18 replies to this topic

[biker1981]

I have jumped in the mini for the first time to drive it (never owned a auto before)

It started but was running rough, tunes out the air box wasnt sat right, so now running ok, prob a little rich

So when i put it in drive there is no fineess it literally goes.... i can t hold it on the break as it seem to pull forward then cuts out, bit like a manual if you have no revs and leave the clutch out.

I drove it down the st and its ook once its going, it just the bucaroo bit beofre hand. to put it in the garage i had to put revs up put it in drive and it wheel spins and off it goes.

then some time it feels like there is no power.....do you think it needs a good tune maybe idle up and the mixture down .

any help apprdciated

[silve1999]

sounds like a good tune up, oil swap and maybe governor rod adjustment needed

[silve1999]

not sure how you managed a wheel spin though!! lol

[mk1leg]

here is a tip from an old mini g/box mechanic who did nothing but mini autos........

1) get yourself 2 bottles of engine flushing oil and pour 1 into engine.

2) either jack up front of car and put stands under sub and run engine for 20mins running up and down gears and rev gear....or take a 20min drive.

3) drain oid oil (carefull very hot) change oil filter, refit drain plug and fill with cheap oil and pour 2nd bottle of flushing oil and repete (2) drain oil again and then use Corma Classic 20/50 oil......this will free up all the tiny oilways of sludge in the auto box.... good luck

[Badboytunes]

I have jumped in the mini for the first time to drive it (never owned a auto before)

 

 

Have you ever driven one before?

[Skortchio]

Putting it in D or any gear on an auto is the equivalent of having it in gear and dropping the clutch on a manual, shift gear then apply gas. Mini auto boxes are flimsy little things. 

 

While in gear the gear should shift smoothly and quickly up to 4th by 30mph at low throttle, at full throttle the shift from 3rd to 4th would be 55mph.

If you don't know the history of the engine then a gear change is always a good start point to work from, for peace of mind.

 

However if it's a MK2 gearbox, then they supposedly benefit from 10w40 not 20w50. Either way as long as you maintain a low service interval (3k miles tops) either grade has worked for people.

 

Regarding flushing, be sure it's flushing OIL not an engine flush formula or you'll dump your clutch plates out with the oil

Flushing oil is just thinner grade oil with a high kerosene content, ATF fluid is similar. 

 

First things to check are idle speed - as you don't have a clutch you can't have it too high or you'll be flying off.
Choke in - see above.
Governor rod attached - it hooks onto the right side of the carb where the throttle cable attaches.

Oil change - work your way down and get back to us if you don't have any joy.

[biker1981]

thanks for all the advice, ive never driven an Auto before.

 

Ive just dumped the oil and filled it with halford classic mineral oil 20:50, the engine tick over sounds fine. ive only driven it briefly up the road but felt like it was running away with it self. if I keep my foot off the gas the car goes into gear and struggles to get going, like the idle is low put the gas on theit off like a rocket, but if I press the brake it feel like its going to stall.

 

What is a governor rod please? 

 

I will get some flushing oil.... dam just put good oil in

[biker1981]

not sure how you managed a wheel spin though!! lol

not only wheel spin it, nearly took out the tool box and the neighbours cat

[danm]

ROFLMFAO!

I am so glad someone else has an auto that behaves as erratic as mine. I called him 'Mr Toad' as anyone who has been on the Disney Magic Kingdom ride will know, drives EXACTLY as wild and unpredictable as that.

IIRC the governor rod runs vertically to the middle right (East) of the carb, kinda parallel to the exhaust downpipe but slightly in front. Its sort of hidden. Unless I am wrong...

