Blah blah... blah blah blah

So I realized today that it's been a little while since my last post- Not to make excuses but I think there are two reasons for this:

The first reason is that I think I've been waiting for something "blog-worthy" to post. I decided today that this is a ridiculous system and should be immediately abandoned. So from here on out- anything I say is blogworthy - 'nuff said.

The second is that I've been doing way too much side work lately- which is good for me but bad for the MINIblog. So I have to make an effort to find the time to pay attention to this site. In keeping with that effort, here I am, back in the saddle.

Great- so what do I talk about- let's see, anything going on with the car?

I guess the most recent development is a horrible noise which seems to be coming from the transmission. When I say "horrible noise" what I mean is a sound that is more akin to that of a John Deere tractor than a fine German automobile. It's the kind of noise that you can hear over the radio and just sounds generally disheartening and sickly.

I've done some research into what the cause may be- and found two schools of thought on the matter. The first confirmed my initial thought which was that the throw-out bearing is shot and needs to be replaced. Apparently if the above stated symptoms subside when the clutch is depressed - that's a good clue that the bearing may be to blame.

The second diagnosis was found on the BMW TIS CD - it states that a noise of this nature - which is very loud at low RPM etc... is indicative of a faulty flywheel. I could see how that might make sense though I'm a little unclear as to how the flywheel could have been damaged- or do they just go bad? Not to my knowledge- but hey, you learn something new everyday.

Since the car is still under warranty the obvious course of action is to bring it into the dealer and have them check it out - and that is exactly what I would do if I could get an appointment before January (I called them in the beginning of November) - so that sux :( . I also have to bring the car in for the recent software recall.

Oh and did I mention that a mysterious rattle has developed inside the dash?- anyone been dumping peanut M&M's in my vents? because that's what it sounds like.

All in all the car is still great- I love the RCA jacks I installed a few months ago that let me plug directly into my MP3 player- that was a great addition and makes for better motoring.

I've also recently moved offices and on my new commute it makes good sense to take the freeways - 90, 405, 10. While the 405 is always a bloody nightmare- the 90 and the 10 are usually pretty empty and lets just say that on a good night I'm able to weave a beautiful tapestry across the asphalt.

Ever feel like all the other cars on the road are just pylons to be negotiated?

Oh I almost forgot- what's on my MINI Xmas list this year?

Here's the short version:

Nylon "Seat Pulls"

Boot Stripes (boot, standard vinyl, white)

MINI Service Manual


>>BLATANT SELF PROMOTION<<

Oh and lastly- I've noticed an increased interest in the MINIMechanic Shop - November was a great month- and MINIMechanic stuff does make a great gift :)the favorite item seems to be the MINI Mechanic Baseball T (I have to agree- it's one of my favorites.) So if you haven't visited the shop yet- have a look around, you may see something you like.

Anyway- I'll keep the updates coming regarding the noisy transmission- maybe if they have to replace it I'll get grandfathered into one of the new Getrag boxes- (that would be cool.)