[Berger]

I had recently installed the "new and upgraded" flywheel, hoping to get rid of the annoying well-known rattle when ideling.

Drove off from the service, without hearing the rattle and believing I would live happily ever after. I was proven wrong. Despite the new flywheel, the rattle returned two days later.

I have until now replaced one gearbox, two clutches and one "new" flywheel in order to cope with this problem - to no avail..

I totally give up now, but I will continue driving my car and ignore the rattle....

Any other experiences?

[Shorty]

Quote: Originally Posted by Berger (original)

I had recently installed the "new and upgraded" flywheel, hoping to get rid of the annoying well-known rattle when ideling.

Drove off from the service, without hearing the rattle and believing I would live happily ever after. I was proven wrong. Despite the new flywheel, the rattle returned two days later.

I have until now replaced one gearbox, two clutches and one "new" flywheel in order to cope with this problem - to no avail..

I totally give up now, but I will continue driving my car and ignore the rattle....

Any other experiences?

I also had the new flywheel fitted to my o5 MCSC a couple of months, but luckiy enough
the noise hasn't returned

[R1]

Quote: Originally Posted by Shorty (original)

I also had the new flywheel fitted to my o5 MCSC a couple of months, but luckiy enough
the noise hasn't returned

I have that rattle in mine, but I'm leaving it! Doesn't do it regularly anyway as I always start the car with the clutch in. If MINI do a recal, then I'll have it done. I have made my dealer aware of it but they said it doesn't always stop the noise!

Shorty, we have the same dealer. What did they say to you?

[Shorty]

Quote: Originally Posted by R1 (original)

I have that rattle in mine, but I'm leaving it! Doesn't do it regularly anyway as I always start the car with the clutch in. If MINI do a recal, then I'll have it done. I have made my dealer aware of it but they said it doesn't always stop the noise!

Shorty, we have the same dealer. What did they say to you?

They said they'd do it but the noise might come back, which so far it hasn't
It was already booked in for other warranty work so I thought I'd get it done...

They initially tried to blame it on the GTT conversion, which i knew it wasn't as it
had made the noise since new!

[R1]

One of the reasons I'm leaving mine is when I had a new gearbox fitted to my old Cooper under warranty, I had loads of little electrical and other faults caused by taking out the engine!!

[GTT 280]

Quote: Originally Posted by R1 (original)

One of the reasons I'm leaving mine is when I had a new gearbox fitted to my old Cooper under warranty, I had loads of little electrical and other faults caused by taking out the engine!!

Urgh - someone did not disconnect and reconnect the wires correctly. BMW MINI perhaps?

It is really strange how you say you have this rattle, and if you change the gearbox, flywheel, and other parts it still exists.

To me this would tell me that the part rattling is something else? Is it metalic?

Perhaps it is some other motion related mechanism - bearings, cv joints, etc. etc.?

I have a problem with my suspension/steering at the moment and can't find out what the problem is. My approach is going to be to strip it completely and replace any item that appears to be worn abnormally. - I think...

Cheers,
CSW.

[GARY GP]

Quote: Originally Posted by Berger (original)

I had recently installed the "new and upgraded" flywheel, hoping to get rid of the annoying well-known rattle when ideling.

Drove off from the service, without hearing the rattle and believing I would live happily ever after. I was proven wrong. Despite the new flywheel, the rattle returned two days later.

I have until now replaced one gearbox, two clutches and one "new" flywheel in order to cope with this problem - to no avail..

I totally give up now, but I will continue driving my car and ignore the rattle....

Any other experiences?

It sounds to me like you have got a dry thrust bearing in your clutch. does it go away when you press you clutch pedal down! they my say they have put you a new clutch in but did they! they will not replace the clutch if it is not worn you believe me. £200 per clutch kit i dont think so

[Berger]

Yes, it goes away when I press the clutch down...

I don't want to return to the dealer now, they have tried everything...

Please tell me if there is a COMPLETE fix to this, otherwise I'll leave it ...

[GARY GP]

Quote: Originally Posted by Berger (original)

Yes, it goes away when I press the clutch down...

I don't want to return to the dealer now, they have tried everything...

