[npalao]

I got my R56 in early June of '07. After about 3 months, and only 1000 kms in the odometer, I noticed a cluncking noise coming from the front left. The noise appears on low speeds on bumpy or very uneven roads (like old roads made out of river stones). I did not bring the car to the dealer until about 7 weeks ago, with the odometer reading only 3500 kms. The car has been in the dealership ever since. They have changed the bushings in both front and rear swaybars (which is a factory recall), left steering arms, steering column, electronic steering aid box, all of the left suspension components (including the shock), and finally the gearbox and differential. Nothing has solved it! Any ideas? I am so frustrated. BMW nor the dealer want to do anything about the car any more!

[red_S]

Hi!

I have a similar problem. Think the reason is to be found on the front right side of the engine (looking from front of the car) - at the top of the gearbox. There the connection ("wires") to the gearox lever are located. It is a kind of a metal lever and I tried moving it up and down and noticed it makes the like a metal-to-metal cluncking noise. But didnt report it at the dealer.
Try to find it and try moving the lever by hand to see if it makes the noise... :-)

[adam_Randell]

I had a clunking sound coming from my clutch. i went in for a total of 5 days of warrenty repairs. One garage saying 'we found the problem. it was the clutch pedal, so we lubricated it for you'. Was it bo***cks. Took it to another garage and they had it for 3 days and its still clunking 11 months on. My sister also had a clunking sound, and went to Nick Whale in Stratford and they fixed it no problem. But hers wasnt to do with the clutch

[S8RAH]

Glad i found this thread, I thought the noise was my exhaust, they've tightened it up this week but noise is still happening. Now I know its not just mine I'll push them to investigate whilst they're changing more timing bits on my car ( still sounds like a tractor!!)

[red_S]

Quote: Originally Posted by adam_Randell (original)

...My sister also had a clunking sound, and went to Nick Whale in Stratford and they fixed it no problem. But hers wasnt to do with the clutch

Could you tell us what was it?

[adam_Randell]

Quote: Originally Posted by S8RAH (original)

Glad i found this thread, I thought the noise was my exhaust, they've tightened it up this week but noise is still happening. Now I know its not just mine I'll push them to investigate whilst they're changing more timing bits on my car ( still sounds like a tractor!!)

Mine also sounds abit like a tractor/diesel but when i contacted MINI UK i was told that 'its a charictoristic of the R56'.

My sisters was to do with the suspension....not sure exactly what it was sorry.

[npalao]

This is the 9th week, and they finally gave up on the car. They (dealer and BMW Mexico) claim they do not have anything else to do, but the car was safe to drive. The checked the transmission once again for the lever and the actuating wires, and that was not the cause. I am still searching for the solution! I will contact BMW's (Mexico) president sometime next week.

[S8RAH]

[quote=adam_Randell;3381679]Mine also sounds abit like a tractor/diesel but when i contacted MINI UK i was told that 'its a charictoristic of the R56'.

Three's a whole thread on this issue, don't let them fob you off !!


I had the strut mounting or something replaced yesterday, the stealers said it had gone, unfortunately the clunking hasn't gone. Back to the drawing board.

[metromel1]

Have them check the engine and transmission mounts. I had a tranny mount go bad on my R56 MCSa after 10k miles The transmission would clank and you could feel it through the pedals off the light, right after 2000rpms.

[S8RAH]

some tracking bushes this time, still not fixed!

[Boro Boy]

npalao, S8RAH, red_S - just to let you know, my car also produces a similar knocking noise as you describe, but as it is only ever apparent at low speeds over certain kinds of bumpy surfaces (and with the stereo off) I've lived with it. It's funny that when you read about someone else with it too, you suddenly become more sensitive to it! I've now had my head under the bonnet trying to wiggle gear rods, etc .

S8RAH, have you made your dealer aware of red_S's suspected cause? I think he may be closer to identifying the culprit.

[red_S]

Quote: Originally Posted by Boro Boy (original)

S8RAH, have you made your dealer aware of red_S's suspected cause? I think he may be closer to identifying the culprit.

