2003 MINI CVT, just about 39,000 miles....

Recently, when starting car up in morning or after sitting in lot while at work (8-10 hours), I start it up (foot on brake of course), shift into drive and when I pull away (giving no gas, just coasting out of parking spot) the car lurches forward... it seems like the CVT tranny is lurching forward/slipping. Only happens at first start in morning/after work. It never used to do this...

Any ideas?

Thanks,

-boognish

 

No one knows what this could be? I'm thinking it could be some sort of "drive engage" belt is slipping in the CVT, but it only happens the first time when going from Park to Drive in the morning, or after the car has been sitting for 8 hours or so. If I go on short trips, park, and start driving again 20 minutes later, there is no initial "lurch into 'D'rive" symptom. Odd...

To describe it, it's like a quick lurch forward or "clunk" without the noise...no noise, just feels like someone quickly pushed the car a few inches...then I drive off and everything seems normal.

I'm just worried that it's something wrong with the CVT, and I'm so close to 50K miles (39 and counting) that it's even more worisome if something fails and the tranny needs replacing. During the first major service visit, the dealer gave me a checklist of what they were supposed to do. One was "replace CVT transmission fluid". I sure hope they did...I mean, how can you tell? I didn't sit there and watch them work on the car. Heh. I know I'm being paranoid...but...On a car with a tranny fluid dipstick it's not difficult to tell if new fluid was put in...but not the MINI...sealed...

Do either of the manuals available for the 03 MINI give detailed information on the CVT transmission internals?

Thanks and rock on,

-boognish

 

but I also have a 2003 CVT MINI. I am up to 58,500 miles now. But at around 40,000 miles I noticed my transmission surging just a little bit when I was on the freeway. At about 45,000 my MINI wouldn't start and the dealer replaced the battery. Lo and behold the surging problem hasn't happened since then. I read somewhere on this forum that the CVT (or the computer that operates the CVT) can behave erratically when the battery is near death and not operating optimally. So your problem may have nothing to do with your CVT, but be related to you battery. Have you replaced your original battery yet? They seem to die at around 3 years. Sorry that I don't have all of the technical details. But I would suggest you do a search related to battery failure? It won't hurt and it might help.

 

Hey thanks for the reply, bluerocket. Sounds as good as any! My battery could be on the fritz...my MINI is 30 months "old" and although I live in coastal New Jersey, so even though the car is garaged at night, it is left in a parking lot at work all day in weather ranging from the high 90's to 100 F in the summer to the teens and lower in the winter. Those kind of extremes could possibly dimish the life of a battery in 3 years or less. It just started doing this recently, and the weather has also recently turned below freezing here at night. If a $50 battery is the only culprit, I'll take it!

I take my MINI in for warranty work next Monday (passenger side door lock actuator motor does stopped working...a few months after the driver's side did the same thing!) So I'll have them check the battery, too.

Other than the surging you experienced (which was fixed by a new battery) how has your CVT been to you in nearly 60K miles?

Rock on,

-boognish

 

I just made a post about this, should have searched first before putting another thread on... my car does the same thing.. I wonder if I do get another battery if I should stick with OEM?

IS this really the problem you think, any one else wnana chime in?

 

Its said to be a programming issue. Your dealer "should" be aware of this by now as there are bulletins on this problem.

 

So I took my MINI CVT to the dealer to have the problem addressed. The problem is: a sudden "lunge" or lurch forward when the car is put in Drive for the first time each morning. It's not as if the entire car moves, it's more like the tranny is lunging forward or the engine is physically lurching in its mounts. It's disconserting because it seems like undue stress on the tranny.

Anyway, my usual SA was not in. The replacement SA was cordial and accomodating, and he took my service order and got me a loaner MINI within 5 minutes...very fast for a busy Monday morning.

I also asked to check my coolant system 'cause the expansion tank was empty (reservoir). And lastly, even though the MINI computer said 2000 miles to the next oil service, I asked them to go ahead and do it now (the tab is on me, since I am at just under 40,000 miles). The SA said "a full service oil change? with reset?" and I said "yes" thinking this was normal. When they called with the bill I nearly hit the floor. $263.00!!

Why $263 for an oil change? I asked. He said "you wanted a full service including a reset and we also changed your cabin microfilter and topped off all fluids and checked all items under service schedule #2."

Still, I'm shocked that it costs $263 to change the oil and reset a computer...topping of fluids should be a courtesy these days!

As far as the CVT tranny lunging forward at startup (only happens at 1st startup/overnight in garage or after 8 hours parked), IT STILL DID IT THIS MORNING. They said they reprogrammed the Tranny Control Module. Obviously this had no affect.

