[komulainen]

So, we're lost then? Anybody got any info on this fault lately? Mine's still ticking away.

[Restyle]

Well, If I were being a bit of a Sherlock Here, I`d deduce that as the majority of respondants who have this "problem", own an MCS, then I`d look at any differences between the S & the One /Cooper.
Hmmmm, I would Presume it to have something to do with the Underside "Extra" Steering cooling fan only found on the S.
Either that or each 6 speed box has a Big Sticker on it !

[eltel]

After extensive checking of measurements back to BMW HO in Germany, and replacement of the vibration damper, the noise is still there. But it's going in next week to get the supercharger replaced.

Let's be clear on what my definition of the noise is.

I noticed it in January, just 6 months after I picked the car up. The noise is a clackety sound, it comes from the RHS of the car (my car is RHD). You really notice it when driving along a concrete wall such as on a freeway or tunnel, but the noise is loud enough to be heard in any driving situation.

It only occurs under hard acceleration between 3k and 4k in most gears, but 2nd, 3rd and 4th invoke it loudest. Go over 4k and the noise diminishes rapidly. It does rise with engine revs, but because it's over a limited rev range, it's hard to perceive.

As I said, it's only when accelerating hard, you don't hear it when driving normally or just by revving the engine in neutral.

So, I'm getting the supercharger replaced on the 22nd, and I'll let you all know whether the noise has gone.

There are owners out there who have probably heard the noise and dismissed it as being normal. Somehow I don't think it is.

[Bernie]

Hi everyone,

I have been reading with interest, problems experienced with the MINI Cooper S. (In particular, the ticking noise once under load).

I noticed this dreadful noise 6 months ago, and after many trips back to the dealership (Bruce Lynton - QLD), I have only just had the problem rectified. The main crank shaft pulley has been replaced........... But now the belt is now squeeking........

....But only after both drive shafts were replaced, And plenty of bull ****! I was actually told the noise is supposed to be there....What? I was then told it was the blow off valve/waste gate ... (blow of valves and waste gates are only used on turbo charged engines!!!). I was then told it was "Harmonic Boost" noise. I requested (3 times) a techincal report and was sent a five line letter saying that the noise I am hearing is normal.....But no explaination as to what "Boost Harmonics" are.

It was funny to receive a telephone call from the service manager to say..."We will need to see your car, to replace the main crank shaft pulley". Wow BMW have actually admitted something.

I think BMW need to understand that there are customer out there that have mechanical experience and knowledge. I have been associated with high performance vehicles for nearly 20 years now. Please stop telling your MINI customers lies and BS; this may wash with BMW customers but not us.

I urge everyone who is experiencing difficulties with their dealers, to stand fast and demand satisfaction.

Now what about the conspiracy of "Run flat Tyres".........?

Thanks for your time,
Bernie.

OK GUYS!!! UPDATE TIME>>>
AFTER SIX WEEKS!! the car has had drive belts changed, whole gear box and clutch and its still has the problem.
Took it for a road test with a SENIOR BMW technican , who says its the bearings on the supercharger!
SORRY TO HEAR you guys are having problems too.... just keep on it.... and

[northandy]

Quote: Originally Posted by MCS_Babe

OK GUYS!!! UPDATE TIME>>>
AFTER SIX WEEKS!! the car has had drive belts changed, whole gear box and clutch and its still has the problem.
Took it for a road test with a SENIOR BMW technican , who says its the bearings on the supercharger!
SORRY TO HEAR you guys are having problems too.... just keep on it.... and

Letter gone to my dealer today... hinting at rejecting the car....

COOL!" keep it up! after my nagging! they rang me on friday to say they will exchange the car! whoo hoo! so i am gonna think of my new spec this morning!

[No Golf Clubs at all]

interesting topic, no one has mentioned this problem I see on a cooper. I have a july 03 coop that is ticking away. To me it sounds like tappit noise, it changes with rpm and has only emerged since I hit 2300, I think I will look into changing the oil (some people in here do this anyway after the run in period) and see if it gets better or worse.

[HObzy]

Funny u should mention that, but my cooper has just started making a similar noise since returning from a shunt (work not done by BMW dealer though). Its had a whole new offside front suspension, wheel bearing etc and wheel so seems a dodgy coincidence in timing. definately not gearbox as happens with clutch in. sounds like its unrelated to the problems happening with the MCS but will let you know if i find out what the repair shop have cocked up.

[Slant]

Quote: Originally Posted by eltel

Let's be clear on what my definition of the noise is.

