they coincidentally switch out my transmission.
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All,

Does anyone posting here worry about BIG BMW (big brother) reading this and saying "short shifter -- oops we missed that -- your bill will be $2,874.82?

Just a thought. But if it were me you would be reading it after it was fixed and I was gone with it.

Earl

 

I'd worry about that if I thought there was even a slight possibility of an actual causation relationship between the two. I admit that I don't know crap about transmissions, but imagining how meddling with the gearbox could cause the transfer case seal to fail at the driveshaft to the wheel just... seems like a stretch, even in an election year.
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yea - output seal, short shifter - they have NOTHING in common. I would've reamed the Herb Chambers morons a fresh one for even thinking of attempting to pull that load on me.

--->SCURVES, MINIUSA is too busy NOT responding to my Yo-Yo chronicles and DiD's windshield thread to bother with Chris's obviously defective tranny.

 

I know there is no direct connection in this case but I have seen posts where people have said stuff that I would not say until it was too late for them to question it.

Earl

 

Chris, that sucks about the transmission, and I definitely know what you mean about "after 60,000 miles." I got that feeling some months ago when I read someplace here on NAM about an unfortunate owner who was quoted $1000 for a clutch replacement, and another one who had a $500 brake job (rotors and pads all around). These are things that I will not have to pay for until after my warranty expires...but I do expect to have to do both before 100,000 miles, as I do with all cars, and it had never occured to me that we'd be looking at these sorts of maintenance costs on a sub-$30,000 car. and reflect on the benefit (IMO) that later this week your transmission will be 15,000 miles newer than the rest of your car. That's a good thing. Oh, and I doubt that the car will be any different (except for having a non-leaky, non-rattling, transmission) than before. I don't think they'd reflash the software for a manual transmission replacement. This should be a completely mechanical thing.

 

Just trying to understand the failure mode so we can associate root cause.

Is it the C-V plunge joint splined shaft as it enters the transfer case and its that u-cup seal that failed? If so, what caused the seal to fail? Wonder if the plunge joint failed inside the with a bad roller causing vibration,... to the seal?

 

Chrisnl,

Real sorry to hear about the problems w/ ur MINI.
I hope it all works out. :smile:
I agree w/ the.... issues after 60k statement... as others have posted here. Unfortunately there are few MINI's that presently are actually at that mileage to use as a measure. Time certainly will tell...

Again... I wish you a speedy/painless ...resolution to this issue !!!!

All good things...:smile:


Peace,
D

 

Transmissions.....there definitely is a problem. I have a 03 MC which I bought in January 03. Had to have the transmission replaced at 3,000 miles, have just replaced it again at the 25,000 mile marker. Same problem both times - a seal let go, fliuds dropped out, everything imploded.

The theory being imparted to me by the dealer is: a seal is breaking down in extreme cold winter weather. It kind of makes sense because both times I've had this problem the temperatures were -33F, with windchills below -40F. They beleive BMW/Mini is working on a solution. I also called the MINI USA people and found out that they are tracking 2 defects in particular, windshield problems and TRANSMISSION problems.

 

I read this twice and didn't discern whether this is an MC or MCS...?

 

I think he owns a MC 5-speed. The Midland Gears 5-speed gearbox is known to be problematic. If I were you, after they replaced the tranny, I would immediately upgrade to a MCS with the much better and reliable 6-speed Getrag box.

 

ZAKdog, I have a 5-speed Cooper, 9/02 build. Sorry for not making that clear.

>>Is it the C-V plunge joint splined shaft as it enters the transfer case and its that u-cup seal that failed? If so, what caused the seal to fail? Wonder if the plunge joint failed inside the with a bad roller causing vibration,... to the seal?<<

As I said, I know next to nothing about transmissions. All I can relay for now is what the mechanic pointed out to me under the car, which was an amber-colored fluid dripping from the joint at the lowest (to the ground) point of the transfer case, adjacent to the driver's side front wheel. It looked to me like this was where the fluid was leaking, but I suppose it could have come down from the C/V joint area. I'll try to get as clear an explanation as possible when I go to pick up the car, so that I can flesh out the story here.