I'm wondering if it has something to do with a "clutch" (I know it's a CVT/automatic but maybe it has some sorta torque device) that gets activated and produces initial blast of forward torque, causing the tranny/engine to "thunk" in its mounts. A slipping belt in the CVT maybe...
But then it would happen EACH time it was put in Drive, yes? It only lunges/thunks upon the initial start in Drive each morning or when totally "cold." Warm starts do not produce the effect. The dealer could not replicate it...since they didn't have it overnight. I'm worried this is a bad sign of a failing transmission (although it does drive perfectly normal otherwise)...which will be out of warranty in a mere 10K miles...or 6 months the way I drive.

Anyway...$263 for an oil change, new cabin microfilter, and a fluid topoff and "safety inspection" seems crazy...how long does it take to inspect belts/hoses, etc? Apparently 2 hours, because that was what the labor charge was for...2 hours.

Rock on,

-boognish

 

boognish- are u the original owner?

i think its coming from the cold engine that idles high at
cold start especially this time of year. most AT cars (non cvt) do this too.

 

Did you sign the repair order allowing them to do the work?

And there is no charge to reset a oil light which takes 2 sec....Thats apart of the oil service.

A oil change with a micro filter is $210.54 out the door here. Fluid top off is no charge and apart of that service as well. We know from past experience to ask the customer if they want the micro or not being there paying for the job. its normally not changed.

I dont see where you asked him for a inspection.

The trans problem is the CVT software.

 

Kenchan,

Yes I'm the original owner. I don't remember this happening last winter, which was equally as cold...in the teens and twenties each morning. Although in the garage it rarely falls below 32 F. But it does make sense the high-revs due to cold could cause a jolt into drive.


1FSTMINI,

I wish it was just a CVT software issue. They said they reprogrammed the transmission control module...but there is no change.

Yes, I did sign the work order.

My usual SA is the best...he received some awards from MINI. I know these are based on customer evaluation scores, so he must be doing something right. The guy who was filling in for him Monday morning was good, but he did not reveal the costs of each service.

Basically the whole thing was a misunderstanding...he said "you want a full service oil change?" and I said "yes" because to me, that is pretty cut and dry. Later, (after he told me the car was ready and to bring $263 with me) he said if I had just gotten an oil change (with no computer reset) it would have been $110 or so. I'm not entirely inept when it comes to cars, and could have easily purchased the microfilter from FRAM or PUROLATOR for $29.95 or so, and installed it myself. Just as I did the air filter (about $8 at Pep Boys). Had I known this was part of the service, I would have declined. Lesson learned. Next time I will read the fine print, or ask for a detailed schedule of services they are going to complete, along with price list. Or just take my MINI in on a day when my usual SA is available!

How does a dealer decide on prices for service, because it seems to vary widely from market to market. I guess they consider Princeton area a wealthy market...

Rock on,

-boognish

 

I'm pretty certain that kenchan is correct on his diagnosis of what is "wrong."

to test the theory, I started the MINI on a cold morning (every morning has been below 32 F here in Jersey the past three weeks or so) and put it in "D"rive almost immediately after start. (RPMs are at around 1200 'cause it's so cold) Big JOLT as the CVT engages into drive. RPMs immediately dip almost to stall, but recover just as fast and car is fine from here on forward.

scenario two: start car and let it "warm up" for about 5 minutes...RPMs drop to around 900 to 1000 by this point. Which is typical idle speed I believe for the MINI CVT. Put car into "D"rive and guess what-- no jolt into gear at all...smooth as silk.

So, I think kenchan is right...when the RPMs are so high on a cold morning at startup (>1200 or so), and the car is put into Drive, it slams into gear. Given then chance to let the idle drop to a normal 900/1000 RPM range, car goes into gear without incident.

Anyway, I think this has been fixed on the 2005s, as I drove a 2005 CVT loaner last week and the CVT was much different, behavior-wise, than my 2003 CVT. It was much "tighter" and did not exhibit ANY rubber-banding at all at any speed. And it did not lurch into drive even at temperatures in the teens. I guess that is what 2 years on the market will do to any car...the kinks are worked out and the thing just gets better and better as each production year goes by...



Rock on,

-boognish

 

I don't think the lurch described here is so much RPM related as it is CVT fluid temperature related.

I've found that as long as the CVT fluid is warm, there is no lurch when shifting to D for the first time.

Here are my observations:




Because the issue seems to be related directly to the fluid, I'm planning on changing my fluid (currently about 15k miles on it) AND transmission fluid filter. Perhaps the filter is slightly clogged causing the distribution of fluid to take a little longer when cold - it's a complete guess, but at 115k milles, that filter is probably pretty shot and should be replaced anyway!