It is never pleasing to experience a sound on your vehicle that you don’t know where it comes from. You may be wondering what to do when you find a reversing gear noise that remains on your Mini Cooper? Any gearbox problem can be critical, but before making sure, it is better to do a few investigations. Our team has made this article to support you resolve it. First, we will see what the sources and the different gearbox noises can be on Mini Cooper, and second, what are the solutions available to you.
Classical reverse Mini Cooper noises and some tips to maintain your gearbox
Why does the reversing of my Mini Cooper make a different noise from my other speeds?
De facto, adding all gears, bearings and pinions into a gearbox is a difficult action. The noise induced by the reversing of your Mini Cooper is logical. It can be explained in a fairly simple way. Indeed, the gears used for conventional speeds (1st to 5th or 6th) are so-called “helical” gears (oblique gears) . The use of such a pinion makes the noise caused by the gears much less important than with spur gears employed for the reverse gear.
Tips to reduce wear on your clutch and gearbox
- Don’t give a big boost:
Indeed, if you kick the throttle hard when you are in reverse or when you put the vehicle in the revs, you risk to burn your clutch or gnawing at the gearbox pinions. - Never reverse while the vehicle is in motion or vice versa:
Reversing the direction of operation of the gearbox during operation is a very bad plan. Indeed, the pressure you will apply on the gears will be monumental and you will develop a premature wear and tear of the gears. You can even destroy the gears of your gearbox at speed by doing so. It will therefore be completely common if you find out a reverse noise on your Mini Cooper if you shift gear under these conditions.
Diverse Mini Cooper reversing noises and their causes
Finally in this section, we will move on to what you are probably most curious about in this content, to find out about the origin of reversing noise on Mini Cooper. Here are the 3 typical sounds you may be victim of.
I perceive a grinding noise when starting in reverse gear
If you experience a grinding noise when you start in reverse with your Mini Cooper, it may be the engine mounts that are tired. Indeed, when the engine is in reverse gear, due to the pinions we saw above the vibrations made by the gearbox are higher and it is therefore conceivable that due to their wear the silentblocks no longer absorb the engine vibrations well. In this case, do not hesitate to check this article for more details about strut mount noises on Mini Cooper.
An increased reverse knocking noise on Mini CooperX
If you are subject to a knocking noise when you are in reverse with your Mini Cooper and this noise tends to increase as you gain speed. It is conceivable that you are experiencing a serious problem that needs to be fixed very fast before wrecking your entire gearbox. Indeed, an intensifying rattling noise means that the gears are damaged. If they are, debris will spread to the rest of the box and damage other gears very fast. Take your vehicle to your mechanic quickly or read this content about gearbox noise on Mini Cooper for more data.
I perceive a noise when I go in reverse
Finding out a noise when you shift into reverse is normal and related to the gears and sprockets used in the gearbox. If, on the other hand, you have the feeling that your Mini Cooper reverse gear makes more noise than before, it is conceivable that filings have been created and are moving around in it. It is therefore time to empty the box.
