Cooper gears switching sucks?

[whatever61]

Sorry for writing this post in English, I just don't speak Dutch.

I wanted to ask you if you experience the same feeling as I do with your Cooper.

My model is Cooper D 11/2011.

I don't like the way the gearbox works. This whole behavior is really random, something the gear goes in really smoothly, but sometimes it's like I need to push it harder and it feels a bit like I am forcing it, especially when downshifting. I pay attention that I push the clutch till the end, but it doesn't help.

Some observations:

- If I am standing still ALL the gears are very smooth and exactly the way I want it to be EXCEPT the 1st gear! Then if I go into 1st gear, go back into neutral and going back again into 1st gear. Going into the 1st gear for the second time will be smoother.

- When the car is going into autostop, then after the autostart again it goes into the 1st gear a bit smoother.

- It goes smoother if I downshift at lower speeds. For example if I downshift to 2nd gear when I am on 25kmh it won't be smooth, but if I downshift to 2nd when I am on 15kmh it will be smoother.

- If I don't push the clutch till the end, then the problem is obviously even worse. So I might be thinking that somehow the clutch doesn't go till the end or something like that.

- When the car was on warranty, I went to the garage two times. One time they said it's no problem, the second time they said there was air in the clutch and they removed it. I think that it was better for a day or so (could be also a coincidence, because sometimes it works just fine), but then the same feeling came back. In the garage they said that it's not a problem.

All this time I still don't know if it's really a problem or that's just the way the car behaves, but I do know for sure that sometimes it's smoother than other times, so that makes me think that something IS wrong, otherwise it would be one way or another all the time..

[whatever61]

Bump!

[JosCountrymanCooper]

First it helps to get more reactions, if you introduce yourself.

I don't have any experience with the gearbox, but it should work smoothly.

Have you / they checked the oil-level or refreshed the gearbox-oil?
I don't think it is a problem with the clutch, though it could be a sticky primary-shaft / clutch-plate.
Otherwise the synchronizing cones of the first and second gear are suspect.

[whatever61]

Thanks for the reply!

Will do so soon at the WHO ARE YOU section

Well, I suppose they did this in the garage when I said about the problem?! How much will it cost approx. to refresh the gearbox oil?
Note that I had already 3 maintenances or is it not part of it?

[Marcel Always Open]

- If I am standing still ALL the gears are very smooth and exactly the way I want it to be EXCEPT the 1st gear! Then if I go into 1st gear, go back into neutral and going back again into 1st gear. Going into the 1st gear for the second time will be smoother.

This is very normal for the MINI gearbox, to be a bit tight. Tip: don't try to shift into 1 (or "R") too soon after coming to a full stop. Wait 1 or 2 seconds.

- When the car is going into autostop, then after the autostart again it goes into the 1st gear a bit smoother.

True, due to the small extra wait period (see my above tip).

- It goes smoother if I downshift at lower speeds. For example if I downshift to 2nd gear when I am on 25kmh it won't be smooth, but if I downshift to 2nd when I am on 15kmh it will be smoother.

- If I don't push the clutch till the end, then the problem is obviously even worse. So I might be thinking that somehow the clutch doesn't go till the end or something like that.

Maybe you're used to another car brand where clutch pedal doesn't need to be fully pressed and in the MIINI it does. I don't see this as a problem if the clutch just needs to pressed all the way.

All this time I still don't know if it's really a problem or that's just the way the car behaves, but I do know for sure that sometimes it's smoother than other times, so that makes me think that something IS wrong, otherwise it would be one way or another all the time..

I'd say, get another MINI driver at an event to drive your car, and make the comparison.