UPDATE: Tensioner - JackHammer/Fluttering noise from engine

[MiniDeLux]

Update: Just received a call from the garage. Apparently, the timing belt tensioner is on its way out, so the garage has replaced it. The timing belt itself was not changed as it was changed at about 50,000km (car now has 75,000km).

I'm going to ask for more details tonight, since the PSA diesel engine has a belt and not a chain like the S model. Has anyone ever heard of this problem on the D model coopers?

Really, I have only 75,000km on this car and in addition to the regular maintenance like brakes, oil, etc... I've replaced:

- 2 water pumps
- timing belt
- clutch and flywheel
- turbocharger
- timing belt tensioner

I so want to love this brand of car, but it just ain't happening. I'm sorry to say this will be my first and last Mini.


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Once again I find myself with engine problems. I have a 2009 Clubman D with approx 75,000km on it. Car has been regularly serviced, blah, blah blah.

Since September, I have had the clutch and flywheel replaced, new turbocharger installed and a faulty "hill start assist" system replaced. One outstanding issue is a squealing waterpump, but after shelling out €3000 since September I haven't been able to get the funds together to change the water pump.

Now the car has another problem. During acceleration, I hear a funny noise emanating from what seems to be the passenger side of the car. It can only be described as a fluttering/jack-hammer kind of noise, like a "duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-duh-duh..." sound. The car seems to have enough power and drives well. If I'm on a hill and descending and I take my foot off the gas, it also makes this noise. I would say it was a kind of "backfiring" except it doesn't seem to be coming from the exhaust. The engine seems louder and slightly rougher than I'm accustomed to. These noises were not present before September when all the major works started.

I'm a little puzzled about this one and can't really think of anything on the passenger side of the engine that would make this noise.

Any help/advice would be great. Car goes in on Monday for an assessment, but I'm afraid I may be told it's normal.

Thanks!

[ScoobyChris]

Can you reproduce the noise with the car stationary? If you can, you could get someone else to press the accelerator and have a listen under the bonnet to see if you can find where it's coming from

Chris

[MiniDeLux]

Quote: Originally Posted by ScoobyChris (original)

Can you reproduce the noise with the car stationary? If you can, you could get someone else to press the accelerator and have a listen under the bonnet to see if you can find where it's coming from

Chris

Thanks for the reply.

The noise is nowhere as pronounced when the car is idling. At idle, the engine sounds a little "strange", but it doesn't make the fluttering noise. I thought transmission maybe, but that sits on the left side of the car and the noise comes from the right hand side.

It's really only present when the car is moving and is accelerating or decelerating. Driving at constant speed the engine is noisier than normal, and the noise is probably there but the diesel kind of drowns it out.

[carthorse]

It could possibly be an engine mount - had similar issues on my wife's VW Touran after it had a new gearbox and clutch after its dual mass flywheel let go on the motorway.
Within weeks of getting the car back the engine mount on the opposite side to the clutch cover failed which caused a knocking noise under power or when lifting off the throttle, and the strut top mount failed on the opposite side causing a knocking noise when the steering went from lock to lock.
The root cause I believe in both cases was poor workshop practice when the car was in bits, ie. over stressing the engine mount by not supporting the engine correctly when the gearbox was being changed, and straining the top mount by bending the strut out of the way for access because they couldn't be bothered to remove it completely.
The bottom line is unfortunately vehicles don't like being taken apart after all th components have done several thousand miles together.

[MiniDeLux]

Thanks for the reply.

Was the knocking noise on the Touran repetitive? Or was it a simple one-time knock under acceleration and deceleration?

Mine literally sounds like a repetitive tapping/knocking/fluttering.

Quote: Originally Posted by carthorse (original)

It could possibly be an engine mount - had similar issues on my wife's VW Touran after it had a new gearbox and clutch after its dual mass flywheel let go on the motorway.
Within weeks of getting the car back the engine mount on the opposite side to the clutch cover failed which caused a knocking noise under power or when lifting off the throttle, and the strut top mount failed on the opposite side causing a knocking noise when the steering went from lock to lock.
The root cause I believe in both cases was poor workshop practice when the car was in bits, ie. over stressing the engine mount by not supporting the engine correctly when the gearbox was being changed, and straining the top mount by bending the strut out of the way for access because they couldn't be bothered to remove it completely.
The bottom line is unfortunately vehicles don't like being taken apart after all th components have done several thousand miles together.

[carthorse]

It was a fairly consistent knocking noise which got worse under power or when lifting off the throttle.
Tracked it down eventually by watching and listening under the bonnet while somebody revved the engine for me (while stationary of course!)
You could see the engine rocking noticeably as the car was revved - the excessive movement was also causing the exhaust to rattle on its heat shields which added to the din and didn't help tracking down the cause of the problem.
Hope that helps, it must be worth a look anyway and hopefully wouldn't be to expensive to fix.

[MiniDeLux]

Thanks.

I gave that a try. I can see the engine move, but I think some movement is natural. I can't definitively see any mount problems. I've done a few longer drives and am now starting to think the engine is almost being starved for air or something. Only problem is that my gas mileage is improving. I'm thinking now I can hear a slight ticking noise, but it's the diesel engine, so it could just be the injectors. Maybe I'm getting too paranoid at this point.

Basically it just sounds like it's running badly, but all the power and torque is there. Hopefully it won't be an expensive repair. This one has got me stumped. Car goes in Monday. I'll update this when I get more info.