Hi all, my Mini Cooper S (2003 R53) has just recently started to sound like a diesel!

Noise is coming from the Aux belt side of the engine to the left. I have had the timing chain tensioner replaced which has had made no difference, the sound is isolated to that side of the engine towards the rear loudest over the timing chain housing. I have also asked my mechanic to have a look at the harmonic dampener pulley, as I have been led to believe that this makes a similar sound (is it possible to make an assessment on this without removal?) he said that it looked ok and has very little play, although I’m sure I read that it is the rubbers on the inside which fail and can only be checked by removal?

The noise appears to be intermittent in the sense that it can there one day and not the next. Can be heard both inside and outside the car and is present at idle and under load.

Any other thoughts on this would be appreciated, the car had a replacement supercharger fitted by MINI about 20k ago and the engine pulls strongly so I doubt (hope) that this hasn’t failed again! Also sounds as it should under load.

So options at this stage are:

1. Replace Timing Chain Kit
2. Replace Harmonic Dampener Pulley
3. Wait and see what fails!

Many thanks in advance for your suggestions / thoughts.

OK update on this!

Been running like this for 3,500 miles done various long trips and nothing more serious, used very little oil and everything else still holding together. So as of yet nothing to report Car is due Service & MOT next month so will have Plough Motors give it a real good going over when they have it.

Any suggestions on what I should ask them to double check?

Don't no much about that mate. But the other day I started up my r53 and omg it was rattling away like a diesel. After a mile it adjusted and stoped. I just done a search and marque sead he had a similar problem and it turnt out to be
The drive shaft support bearing.
hydraulic cam chain Tensioner maybe.