>>I would immediately upgrade to a MCS with the much better and reliable 6-speed Getrag box.<<

Yeah, OK. :smile:
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Upgrading to an MCS is not a solution for MC owners, MINI fixing the car is the solution. It is an option if you can afford to do so - but not everyone can just trade the car in, or sell it for that matter. If MINI offers an amazing deal on a used Cooper that has had it's tranny replaced, great. But how do you tell a potential buyer your reason for selling?

"I love this car, but after I replaced the tranny, I decided to go for the MCS with the getrag..." Pretty tough to sell the car IMO with that track record, don't you think?

 

i won't tell if you won't tell.

 

>>Upgrading to an MCS is not a solution for MC owners, MINI fixing the car is the solution. It is an option if you can afford to do so - but not everyone can just trade the car in, or sell it for that matter. If MINI offers an amazing deal on a used Cooper that has had it's tranny replaced, great. But how do you tell a potential buyer your reason for selling?
>>
>> "I love this car, but after I replaced the tranny, I decided to go for the MCS with the getrag..." Pretty tough to sell the car IMO with that track record, don't you think?


Absolutely. The Midland Gears 5-speed gearbox is junk, sorry to say. MINI knows this very well as they will begin to outsource all-new 5-speeds from Getrag this coming summer for the '05 Cooper. Read the brief news article here:

http://www.mini2.com/news/news176.html

Chris: Your argument that the Cooper is "more environmentally friendly", I am afraid, is nothing more than hot air. I own a Cooper and a MCS and the operational costs and fuel consumption between the two are not that big of a difference. While I love our Cooper CVT, I find the MCS to look and feel more substantial and not only because the MCS has more torque/HP from the get go. If you have to have a MINI with a manual tranny, the MCS is th only way to go.


Your 5-speed transmission will be replaced by another defective Midland Gears unit. The vicious circle continues until current Cooper 5-speed owners go out of warranty and get stuck with astronomical repair bills.

My suggestion is to get rid of your current 5-speed Cooper while the resale values are high and go to a MCS. Trust me, you''ll thank yourself for it.

 

>>Chris: Your argument that the Cooper is "more environmentally friendly", I am afraid, is nothing more than hot air. I own a Cooper and a MCS and the operational costs and fuel consumption between the two are not that big of a difference.<<

Look the other way, and there's "not that big a difference" between the fuel economy of the MCS versus, say, a Ford Escape. Fuel economy is important to me, even when the difference might seem small to you. It is my number one consideration when buying a vheicle. Honestly, if I had known how overstated the EPA rating of 28/37 was for the Cooper, I never would have bought the car. The Civic has the exact same EPA rating, and I guarantee that car gets at least 5 mpg more than the Cooper.

>>My suggestion is to get rid of your current 5-speed Cooper while the resale values are high and go to a MCS.<<

I definitely might sell, but it won't be for a MCS. It will be for whatever the most recent Civic hatchback was that doesn't have the beefed up engine - 2000 model?

 

The current Civic Si is a DOG of a car. Ugly, heavy, bloated and slow. Don't fool yourself with the normal aspirated 160HP V-tec engine...this car lacks serious torque to get out of its own way. The old Civic Si's were fun lightweight hatchbacks but the current car has been a total sales flop...why trade for a total loser?

I think you are giving up on your MINI too quickly. Another suggestion if you so dislike the S, is to wait for the '05 Cooper that will come with the 5-speed Getrag box and which should be available here in September.


By the way, My Cooper S with 3,800 miles is currently delivering 26MPG on heavy urban traffic. 1 or 2 MPG shy under what our Cooper CVT makes.