Please tell me if there is a COMPLETE fix to this, otherwise I'll leave it ...

The fix is a new thrust bearing in the clutch. big job clutch out! BMW fitters only do basic fix they cant be botherd to lube the thrust bearing it takes just a few minits to do or replacement is only £10 but they don't have to listen to the rattels that we do!! hope this helps or you can get on to BMW for telling lies to you. if they had fitted two new clutchs way have you still got probs with rattels. go on get the boot in!!

[Berger]

Are you sure about this?

Why does the service bulletin say that you have to change the flywheel?

I'm getting REALLY tired of this rattle... maybe I'll sell it for a BMW 1-series instead..

Have any of you got this rattle completely fixed? Love my car, but hate the rattle..

[R1]

The service bulletin for this does say an improved flywheel should be fitted, but ONY if the customer complains about it, so they don't think it's bad enough to do a recall. Believe me if it's transmission related, and they thought it would be a problem, they would recall them.

Just start the car with the clutch engaged (as it say's you should in the owners manual ) and you will never hear the rattle again! If I start mine this way then release the clutch, no rattle so it can't be anything too serious can it.

I agree that it shouldn't happen at all though.

[MilesMINI]

I'm going to take the plunge on this fix as I've lived with this neutral rattle for what seems like forever. Miles is going in tomorrow for this as well as a handful of other annoyances that I just need to get taken care of. I was going to wait for my first schedule service (8500 miles now), as I've tried to ignore it, and just can't do it anymore.

I'll report back in a few weeks with the results.

[MiniService]

Quote: Originally Posted by gary bartle (original)

The fix is a new thrust bearing in the clutch. big job clutch out! BMW fitters only do basic fix they cant be botherd to lube the thrust bearing it takes just a few minits to do or replacement is only £10 but they don't have to listen to the rattels that we do!! hope this helps or you can get on to BMW for telling lies to you. if they had fitted two new clutchs way have you still got probs with rattels. go on get the boot in!!

At least here in the states and im 99% positive theres no difference in parts kits, every clutch comes with a new bearing

[roland2003]

... Interestingly mine is one the quietest boxes I've heard. We run the rigid lightweight flywheel and a clutch with a sprung centre plate . I also use fully synthetic gear oil.... seems to work very well on ours.
Best Regards Roland GTT

[venox22]

its not the thrust bearing, they changed that twice before fitting the new flywheel

[Berger]

I still think it is rather amazing that BMW have not found a complete fix to this problem. However, I will still keep on driving, cherishing and loving my MINI and start the car with the clutch pressed.

On the other hand, I will closely follow this thread for updates, hoping someone is able to figure this out...

[R1]

Quote: Originally Posted by Berger (original)

I still think it is rather amazing that BMW have not found a complete fix to this problem. However, I will still keep on driving, cherishing and loving my MINI and start the car with the clutch pressed.

On the other hand, I will closely follow this thread for updates, hoping someone is able to figure this out...

It is strange because if you stop the car after a run then restart with the clutch out it's fine! Leave it over night and start it and it rattles unless you dip the clutch first, then it's fine!!

[norm03s]

The dealer replaced my flywheel under warranty with the new one and replaced the clutch assembly at cost.
No problems or noise.

[MilesMINI]

So far so good with the flywheel replacement - I got Miles back on 10/28 and all is quiet after a week of driving. Too quiet now actually, as Miles is now sitting in the garage and will be headed back to the dealer on Wednesday morning as EML & Service Engine Soon lights came on Friday evening on the way home from work . I would think coincendental to the flywheel job and the other minor fixes I had done ....................

[Capsaisin]

I think after reading all these posts about clutch rattle and replacement, that the noise is gearbox related.
When you sit with the clutch engaged, the engine is driving the input gears of the gearbox which obviously in some cases rattles. When you push down and disengage the clutch, the input gears to the gearbox are no longer driven and stop turning - so the rattle goes away.

There seem to be several lessons to be learned here.

A lot of MINIs do it, but without exploding after all.
Investigation by BMW mechanics usually make matters worse.
At best you end up with a free clutch/flywheel/gearbox no doubt depending on the dealership rather than the actual fault.
Usually the rattle does not go away.