I noticed it in January, just 6 months after I picked the car up. The noise is a clackety sound, it comes from the RHS of the car (my car is RHD). You really notice it when driving along a concrete wall such as on a freeway or tunnel, but the noise is loud enough to be heard in any driving situation.

It only occurs under hard acceleration between 3k and 4k in most gears, but 2nd, 3rd and 4th invoke it loudest. Go over 4k and the noise diminishes rapidly. It does rise with engine revs, but because it's over a limited rev range, it's hard to perceive.

As I said, it's only when accelerating hard, you don't hear it when driving normally or just by revving the engine in neutral.

Same noise on my MCS. Also had the tapping noise in neutral that goes away when the clutch pedal is pressed in. Dealer replaced both the clutch & gearbox last week. Tapping noise in neutral is gone (Thank God!) but clicking noise under load is still there. Anyone had a correct diagnosis from their dealer yet?

[No Golf Clubs at all]

I am completely fed up with this noise now...it may just be the engine characteristics but it sounds awful..

Does anyone in here remember those DAF variomatics?
Think I will be selling now, but worry is if I get another mini (s) will it be the same?

If I wanted a clickety clakety car I would have gone for the Diesel version

[sholto]

Quote: Originally Posted by Slant

Same noise on my MCS. Also had the tapping noise in neutral that goes away when the clutch pedal is pressed in. Dealer replaced both the clutch & gearbox last week. Tapping noise in neutral is gone (Thank God!) but clicking noise under load is still there. Anyone had a correct diagnosis from their dealer yet?

Have finally made progress. My dealer (sydney australia) had the warranty guy come out and apparently there is a new pulley or harmonic balancer that they have just designed. The guy said this fixes the problem. As soon as they get the new part in, i'll get a call and my car will finally be fixed after 20 months of complaining!

Still trying to get the leather replaced....

[Restyle]

Quote: Originally Posted by sholto

..Have finally made progress. My dealer (sydney australia) had the warranty guy come out and apparently there is a new pulley or harmonic balancer that they have just designed....

Someone I work with has just had his SuperCharger Belt Tensioner changed for a newly designed item after complaining about strange engine noises & reports that this has cured the problem .
Did a search & found THIS POST about this component failure containing the following pic .
Item #1 has now been redesigned

[AndrewH]

Quote: Originally Posted by sholto

Have finally made progress. My dealer (sydney australia) had the warranty guy come out and apparently there is a new pulley or harmonic balancer that they have just designed. The guy said this fixes the problem. As soon as they get the new part in, i'll get a call and my car will finally be fixed after 20 months of complaining!

Still trying to get the leather replaced....

sholto

Keep us posted on your progress.

I have been complaining about this to both my dealer and BMW Australia since October last year (although it has done it since just after I got it in May last year). The dealer told me earlier this year that they had developed a new part/parts and that they were trialling it on a car in Melbourne and that it would be released "very soon" (this was back on 22 January!). I'm still waiting. I've contacted them (BMW Aust and the dealer) a number of times but all I keep getting is "it will be available soon" and "we will contact you as soon as it is ready".

I'm so over this now. It's amazing how a small niggling issue like this (and the crappy cruise control) can really spoil the ownership experience. What really bugs me though is being treated like a dope by BMW Australia. Although I love my MCS and will hopefully keep it for years, I will not be buying another BMW because the marketing hype is not backed up by good build quality or good engineering.

Andrew

[Slant]

Quote: Originally Posted by sholto

Have finally made progress. My dealer (sydney australia) had the warranty guy come out and apparently there is a new pulley or harmonic balancer that they have just designed. The guy said this fixes the problem. As soon as they get the new part in, i'll get a call and my car will finally be fixed after 20 months of complaining!

Still trying to get the leather replaced....

Sholto, can you do me this huge favour? Can you check with your dealer to see which pulley they're talking about? This might help my dealer in diagnosing my problem. Hopefully MINI Canada has this re-designed part as well...

[eltel]

Quote: Originally Posted by AndrewH

sholto

Keep us posted on your progress.

I have been complaining about this to both my dealer and BMW Australia since October last year (although it has done it since just after I got it in May last year). The dealer told me earlier this year that they had developed a new part/parts and that they were trialling it on a car in Melbourne and that it would be released "very soon" (this was back on 22 January!). I'm still waiting. I've contacted them (BMW Aust and the dealer) a number of times but all I keep getting is "it will be available soon" and "we will contact you as soon as it is ready".

I'm so over this now. It's amazing how a small niggling issue like this (and the crappy cruise control) can really spoil the ownership experience. What really bugs me though is being treated like a dope by BMW Australia. Although I love my MCS and will hopefully keep it for years, I will not be buying another BMW because the marketing hype is not backed up by good build quality or good engineering.

