2014 Mini Paceman Clutch
Discussion
I have a late 2014 Mini Paceman on around 25k miles. While driving it at a steady speed the RPM shot up from around 1k to around 3-4k and then settled down. A few days later it did the same again. At this point I booked the car in for a check up.
The car was used a couple of times in the 6 days between booking in and the check up with no problems.
On the way to the dealer the car did the same again. I continued at a steady speed until I came to a corner and slowed to around 30 to take the corner. As the car slowed the gear change advise suggested changing from 1st to 3rd, despite the car being in 4th already. I put the car in 3rd and took the corner but as I went to accelerate away from the corner the car didn't respond and kept slowing down. I tried to accelerate to get the car to the hard shoulder but the wouldn't respond and came to a stop in the nearside lane. From there the car was recovered to the dealer.
The dealer has investigated and said that the clutch and plate needed replacing through wear and tear. From the symptoms though it doesn't sound like wear and tear, as it all happened suddenly and there was no signs of gradual failure. I've requested that Mini contribute to this as a clutch failing at 25k miles sounds more like manufacturer fault but they have turned this down. The dealer sent through a video showing the condition of the clutch which showed the clutch worn out and the plate had micro cracks on it ( I presume from overheating when the clutch failed?)
I was hoping someone with more knowledge than myself could review the symptoms and advise if the symptoms suggest wear and tear or failure of the part?
The car was used a couple of times in the 6 days between booking in and the check up with no problems.
On the way to the dealer the car did the same again. I continued at a steady speed until I came to a corner and slowed to around 30 to take the corner. As the car slowed the gear change advise suggested changing from 1st to 3rd, despite the car being in 4th already. I put the car in 3rd and took the corner but as I went to accelerate away from the corner the car didn't respond and kept slowing down. I tried to accelerate to get the car to the hard shoulder but the wouldn't respond and came to a stop in the nearside lane. From there the car was recovered to the dealer.
The dealer has investigated and said that the clutch and plate needed replacing through wear and tear. From the symptoms though it doesn't sound like wear and tear, as it all happened suddenly and there was no signs of gradual failure. I've requested that Mini contribute to this as a clutch failing at 25k miles sounds more like manufacturer fault but they have turned this down. The dealer sent through a video showing the condition of the clutch which showed the clutch worn out and the plate had micro cracks on it ( I presume from overheating when the clutch failed?)
I was hoping someone with more knowledge than myself could review the symptoms and advise if the symptoms suggest wear and tear or failure of the part?
It sounds like you have 2 issues.
The clutch is a no-brainer, they are considered wear & tear items & a clutch can last from a few hundred to a few hundred thousand miles from one extreme to another, so I am not surprised they won't have it.
The other issue sounds 100% unrelated & needs investigating separately.
The clutch is a no-brainer, they are considered wear & tear items & a clutch can last from a few hundred to a few hundred thousand miles from one extreme to another, so I am not surprised they won't have it.
The other issue sounds 100% unrelated & needs investigating separately.
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