A few weeks ago we started getting an error on the dash of the 2017 Mini Cooper (which only has 43k miles on it) which said “Transmission: Secure vehicle from rolling” whenever we parked it. The car is most definitely in Park and can’t be pushed, but the computer thinks it’s not. The dealer quoted $2200 to replace the shifter assembly – ouch!

I found the new part (25-16-8-483-097) online for a bit under $600. However, I discovered on the F56 Mini forum that the common failure is actually just a broken spring inside the shifter. Since the majority of the effort is getting the interior apart to actually get access to the shifter, I figured it was worth the $10 for the replacement part off ebay and a few hours of effort to try this repair myself. I figured if I got it apart and it wasn’t the spring, then most likely it’s the solenoid inside the unit and at that point I could order the $600 part with the only downside being the car would be undriveable for a few days.

In fairness all of the info and photos below are gathered from a number of youtube links. However I find youtube to be a really poor way of following instructions when doing vehicle repairs, so I translated the mix of 3 different videos into one procedure shown below.

Tools

Aside from a regular set of philips and flat head screwdrivers, you’ll need some torx bits and a socket set or wrenches for this. Nothing fancy.

Gear Selector Removal

1. Disconnect battery

2. Detach gear shifter ring
   
3. Press yellow tab and shift into neutral.  Detach wiring harness
4. Pull up on shifter (hard) to remove it
   
5. Remove kick panels (T20)
   
6. Remove side panels (they just pop apart with clips)
   
7. Remove screws under side panels
8. Remove rear plastic of center console, just pops off
   
9. Disconnect cigarette lighter in rear
   
10. Pull off face for front cigarette lighter area
    
11. Remove lighter assembly (push in 2 tabs)
    
12. Pop off remaining side panels
    
13. Pull up on center console panel.  Be careful of all the attached wiring
    
14. Detach 2 connectors 

15. Remove 2 cupholder screws
    
16. Cupholder lifts out, there is a wiring harness so be careful
    

17. Unclip wiring harness from cupholder (there is only one)
    
18. Unplug cigarette lighter and wiring harnesses
    
19. Detach all the remaining wiring harnesses from the center console
    
20. Pry retaining clip off the console
    
21. Remove wiring from rear module
    
22. Lift out center console
    
23. Remove screw from remaining plastic
    
24. Lift out plastic
    
25. Disconnect remaining wiring retaining clips
    
26. Remove last wiring harness from shifter
    
27. Pry off cable retaining clip from shifter assembly
    
28. Remove the 4 silver nuts and lift up the shifter assembly
    
29. Align second retaining clip to center and push to remove
    
30. Detach assembly from cable and R&R assembly next
    

Gear Selector R&R / Spring Replacement

1. Unscrew housing

2. Separate housing carefully
   
3. Remove shifter arm
   
4. Remove circuit board
   
5. Remove plastic cantilever assembly
   
6. Use screwdriver to push out spring arm from bottom of housing
   
7. Push out pin from arm and remove spring
   
8. Install new spring.  Spring arms should be straight/horizontal
   
9. Reinstall spring arm
   
10. Reinstall arm and circuit board
    
11. Reinstall shifter arm
    
12. Screw housing back together
    

Gear Shifter Reinstallation

1. Slide in shifter cable and place shifter assembly onto the 4 bolt holes
   
2. Reinstall shifter cable, align hole, and reinsert plastic clip
   

3. Reinstall shifter cable retaining clip
   
4. Reinstall nuts and wiring retaining clips
   
5. Reinstall wiring harness to shifter
   
6. Reinstall plastic cover
   
7. Reinstall center console.  Make sure wires are routed correctly (i.e. cigarette lighter).  Reconnect all wiring harnesses and connectors
   
8. Reinstall rear panel, reconnect wiring 

9. Reinstall cupholder, reconnecting the wire to it
   
10. Snap center console top into place and reattach bolts/screws
    
11. Reinstall cigarette lighter and associated wiring
    
12. Reinstall 2 screws behind cigarette lighter panel
    
13. Snap cigarette lighter panel into place
    
14. Reinstall other screws for console top
    
15. Reinstall side panels
    
16. Reinstall trim
    
17. Reconnect battery
    

References:

For those who prefer videos, this one shows what you need to do to dismantle the center console.  You don’t have to remove the seats, so you can save that step.

These videos show once we get the shifter out what needs to be done to open it up and replace the spring that went bad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rX6g0zBQp-4

https://youtu.be/ZCiCd0jZ71E 

https://youtu.be/Dfi1v4BvWMc (starts around the 8:00 mark)