3 replies to this topic

[Top Cat & Benny]

 Hi there, this concerns my daily driver, a 1985 Mini City e, 998cc engine.

We have an intermittent problem with getting into 1st gear, sometimes this happens when the engine is running, & sometimes this happens when it is not...

When I say intermittent, a couple of weeks ago it would happen every day at some time, usually when I had pulled up at traffic lights. I ended up setting off in 2nd gear, if possible, because 1st gear just would not come! Otherwise I just had to wait until it did! So, I went to my regular garage to discuss this with them, but at that time, the problem had not occurred for a couple of days. They, obviously, said a clutch or gearbox issue, but really wanted the car in when I was experiencing the problem, & said to keep on driving & just drop in with my car if it started playing up again...  

So, I have had no further trouble with this issue for the past 2 weeks, & then yesterday morning, on the way back from work, it happened again, & I just could not get into 1st gear at all, neither with the engine running nor with it not. Luckily I was in a safe place, so I just waited a wee while, tried again, & everything worked fine! However, it was not possible at this time to get down to my regular garage... I drove into work last night, & again, no problems at all, we got 1st gear ok...

So... help! Please!

Any ideas as to what is causing this would be greatly appreciated...

Do you think I should insist that my garage investigate anyway... & would that be clutch first, or go for gearbox...?

As always, any suggestions/advice gratefully received.

Mini regards, Rosie. 

 

 

[Stevie W]

Hi,

Before looking at the gearbox itself there is another avenue to explore assuming you have no grinding noises when trying to engage 1st gear!

Your car has a rod change gearbox and the gear lever assembly is mounted to the transmission tunnel/floorpan using 2 "cotton reel" rubber mounts.
Over time, the rubber can soften or come away from the metal parts of the mounts. This leaves the gear lever base loose and flopping about and can markedly affect the quality of the gear change!
This is definitely a place to start looking.

Another place to look is the roll pins where the gear lever shaft connects onto the shaft coming out of the gearbox by the diff housing.
Sometimes these can shear off or work loose, again giving a poor gear change quality.

Hope this helps!!

Cheers, Steve.

Edited by Stevie W, 08 December 2013 - 08:53 PM.

[Top Cat & Benny]

Thank you for reply. The above may be abit beyond my capabilities, but I will definitely pass it on to my regular garage - we are going down tomorrow for another chat after another episode of "no gear" today.... I think MIni just wants me to spend some money on him for Christmas...because he's worth it! 

[Chance]

I don't know what you try to get into first but when mine used to play up I used to go to 2nd and then straight into first (stationary, before I pulled away) and this normally worked

Yours sounds a bit worse than mine was though

I haven't fixed it, just not my daily anymore :)