Attached is a video of a concerning noise I am hearing from my R56 MCS. The sound seems to be coming from directly below the valve cover, not necessarily localized on the passenger side of the car.

The specific sound that I am worried about sounds to me like the ball inside a rattle can or spray paint as you shake it.

The car has been serviced almost entirely by MINI of San Francisco. The timing chain tensioner was first replaced in May 2012 by a different mechanic. In October 2013 the original owner took the vehicle to the dealer for an oil leak. The dealer replaced the PCV valve inside the valve cover.

With the valve cover off they found the timing chain guide was broken. The replaced the timing chain and guide. They pulled the oil pan to "coolect fragments of timing chain guide." They did this work as "Good will."

This date of service is the only place where I see record of the Timing Chain Tensioner Campaign. On a different line of the invoice they also claim to have done the campaign, written as follows: "Inspected Timing Chain Tensioner as per 0011080300. The #2 drill head tensioner is installed on vehicle. No further repair is need at this time. Affix recall lable. Service Completed."

I may do any and all work myself or try to fight with Mini if it's the timing chain. Thoughts?

 

There's one sound that's normal, another is not. The ball inside a paint can sound is the high fuel pressure and second injector ticking you're hearing, completely normal as mine sounds exactly the same as does everyone else's. I do hear what sounds like a worn serpentine belt and or Friction Wheel that could have worn ball bearings. It could also be the timing chain making that noise but without further inspection it's difficult to tell, but I'll put my money on the timing chain! At least you know the other noise you're were hearing is perfectly normal for a turbo direct injection engine. Many have gone through 3-4 timing chains, it's not uncommon.

If you don't keep up adding oil every few gas-ups your engine will run low on oil, this effects the timing chain tensioner bolt as it uses oil pressure to tension the timing chain. Most N14 engines drink oil in the form of oil vapor, it gets ingested into the engine because Mini didn't devise a device to collect the oil vapor and properly return it back into the oil pan, however in mid 2011 Mini released a newer (N18) engine that doesn't consume oil. I add half a quart of oil every 1000 miles or three gas-ups, that's better than average. Some here on NAM consume 1-2 quarts of oil every 1000 miles, that's why it's important you keep your oil topped off.

Towards the end of 2013 I had a new timing chain installed (top guide broken, broken parts in oil pan) and in one year the new tensioner started getting lazy again, I'm on my third tensioner at 64,000 miles! It took Mini/BMW 8 years and five redesigned timing chain tensioners to get a reliable version out, in my book that's an insane time line! The 5th gen tensioner is much smoother and better than any before it, it's also longer.

Have a look at what happens to some of the oil that gets ingested into the engine, it's not pretty and kills power! Link Here.

 

Thanks for the reply!

I found a link to this video and have decided this is probably the rattle can sound. That post agrees with you, that it is normal. Nevertheless I wonder if I might still want to replace that vacuum pump? I would definitely do it if I thought the noise would go away, but that seems doubtful. Once the motor is at operating temp the rattle can noise is far less pronounced.

As for the timing chain/serpentine belt noise, is that the continuous "tapping" in my video? I feel more comfortable driving the car now but perhaps I will still replace the tensioner with the 5th gen version and/or inspect the timing chain. Seems the tensioner installed back in 2012 is probably NOT very reliable at this point... plus an easy change if I can just find the 5th gen version of the tensioner online!

 

No the tapping noise is normal as I stated in my last post, your going to waste money if you start thinking what it is instead of knowing what it is! Get cold hard facts, get that timing chain slack measured and don't wait to long because if the chain slips off one of your cams gears your looking at least a rebuilt head, worst case a new engine! This isn't something you can fix yourself, trust me I have seen plenty of threads about the marble in a can sound threads, welcome to direct injection engines. Some refer to it as sounding like a diesel engine.

Your best move would be to have the timing chain slack measured, this will tell you if the timing chain is beyond specs. If your chain measures 68mm its time to replace the timing chain. Haven't heard of vacuum pumps making noise, they usually start leaking and seized up without warning. Recently another member thought your same noise was the vacuum pump, it wasnt. It was his timing chain slapping around enough to sound like a nut or bolt bouncing around in a can.

 

I have the same ticking or ball inside of a paint can noise, i thought it was the timing chain and i am glad it is not that. So reading the other thread found out it is the vacuum pump and a coupler that makes the noise. I hate that noise and i wonder if MINI did something about it.

 

Did you look at the thread I linked in my previous post? His before and after videos clearly show his replacement electric vacuum pump elliminating the "rattle can" sound. While it may not be the pump itself, he says it is the coupler inside the pump that rattles.


I ordered a Timing Tool Set that will allow me to measure the timing chain slack. I've also started researching the tensioner. I definitely have gained an appreciation for the concern these timing chains present and the importance of proper maintenance / oil level and interval.

I would be very interested in that video of your "normal" sounding motor so I know exactly what I should be listening for!

 

I did see the link, I can clearly hear his vacuum pump making noise but can't hear it in your video even though your video has much better sound quality. I even explained to you that the noise you're hearing is normal especially for turbo direct injection engines, this noise you keep talking about is perfectly normal. Here is your marble in a can noise below. Now you'll hear something in your video that isn't heard in those other two videos, a constant gear noise that I believe is a worn timing chain.

Did you also purchase the crankshaft and camshaft locking tools to properly perform the timing chain slack measurement explained in the Bentley manual or the service manual?

 

Here is my engine sound at cold start-up, three quarters through the video you'll hear the lifter noise disappear, very common on these engines especially in colder weather. However on warm or hotter days like yesterday the lifter noises are almost unnoticeable, gone in less than a second. It was warmer on Saturday (84F) and rained all this morning and colder 65F today on Sunday when the video was taken. The timing chain rattle is more pronounced in colder weather, if you ever hear rattling that's the sound of the timing chain slapping against the upper timing chain guide rail. I believe that your timing chain is stretched rubbing on the guide rail a little harder than normal, that gear whining sound that you can hear in your video. Without hearing it in person it's tough to be 100 percent sure as these mics of our phones can very in quality and sensitivity.

 

My engine sounds exactly like that, i would like to make that ball paint can/ticking noise go away for good.
Once the engine is running for 5 or 10 minutes or even less the noise/ticking go away and then only you can here the injectors noise like it should be.

 

I think something must be wrong with this noise because why it goes away after a few minutes or why does it only on cold starts.

 

Good luck with getting rid of a noise that's part of the design of the engine/fuel system.

I explained this is great detail why it happens when the engine is cold. Your chasing your own tail with this normal noise, I get you don't like it but nothing you can do about it.

 

I explained this is great detail why it happens when the engine is cold. Your chasing your own tail with this normal noise, I get you don't like it but nothing you can do about it.[/QUOTE]


I know you are completely right about it and there is nothing we can do about that obnoxious noise.

 

Hello, so I had a coolant leak last week and just a few hours later the engine started to make a loud rattling noise when I would rev the engine up and let off the gas to change gear, Initially we all thought it was the timing chain so I went and got that replaced along with the coolant leak repair.

Just got the car and still making this horrible rattling sound when I'm driving and it's driving me crazy, I've spent too much already. The garage is saying it could be some pullies and are going to take it to a bmw specialist next week.