I am not sure anymore about that. I had my dealer look at it. And the fact is when a gear is engaged the lever does not move any more...so they said it can not be the reason for the knocking...

[willhoo]

Bought my R56 in January 07. From the beginning I was told the rattling is part of the Mini experience!! Then when i complained about it during the 1st Mini recall (sometime in July) I was told they found a suspension problem and completed the necessary repairs (took them 3 days). Now 15 months into my Mini experience the problem is back again. What's worst apparently now a 'suspension bar' needs to be replaced. So they booked me another appointment only to be told after a whole day of repairs that they ordered the wrong parts to begin with. All I want to say is persevere with your complains even if they may look at you like you are a fool sometimes... thanks Ken for encouraging the purchase of small cars. I miss my 911.

[Benibiker]

Quote: Originally Posted by red_S (original)

Hi!

I have a similar problem. Think the reason is to be found on the front right side of the engine (looking from front of the car) - at the top of the gearbox. There the connection ("wires") to the gearox lever are located. It is a kind of a metal lever and I tried moving it up and down and noticed it makes the like a metal-to-metal cluncking noise. But didnt report it at the dealer.
Try to find it and try moving the lever by hand to see if it makes the noise... :-)

I think you're right red S and I may have found the same problem and a solution... In the picture I've attached, you'll see a part that sits just under and slightly behind the radiator overfill reservoir as you look down from the front of the car. This thing attaches to the gear shifter through a cable and sits on top of the gear box. If you wiggle this part up and down you'll hear the very clanking sound you might be hearing and I was hearing in my car. I attached a 5 inch spring from the hole you can see on this part down to a clamp almost directly below this part. You want the spring to just have enough tension to keep this part from clanking around but not too much tension or it might make your shifting difficult. My clanking is gone at a last and my shifter feels more solid and not so wiggly!!! This should be service bulletin or something, some dealerships are changing all sorts of parts and not fixing the problem. Try it and see if it works for you, it's worth a try and it worked for me.

[Boro Boy]

Hats off to you, Benibiker, if this is a cross-the-board solution! I'll get my head under the bonnet again this evening to investigate. Your attachment wouldn't load for me though, may just be my PC having a bad day ...

PS Where did you get your spring?

[red_S]

Quote: Originally Posted by Benibiker (original)

I... Try it and see if it works for you, it's worth a try and it worked for me.

Hi!

Nice work. Could you post some more pictures ilustrating where you placed/attached the spring. I will certainly try it in the next days...

[Benibiker]

Quote: Originally Posted by Boro Boy (original)

Hats off to you, Benibiker, if this is a cross-the-board solution! I'll get my head under the bonnet again this evening to investigate. Your attachment wouldn't load for me though, may just be my PC having a bad day ...

PS Where did you get your spring?

I bought the spring from a hardware store (Home Depot). Any hardware story should have them. It's just a spring with a loop or hook on either end. If it's too long you can cut it and just make another loop or hook the end.

I'll try to get some more photos, It's dark by the time I get home from work during the week. But it's pretty simple, just attach one end of the spring to the hole in the picture above and the other end to anything below it. I attached mine to the clamp on the rubber hose on the intercooler. That should give you just the right tension.

[Benibiker]

Hey guys, unfortunately the noise came back... I had enough of searching and wiggling stuff around to find it on my own so I dropped it off at the dealer this morning. Hopefully they'll have better luck at finding it. I drove around with a technician and we duplicated the sound so they know it's there, the question is will they be able to fix it... I'll keep you posted.

[Benibiker]

Wow, 3 posts in a row... What a joke, got my car back today, they said one of the hood bushings was out of alignment... I wasn't even a block away and heard the noise again. No fix, wondering if I should just live with it or take it back and risk them doing more harm than good by replacing all sorts of parts and not fixing it... What do you all think?

[Boro Boy]

That all depends on whether you find you can live with it ... some people are more sensitive than others to rattles, knockings, buzzings and clankings. I always try to sort them out myself first before resorting to taking the car to the dealer, but if I can't and the rattle is annoying enough ... to the dealer I will go.