Bad Habits that will Destroy Your MINI’s Clutch in Powell

In a car with a manual transmission, the clutch is the only link between your MINI’s gearbox and the engine. The clutch will go through quite a bit of wear and tear and needs to be replaced after a period of time. Your driving style can influence how long you can go before the clutch needs replaced.

There are a number of bad habits that a MINI owner may participate in that will destroy their clutch faster than expected. A burned out clutch can be hard on your car, reducing the fuel efficiency and making it harder to accelerate. Some of the main habits that will destroy the clutch in your MINI include:

Slipping the Clutch to Get More Pick-Up

It is common in a manual car to not release the clutch completely. This combination will allow the RPM’s of the engine to rise quickly, without transferring all of the energy to the transmission. This causes the clutch to slip, which means there will be heavy damage to the clutch plates and wearing them out quickly. This may seem fun to do, but it does not make the MINI faster. It ruins the clutch and costs the car owner a lot of money. A car owner should always smoothly release the clutch to get the best acceleration.

Riding the Clutch

Riding the clutch will happen when the car owner does not release the clutch completely. It is a little bit different than slipping the clutch. If the car is already moving and has gone past the biting point where the input from the clutch is not needed, and yet the car owner has the clutch slightly depressed, then they are riding the clutch. This causes the clutch to not fully engage, making it slip and causing abnormal wear to happen.

Resting a Foot on the Clutch

In your MINI, your resting foot can find itself on the clutch pedal. Even though diesel cars will have a clutch that is a little harder and you can rest the foot there without doing much movement at all, if you take care that your foot is not depressing the clutch pedal at all. But the clutch is lighter in your MINI, and even a little bit of weight on that area can cause the clutch to disengage partially. This makes it slip and then wear out faster than normal.

Releasing the Clutch Early

A car owner should focus on smoothness with this one. When the clutch is released too soon, the car will jerk and there will be extra pressure on the transmission and engine. This can overheat the clutch and cause it to wear out faster. A car owner needs to take care that the clutch is slowly released so it does not have extra pressure and can last for a much longer time. If the car owner is uncertain on how to do this, they may need to practice a few times to get it right without causing damage to the clutch in the MINI Cooper.

Using the Clutch During Traffic Signals

If you know that you will not move at all for at least 20 seconds, you should stop and place your MINI in neutral. This allows the clutch to disengage completely. If you hold onto the clutch pedal for a long period of time, it will cause damage to the ball bearing in the clutch assembly. MINI drivers need to be careful on how they use the clutch during any traffic signal. With the right pressure, the clutch can last longer in your MINI Cooper.

It is possible to replace the bearings in your MINI as long as it is done by a licensed mechanic. It is an in-depth process that can only be done when the whole set-up has been removed. It is much better to keep the car in neutral if you plan to be idling near a traffic light for a little bit.

Auto Assets for the Health of Your Clutch

At Auto Assets, our team is here to help with any of your MINI clutch problems so it will function as designed. Our mechanics are here to help the residents of Columbus, Dublin, New Albany, Worthington, and Powel, OH with all of your MINI Cooper repair and maintenance needs. Contact us today to schedule your appointment. We look forward to meeting you and earning your repeat business!