Andrew

Andrew and sholto,
I too had a ticking noise (build Jun02) complained about it in Jan 03, dealer couldn't find it and I heard that someone else had it and thought it was standard. Checked out my mate's MCS, built exactly same week, and he doesn't have the noise.

So, after jumping up and down about it in July BMW had my car for 6 days, they replaced harmonic balancer (or similar) and also said there was a new part being designed, but the noise did not go away. They fitted the new part a month later, but the noise did not go away. (Sound familiar? do you really think there is a new part coming now). After a heated discussion with the dealer, BMW replaced the supercharger a month later, but the noise is still there. I've given up for the time being, but I will be face to face with BMW's senior technician later this week to discuss this matter along with the headlight levelling problem, and he is going to get a piece of my mind.

I have had 5 attempts to fix the headlight levelling problem and they can't fix it. Next week will be the 6th attempt and their last. I guarantee it.

Having said all of that I took delivery of a new MCS early May and it's a very different car to drive. Softer suspension, quieter, stupid redesigned gear knob, boot is harder to close (when will they get that right?).

[keef]

I have a March 04 MCS which had the ticking noise which kicked in under firm acceleration. I first took the car into my dealer a week after I picked up the car and then again for a further 2 weeks after that. They called in MINI UK and eventually isolated the fault to the camshaft pulley. Initially the problem was cured by removal, re-tensioning and reassembly but they fitted a new one anyway and all now seems OK.

[AndrewH]

Quote: Originally Posted by eltel

Andrew and sholto,
I too had a ticking noise (build Jun02) complained about it in Jan 03, dealer couldn't find it and I heard that someone else had it and thought it was standard. Checked out my mate's MCS, built exactly same week, and he doesn't have the noise.

So, after jumping up and down about it in July BMW had my car for 6 days, they replaced harmonic balancer (or similar) and also said there was a new part being designed, but the noise did not go away. They fitted the new part a month later, but the noise did not go away. (Sound familiar? do you really think there is a new part coming now). After a heated discussion with the dealer, BMW replaced the supercharger a month later, but the noise is still there. I've given up for the time being, but I will be face to face with BMW's senior technician later this week to discuss this matter along with the headlight levelling problem, and he is going to get a piece of my mind.

I have had 5 attempts to fix the headlight levelling problem and they can't fix it. Next week will be the 6th attempt and their last. I guarantee it.

Having said all of that I took delivery of a new MCS early May and it's a very different car to drive. Softer suspension, quieter, stupid redesigned gear knob, boot is harder to close (when will they get that right?).

Hi eltel,

Give the BMW senior tech a serve from me too! If you want to use me as an example of others who have had this problem, please do – if it’s the same tech rep (I think NSW and ACT have the same BMW tech rep) they should know of my problem too.

How hard can these sorts of things be to fix? BMW should spend more time/money on engineering and less time/money on hyped-up marketing campaigns!

Please keep us posted on how you go

[sjw]

wow, great to find this thread. we just took delivery a few days ago (apr04 build). i was taking a friend for a spin (kept the revs below 4500, of course) and we both heard the noise with the windows down. not TOO loud, though. so i checked it out on a quiet road on the way home:
1) could not hear it revving in neutral (very smooth and linear).
2) easiest to hear in 2nd gear, btwn 3-4k rpm. also, sometimes launching in 2nd at initial rpms.
3) definitely the frequence increases w/rpm, but wind noise covers when going too fast.
4) mcs, 300miles.
5) my friend has a jcwmcs - i'll check and report when i can.

seems like "keef" is the only one to have it and have it resolved. any more details on it?

thanks, all.

[bodinski]

UPDATE
Just got the S back from the dealer. They actually gave me a loaner for the 2 days they had it -a new Coop. They replaced the belt tensioner again (part # 11-28-7-509-476, or # 1 in the diagram so kindly posted above), as well as some sort of end cover (part # 11-14-7-513-049) & changed the oil (not due, likely relating to the cover). I've only driven it about an hour so far. The volume and duration of the noise has been reduced quite a bit, but it's not completely gone. I'm not gonna worry about this one anymore unless it gets worse.

UPDATED UPDATE
OK, I'm gonna worry about it. Having driven some more, I conclude that it's really not much better than before. A poster on NAM .(linky) says that his dealer says (I know, hearsay is non-admissable, etc.) they've cured his with a new harmonic balancer. Apparently the rubber ring had broken loose somehow. I'm going to pursue this with my dealership and report my findings.
Best - Bodinski