[donnaj1dlh]

I broke down tonight! Well, kind of. I drove through a section of deep water this afternoon. Not stupid deep.....I watched a wee Ford Connect van go through it before I attempted it. Dried off my brakes and carried on my merry way. Got to my destination about 4 miles later. Five hours later, got back in the car, started her up and I couldn't get a gear, any gear! WTF. Engine off, clutch in, gears there. Engine back on....NOTHING. I was seconds away from phoning the MINI hotline number (the 0870 one....I assume that's the rescue one), when my dad suggested a wee bump start, in gear. Found a gear ok that way and managed to get home no bother. The only thing I can think of is the water short circuited something? Steve wondered if something physically was getting in the way, like a branch, but that wouldn't explain how it could select when engine off. Anyone else encountered anything similar?? Should I report it to dealer?

 

[derekh929]

Hi Donna is there not something they had to realign ? Gear sector switch or something when you got thrust bearings done and the water caused a problem ? I would have thought it was all linkage though, would the water have got in clutch area? But again I would assum this is all sealed not like when I used to work on cars many years ago

 

[johnan]

Am I right in thinking with the engine running or not, you could actually move the gear lever to the correct position to select a gear, but when the clutch was released there was no drive?
It seems the gears were being selected by the lever OK, but no drive was being transmitted on clutch release.
There is only a mechanical link shifting the gears, from the lever to the box, so no electrical inhibition could happen due to water ingress...if you move the lever, the gears change, if the cables aren't broken.

If the flywheel housing had filled up with water, then there would be very little friction in the clutch to allow drive to occur...but the water would have to be quite deep for a reasonable length of time for that to happen! And it would have drained out again in that time after the immersion, you would think.

If it is OK now, I would just use it normally and keep an eye on it for recurrence or other strange linked events in the near future, and if all is fine forget it and avoid deep puddles!
If you are not happy though, go back to Mr Mini (again)

(Note to self...keep out of deep water in Mini...)

 

[donnaj1dlh]

Am I right in thinking with the engine running or not, you could actually move the gear lever to the correct position to select a gear, but when the clutch was released there was no drive?
It seems the gears were being selected by the lever OK, but no drive was being transmitted on clutch release.

If you are not happy though, go back to Mr Mini (again)

(Note to self...keep out of deep water in Mini...)

Engine running, gears couldn't be selected. Engine off, clutch in, gears could be selected.

Hence why we put it in gear then started the engine.

Going to email my service manager this morning with my concern. Car was perfect again this morning though.

I am concerned about them being in changing bearings then the cone selector thing ('cos it started jumpin gout of first) ....too much of a co-incidence for me...I do wonder if water got in somewhere.

I went through deep standing water on Thursday and Friday too but that was early in the journey and travelled a further 15+ miles before stopping with no adverse effects. Yesterday was only 5 minutes before I reached my destination - I wonder if water dribbled in somewhere???

I know not to travel through water I think is too deep. But having driven DIESEL Peugeots for 15 years prior to MINI, it made me think it might be a petrol and/or MINI 'thing'??

 

[brandonbardsley]

Engine running, gears couldn't be selected. Engine off, clutch in, gears could be selected.

Hence why we put it in gear then started the engine.

Going to email my service manager this morning with my concern. Car was perfect again this morning though.

I am concerned about them being in changing bearings then the cone selector thing ('cos it started jumpin gout of first) ....too much of a co-incidence for me...I do wonder if water got in somewhere.

I went through deep standing water on Thursday and Friday too but that was early in the journey and travelled a further 15+ miles before stopping with no adverse effects. Yesterday was only 5 minutes before I reached my destination - I wonder if water dribbled in somewhere???

I know not to travel through water I think is too deep. But having driven DIESEL Peugeots for 15 years prior to MINI, it made me think it might be a petrol and/or MINI 'thing'??

I hope you get to the bottom of this, not a good sign surely!?

 

[donnaj1dlh]

I emailed my Service Manager earlier - so much easier than to try and get him on the phone - and he phoned right back.

We discussed it and he thinks some water must have got the gear housing even though it wasn't deep enough to get into the engine/air intakes. Being at the end of the journey meant the car hadn't time to get rid of the water with the heat of the engine etc. He's logged it and just told me to keep an eye on things and be mindful of deep(ish) water. So hopefully a one-off.

So bear that in mind everyone

 

[Sunbar]

Only a guess...

From the description of the fact it had been standing for about five hours before the problem occurred, my only guess is that the clutch friction plate had become contaminated with the (slightly dirty) water and when dried out stuck to the flywheel and/or pressure plate.

I've known something similar when cars have been left for extended periods of time (months/years) when cars were stored.

Bump starting would break the stuck clutch or any slight contamination and normal running clean-up the clutch (much like disc brakes can grab because of rust on the discs).

I don't know it the car's sensors could detect the clutch not disengaging but possibly there was some process which then prevented the normal gear selection.

Only a guess but if a similar problem it would only be temporary and just look for any re-occurrence.

 

[donnaj1dlh]

That's the train of thought I had Sunbar. Like you (and my Service manager said) hopefully a one-off and nothing to worry about. But something to be mindful of!

 

[Sunbar]

Yes Donna, a bit unsettling when something like that happens, but all should be OK.

Also, all credit to your dad for suggesting trying the bump start!

 

[Evlkarl]

Donna, I hope the Lambo Driver in San Diego did not inspire you trying it with your Mini.