Slipping clutch?

[montethemini]

I am new to the mini world. I have recently purchased an '04 S. The car is mechanically sound as it only had 12,000 miles on it at the time of purchase. The thing that has me concerned is shifting into second and accelerating the car acts as if the clutch is slipping or possibly a fuel issue. There is a pulse in the acceleration or a pulse to the throttle. What has me confused is that it is only in second gear. Has anyone ran into this issue, offer any suggestions, or just tell me I'm crazy?

[Zack]

Turn off your DSC, and then try it.

[IowaM1N1]

I am new to the mini world. I have recently purchased an '04 S. The car is mechanically sound as it only had 12,000 miles on it at the time of purchase. The thing that has me concerned is shifting into second and accelerating the car acts as if the clutch is slipping or possibly a fuel issue. There is a pulse in the acceleration or a pulse to the throttle. What has me confused is that it is only in second gear. Has anyone ran into this issue, offer any suggestions, or just tell me I'm crazy?

An '04 with only 12,000 miles? Wow! Congrats on finding that needle in the haystack!

Ultra-low mileage is a blessing and a curse. Eight years (or nine years?) of age with very little use can create all sorts of odd behavior. Dried out gaskets and seals, old fluids, dry-rotted rubber parts -- cars are made to be driven, so 'not' driving them long-term tends to create issues.

My personal strategy would be just to drive it for a while and see how things play out, keeping a very close eye on gaskets and seals looking for leaks.

Then again, having the car completely and thoroughly checked out by Baron or KC Autosport might be a wise investment.

[montethemini]

Turn off your DSC, and then try it.

I thought the DSC was the cause at first, however the issue persists either on or off. I have a short warranty and will more than likely have the issue addressed. I thank you for the feedback.

[montethemini]

I am new to the mini world. I have recently purchased an '04 S. The car is mechanically sound as it only had 12,000 miles on it at the time of purchase. The thing that has me concerned is shifting into second and accelerating the car acts as if the clutch is slipping or possibly a fuel issue. There is a pulse in the acceleration or a pulse to the throttle. What has me confused is that it is only in second gear. Has anyone ran into this issue, offer any suggestions, or just tell me I'm crazy?

An '04 with only 12,000 miles? Wow! Congrats on finding that needle in the haystack!

Ultra-low mileage is a blessing and a curse. Eight years (or nine years?) of age with very little use can create all sorts of odd behavior. Dried out gaskets and seals, old fluids, dry-rotted rubber parts -- cars are made to be driven, so 'not' driving them long-term tends to create issues.

My personal strategy would be just to drive it for a while and see how things play out, keeping a very close eye on gaskets and seals looking for leaks.

Then again, having the car completely and thoroughly checked out by Baron or KC Autosport might be a wise investment.

I had been looking for a quality used mini for some time. I got lucky one day and found this car as a trade-in in Lawrence. Can you believe the guy trade it for a Toyota pick up? ha. My gain. Word has it that it was driven, just not a lot at all. I have been keeping my eyes open for leaks and dry rot. Do you have any feedback as to some common maintenance issues with a Mini? I am a DIY shade tree mechanic. I owned a '68 bug for years and learned all of the little tricks to keeping that little thing running, as I am sure there are several common tricks to learn about a mini.
I have a friend of a friend that is a mechanic at Baron and plan to have him continually check things out... But my pride will keep me from allowing too much wrenching to take place without my own hands on it.
Thanks again for the feedback, I look forward to a club event soon.

[Minidave]

Why do you think the clutch is slipping?

Do you see an increase in revs without a corresponding increase in speed?

Does it do it in any other gears?

In general a "pulse" in the throttle does not sound like a slipping clutch, maybe you could give us a bit more to go on?

Does it do it only when the enegine is cold, or warm, or both?

One small tip is to pull the plug wires off at the coil (one at a time) and clean the contact with a scotch pad or some fine grit sandpaper, they tend to corrode there over time.

Probably the best thing you can do is have your Baron buddy put it on the computer and then give it a thorough check out. Money well spent and he may help you head off some future issues by catching them early.

Welcome to the MINI Madness!

[IowaM1N1]

Do you have any feedback as to some common maintenance issues with a Mini?

Start here: http://www.motoringfile.com/mini-r50r53-buyers-guide/

Also, listen to the weekly White Roof Radio podcast. They have an 'ask Chad' segment in the podcast where you can ask any question of Chad Miller at Detroit Tuned. Chad also says people can just call him to ask him questions, too.

[IowaM1N1]

One small tip is to pull the plug wires off at the coil (one at a time) and clean the contact with a scotch pad or some fine grit sandpaper, they tend to corrode there over time.

I was kinda thinking ignition as well. Corrosion on the coil terminals was one thing that crossed my mind. Very common, and if not caught the connector inside the plug wire can corrode pretty severely, too. My '04 had a serious issue with that. The #3 coil terminal is usually the troublemaker, right?

That, or some other plug wire issue?

[IowaM1N1]

I had been looking for a quality used mini for some time. I got lucky one day and found this car as a trade-in in Lawrence. Can you believe the guy trade it for a Toyota pick up? ha. My gain. Word has it that it was driven, just not a lot at all.

That is insane! Congratulations! Toyota pickup truck. Wow.

After buying an '04 MINI with high miles a few years ago, I learned very quickly that low miles is worth the premium with MINIs. Congrats again. I hope that you get many miles of low-cost high-fun motoring!