NOT a saxo but need help.. mini cooper 52 plate

2nd March 2012, 22:47

Not a saxo!! but need help if any one can help!

hi all.. i have a 52 plate mini cooper, i need to take it to the garage to be repaired but i want to know the extent first so i dont get shafted by some garage!!

the other day i was driving down the motorway.. no problems..
as i came off the motorway i couldnt find any gears.. after a short while of struggling i managed to get into 2nd gear, i stayed in 2nd gear and parked up, as i parked up a whining noise began, i turned engine off and got recovered by AA!

when i started the car later it kept stalling in neutral.. so out of curousity i pressed the clutch n started the car.. it turned over fine!

with the engine on OR off i cant find gears
i can always find 1st, the rest i can only find occasianlly..

ive been told by people who know 'a little' about cars that im in need of a new/recon gearbox..

ive been quoted between 750-1300

id like some definate answers if anyone can help as this is alot of money and i doubt any garage is honest enough if i didnt actually need a gear box change!!

hope this makes sense..
any help is grateful..
thanks, Paul!
United Kingdom Edit/Delete Message

2nd March 2012, 22:52

does it have std size wheels on?

we had one in at work with the same symptoms as yours, but had biger aftermarket wheels on and they a fooked the gearbox.

£750-£1300 is a lot of cash, the garage just need to treat it as a clutch change. or does that include the price of a re-con box then it's not too bad.

i belive these are the same gearboxes (or similar) to the golf ones.
and once again big aftermarket wheels on this one we had in at work and fooked the box.
upping the gear ratios kills off the diff.

2nd March 2012, 22:57

i have 17's on but these are the standard it came with from bmw...
thats the price of a recon box included..

i just dont wanna take it to the garage for some one to find its not actually the gear box but they still charge me for that as i wouldnt know better!!

2nd March 2012, 23:00

From what I hear removing the gearbox on a BMW Mini is an absolute pig of a job so labour rates would be high

2nd March 2012, 23:08

so am i right in thinking it is the gear bix i need replacing?

2nd March 2012, 23:17

it sounds like either the syncro or the selector fork for the gears have failed. and getting a box out of a mini isn't too bad of a job. i'd rarther do one of them than a mondeo diesel wich has a subframe.

i with the engine off did you depress the clutch while trying to select the gears?
does sound like the box.
i'd have a new clutch in there while your at it.
biggest problem without looking at it myself it's quite hard to get a proper diagnosis as the linkage could be siezing up. (bit like on corsa c's)

3rd March 2012, 16:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by f13sta

it sounds like either the syncro or the selector fork for the gears have failed. and getting a box out of a mini isn't too bad of a job. i'd rarther do one of them than a mondeo diesel wich has a subframe.

i with the engine off did you depress the clutch while trying to select the gears?
does sound like the box.
i'd have a new clutch in there while your at it.
biggest problem without looking at it myself it's quite hard to get a proper diagnosis as the linkage could be siezing up. (bit like on corsa c's)

kyle diesel mondeo clutchs (same as x-type diesels) are a piece of piss

also to OP it sounds like your gearbox has failed but like kyle said nobody can give a proper diagnosis until some one actually checks it out in person!

3rd March 2012, 16:29

yip mondeos are a pig of a job unless u take the engine out when they biult them they put the subframe bolts upside down i had a mondeo once and clutch went so did car on ebay lol