# 2004 MiniCooper Clutch gone bad **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** mini, cooper\ **Created:** [March 2, 2011, 2:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-minicooper-clutch-gone-bad/62094 "2011-03-02T14:22:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![houtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@houtown](https://community.cartalk.com/u/houtown)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 2:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-minicooper-clutch-gone-bad/62094/1 "2011-03-02T14:22:44Z")
The clutch went out and the repair people tell me to replace the master cylinder, the slave cylinder and other related components to the tune of $4000. Any advice? ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 2:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-minicooper-clutch-gone-bad/62094/2 "2011-03-02T14:43:11Z")
What are the ‘other related components’? The clutch itself? Regardless, this sounds HIGH. Any other shop you can check? ---
**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 3:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-minicooper-clutch-gone-bad/62094/3 "2011-03-02T15:09:48Z")
I agree. This sounds too high. A second opinion is warranted for this repair. ---
**Author:** ![Bladecutter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@Bladecutter](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bladecutter)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 4:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-minicooper-clutch-gone-bad/62094/4 "2011-03-02T16:25:12Z")
For every single clutch related part being replaced all at the same time, it should be about half of that. Porsche Boxster clutch replacements don’t cost that much. Heck, I bet Ferrari clutch replacements don’t cost that much. BC. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 6:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-minicooper-clutch-gone-bad/62094/5 "2011-03-02T18:36:09Z")
That price sounds way high to me unless you live in a high labor rate area and a Mini dealer is involved who is using Mini factory parts. If this is the case then I’d advise getting an estimate from an independent shop using aftermarket parts. Those parts will work just as well as the factory originals. After all, even Mini does not manufacture their own clutch parts. They’re aftermarket also and simply placed in Mini branded boxes. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 8:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-minicooper-clutch-gone-bad/62094/6 "2011-03-02T20:29:55Z")
Make mine another “sounds way high” vote. Unless one of those “other related components” is the tranny itself. ---
**Author:** ![realbinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a87d85/32.png) [@realbinky](https://community.cartalk.com/u/realbinky)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2011, 8:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-minicooper-clutch-gone-bad/62094/7 "2011-03-02T20:33:24Z")
agreed ---
**Author:** ![houtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@houtown](https://community.cartalk.com/u/houtown)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 2:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-minicooper-clutch-gone-bad/62094/8 "2011-03-03T02:18:21Z")
Thank you, each one, for your input. The estimate was too high and has been significantly downgraded. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 2:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-minicooper-clutch-gone-bad/62094/9 "2011-03-03T02:40:35Z")
No wonder they don’t make many stick-shifts anymore… ---
**Author:** ![rocketman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@rocketman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/rocketman)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 1:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-minicooper-clutch-gone-bad/62094/10 "2011-03-03T13:56:30Z")
Wow! BMW really does stand for . . . break my wallet! IMO that’s too much $$. Shop around. How many miles on this 6 year old car to warrant a whole new clutch set-up? Rocketman ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 2:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-minicooper-clutch-gone-bad/62094/11 "2011-03-03T14:18:50Z")
$4,000 sounds outrageous to me, also. But I am curious about the Mini’s drive train. It is not likely that the current mechanicals have much in common with the original Cooper/BLMC. Did BMW take something off their shelf or make a fresh start on their Mini? ---
**Author:** ![Bladecutter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@Bladecutter](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bladecutter)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 6:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-minicooper-clutch-gone-bad/62094/12 "2011-03-03T18:16:44Z")
They don’t make stick shifts for the US market because there are too many pantywaists that won’t learn how to drive a manual transmission anymore. They get upset if they have to actually interact with the vehicle when they are driving it. I would much rather pay $500 to $1500 for a clutch job than $3500+ for an auto trans rebuild. Plus, manuals make cars more fun to drive. BC. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2011, 6:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2004-minicooper-clutch-gone-bad/62094/13 "2011-03-03T18:23:29Z")
It’s all-new. From a 2002 preview of the Mini: “That 114-hp, 1.6-liter base engine, the product of a joint venture between BMW and Chrysler”