 

>>The current Civic Si is a DOG of a car. Ugly, heavy, bloated and slow. Don't fool yourself with the normal aspirated 160HP V-tec engine...this car lacks serious torque to get out of its own way. The old Civic Si's were fun lightweight hatchbacks but the current car has been a total sales flop...why trade for a total loser?<<

I agree, it's an ugly car. That's one reason I don't want it. I don't particularly want the last hatchback either (I think the last model year was 2000 or 2001), but if I sell the MINI, that's what I'll be getting. I'll find the lowest-mileage one I can get.

>>I think you are giving up on your MINI too quickly. Another suggestion if you so dislike the S, is to wait for the '05 Cooper that will come with the 5-speed Getrag box and which should be available here in September.<<

If I didn't have such a problem with spending money on cars, sure, I'd just trade up for an '05. But that will end up costing me probably another eight grand, for a car that's only two years newer.

What's the feasibility of putting one of the new Getrag 5-speeds in my car, when they arrive? I assume that MINI's going to have to be able to do something for all the other SOL Midland tranny owners who will continue to be stranded after 2004 goes by. That's an option that I'd definitely consider, depending on the cost.

>>By the way, My Cooper S with 3,800 miles is currently delivering 26MPG on heavy urban traffic. 1 or 2 MPG shy under what our Cooper CVT makes.<<

Well, both your cars have mine beat. I get 18-21 mpg in the city. I can get 38 on the highway, but only if I go exactly 65 mph, and don't have to climb many hills or accelerate to pass anyone.
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Chris if you are so conerned about fuel mileage, then go to a Toyota Prius, Honda Insight or even a VW Golf 1.9TDI Diesel. Any of those cars will give you the high mileage figures you are looking for. The last 2 or 3 generations of the Honda Civic have been mostly dog cars. The best years of the Civic were 1988-1991 when the most successful CRX and Si models were produced. Anything else goingforward is just an econobox with the "H" on the hood.


MINI will not retrfit a 5-speed Getrag in your car. You seem not to believe me..the resale values on the MINI are absolutely insane and I can assure you it won't cost you another "eight grand" to move up to a '05 Cooper. In fact, Civics can't hold a candle to MINIs in the resale value dept (Among other things) you you'll be actually losing lots of $$$ goign for a new or used Civic.


I have friends at Used car auctions and the MINIs are going out for almost what their owners originally paid for them.

 

Are you kidding me? Maybe it's not as quick as an MCS, but it is not a dog. The Si does not handle as well as the MINI, but it is not slow....

As far as the Midlands tranny, I am fully aware of the Getrag change. I would like to know the percentage of blown Cooper trannies are out there.

Nice opinion, but there are PLENTY of satisfied 5 speed Cooper owners out there. I know I am not the only one with 30K + miles on this car, and I'm really getting tired of the eliticism I see from MCS owners trashing the Cooper. You make it sound as if owning the current 5-speed Cooper is a living hell, and we are all doomed at the end of warranty.

 

>>Chris if you are so conerned about fuel mileage, then go to a Toyota Prius, Honda Insight or even a VW Golf 1.9TDI Diesel.<<

As much as I admire the hybrids, I don't trust their longevity enough yet to plunk down my money on one. The Insight is barely usable, anyway. I like a hatchback with some hauling capacity. That said, I will never buy a Volkswagen, especially in response to reliability concerns about any other car. Talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire!

>>MINI will not retrfit a 5-speed Getrag in your car.<<

I don't get it, then how are they going to honor the warrantys of the 2004 models with the Midland tranny? Are they going to speculatively try to guess how many of the Midlands will crap out, and stock up before the contract ends?

>>You seem not to believe me..the resale values on the MINI are absolutely insane and I can assure you it won't cost you another "eight grand" to move up to a '05 Cooper... I have friends at Used car auctions and the MINIs are going out for almost what their owners originally paid for them.<<

I want to believe you, I really do. I'm definitely going to check it out. I'm not dumb enough to trade in my car at the dealer; I'd definitely sell it independently. I don't know, though, my car will probably have close to 25k by the fall, and be two years old. My guess would be around 12-13 grand for it, even with the mods. I'd sure like to be proven wrong.