[Captain Mainwaring]

here is a tip from an old mini g/box mechanic who did nothing but mini autos........
1) get yourself 2 bottles of engine flushing oil and pour 1 into engine.
2) either jack up front of car and put stands under sub and run engine for 20mins running up and down gears and rev gear....or take a 20min drive.
3) drain oid oil (carefull very hot) change oil filter, refit drain plug and fill with cheap oil and pour 2nd bottle of flushing oil and repete (2) drain oil again and then use Corma Classic 20/50 oil......this will free up all the tiny oilways of sludge in the auto box.... good luck

 
 
Sounds like the charly from Aldenham automatics - you needed the bloody engine fitted with wing nuts after he serviced the box - the thing generally was in and out ten times before you could finally use it.
 
You can get to the valve chest very easily on a mini if it's sludged up, and sludging up is not a well known fault with a mini - forward clutch pack is though.
I'd strongly suggest never to use a flushing oil in a mini unless you want to drain out the forward clutch pack with the engine oil.
 
I'd also tune the car up properly before doing anything - you've got an engine that wouldn't pull the socks off a dead man coupled to a power sapping auto box - things need to be spot on if it is to run right.

Edited by Captain Mainwaring, 18 July 2013 - 03:34 AM.

[Captain Mainwaring]

thanks for all the advice, ive never driven an Auto before.

 

Ive just dumped the oil and filled it with halford classic mineral oil 20:50, the engine tick over sounds fine. ive only driven it briefly up the road but felt like it was running away with it self. if I keep my foot off the gas the car goes into gear and struggles to get going, like the idle is low put the gas on theit off like a rocket, but if I press the brake it feel like its going to stall.

 

What is a governor rod please? 

 

I will get some flushing oil.... dam just put good oil in

 

Don't get the flushing oil...no need. Just maintain it properly - I must admit...I wonder if you could dump a litre of ATF in the sump and leave it for a while - I use ATF as a flush for the bike and a big diesel and it's fine. ATF is supposed to be about the same as a 0W20 oil....but it isn't ashless so keep it away from the catalytic converter.

 

I have a 1275 engine and box that has been standing for a while - it's got very low km's....I feel like running it for 10 mins on 60/40 oil and ATF then draining the lot out....as an engineer it feels safe, after all...an autobox should be fine on ATF....it's just this nagging feeling that if I do it and it's intestines drop out after 10 mins that what I did was to blame....so I'll run it with just half a litre in there to start with....

 

Most of your symptoms point to engine state of tune, not transmission. Engine needs to be running right before you mess with the kickdown rod, which isn't really just a kickdown rod, it's a governor control rod too.

[mk1leg]

 

here is a tip from an old mini g/box mechanic who did nothing but mini autos........
1) get yourself 2 bottles of engine flushing oil and pour 1 into engine.
2) either jack up front of car and put stands under sub and run engine for 20mins running up and down gears and rev gear....or take a 20min drive.
3) drain oid oil (carefull very hot) change oil filter, refit drain plug and fill with cheap oil and pour 2nd bottle of flushing oil and repete (2) drain oil again and then use Corma Classic 20/50 oil......this will free up all the tiny oilways of sludge in the auto box.... good luck

 
I'd strongly suggest never to use a flushing oil in a mini unless you want to drain out the forward clutch pack with the engine oil.
 

Why I have never had a problem in any mini engine when I used flushing oil.......

[danm]

Can you not just flush it with some thinner oil like some bikers do?

I've heard good and bad advice on using flushers, and would have thought keeping it all oil based would be better.

[Tamworthbay]

Can you not just flush it with some thinner oil like some bikers do?
I've heard good and bad advice on using flushers, and would have thought keeping it all oil based would be better.

Most flushing oils are just a thin oil with lots of detergent in. I have never had an auto mini, but for manuals I buy 10litres of cheap 10w40, change the oil, run it for 50 ish miles, then repeat. Then fill up with decent oil. If you then stick to the service intervals or better the oils should stay decent.

[danm]

Good advice, thankyou!

Do you bin the 10l of 10w40 or can you filter it with something crude like a few paper coffee filters and reuse it for a few more flushes in the year?