They did not replace it, they said they just bled it out. They implied that there is a new design in chain tensioner since they told me they checked the build date of the vehicle to determine if it had the "new design". Mine was a Jan build and supposedly had the new design. Nothing was replaced.

As to whether or not it should permanently fix it, I can say it did not. Its 55 here to today, quite warm and I got the sound this morning... Will be calling the dealer soon.

Oh well...

 

Had two more rounds of the issue. Started Ruska up after sitting outside in the sun all day (60F+), very very loud rattling rough idle. Then again the next morning @ 57F. This morning it was fine.

Weird.

 

Mine is in the shop now for the rattle among other things. Looks like they are not doing much about it but I am getting a new transmission! Thats a whole different story. 16,700 miles. I hope it holds up after the warranty.

 

what was happenning with your transmission? I was complaining about a droning noise from mine, but they keep telling me its normal...

 

Different thread. Read here... https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...=124439&page=2

 

Well in case anyone cares, mine went back in for 3rd time for the cold start noise. On the last visit they bled the chain tensioner which worked for a couple of days before the sound returned. I took the car this past week and they followed the next suggestion in the forthcoming bulletin on this issue which is simply to bleed it longer (30 min). They kept the car and reported back that the sound returned again. They said they need to talk to Mini to get the next steps. Not good...

 

I recently wrote an email to MINIUSA and here's what they have to say...more BS!

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Sundevil,

Thanks for writing MINI. We are sorry to hear of the problems you are
having with your MINI.

Unfortunately, we aren't able to provide remote technical advice via
e-mail. You may want to speak with the Service Manager at Niello MINI
regarding your concerns. Another suggestion I can offer would be to get a
second opinion at another MINI dealer. If you need it, you can find a
list of our MINI dealers and their contact information on our website,
http://www.miniusa.com/link/findadealer/dealerlocator.

If there are further questions I can assist with, please feel free to
drop me an e-mail. I will be happy to lend a hand.

LET’S MOTOR.
Jen Edgin
MINI Customer Relations and Services
Representative
866.ASK.MINI (275-6464)




-----Original Message-----

From: Sundevil
Sent: 1/11/2008 12:00:00 AM
To: webmaster@askminiusa.com
Subject: Technical issues

question/comment:
I recently purchased an MCS in September 2007. I have been noticing
that during cold starts (below 40 degrees fahrenheit) the engine is very
loud and it sounded like it needed a valve job. The tapping sound
continues during idle and it subsides after about five minutes. I brought
this issue to Niello of Sacramento and they could not detect this
issue. Several MCS owners in the U.S. are already expressing their concern
about the problem and the dealers are dumbfounded by the numerous
complaints that they have received.

I am attaching a link to an important forum about this issue.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/showthread.php?t=121761

Please let me know how you can address this problem regarding the MCS.
It is very obvious that this issue will not go away and will affect
the reputation of the car it not resolved.

Thanks,
Sundevil

 

I don't know... sort of what I would expect from corporate. Ya' know? What's this guy supposed to do? Just the standard "take it in to whatever dealer you like and we'll see what we can do to fix it" line. I just think it's indicitive of the fact that MINI is not sure what's going on and they're trying to sort it out.

Nothing they've done to date (chain tensioner , new valve guides, rebuilt heads, ENGINE REPLACEMENT ) has worked. There are examples out there of each of these "fixes" where the issue has returned just like before.

My prediction... assuming my dealer ruled out piston slap as suggested... a redesigned head or added check valve that doesn't allow oil to drain out when parked... and/or a reprogramming of the ECU that changes how the oil pump builds pressure on start-up. We'll see.

Over-under on how long it takes to get sorted?

 

I do kinda wonder how they could not notice this when testing these cars in europe...it's always cold and they had to start it up some time in the morning

 

WOW!!! Interesting thread, to say the least, since I just got my car back from getting serviced, for a very loud metal grinding type rotational noise I herd when starting my car after new years, on a very cold day. I had not read this thread, and I also did NOT think it had anything to do with the fact it was cold that day. Funny thing is, I had not driven the car for about a week prior to starting it that day. That was the first time the car had sat unused for longer than a day, and the first time it was cold (aka about 15 degree) here in NY.

I immeadiately shut the car off, and called service because it sounded bad enough that I thought it was doing damage to something.

I made a service appointment, which was about 5 days later, and it was nice and warm (50 degree's). I did not use the car until driving it to MINI service, and of course, it did not make the noise on the way to service. I told the service guys it didn't make the noise, but to check it anyway. I was gettign a few other little things done as wel (oil change, sunroof creep fixed).

They called me a few hours later and said they did hear the noise, and said the cover to the turbo was rubbing against something in the turbo, and they fixed it. I picked up the car, and since it has not made the noise, BUT, it also has not been very cold.

Mine sounded just like those video's... hmmmmm going to have to watch it closely.

 

Oh man, I'm so glad this car is leased.

I truly love driving it, but as its a recreational vehicle, its not been out in the really awful weather and road conditions of late. So far the tensioner fix seems to be holding, but the noise is there still, but just briefly.

By the was, the Mini2.com link I referenced when I started this thread is now up to 398 postings. Some really agitated. Any dealer nonsense on this side of the ocean claiming 'we haven't heard anything about it' is quite a lot of BS, especially since my case generated a PUMA visit from the rep.

Intriguingly, only MCS owners reporting in on this. hmm....

 

Yeah earlier in the post someone was saying that the MC and MCS have different engines even without the Turbo...i guess the MC has valvetronic and the MCS not? idk but yeah it seems to only happen to the MCS...i have an MC and a few weeks ago it was in the 30s (florida too haha) and i started it up in the morning and no sound at all...it seems to only affect the S

 

Question for everyone that is hearing the noise...do you hear it every time, or just sometimes? Mine does it if I park it with the nose downhill, or if I have it in the unheated garage overnight. But, it does not do it every time I start the car. The dealer replaced the tensioner and the VANOS assembly, and kept the car for over 20 days total so far in the last few months trying to find it. Their current view of it is that the MCS is louder than most cars, but everything is working correctly. They said that MINI is researching it and they will let me know if they find anything.

 

ehart13169 -

For me the sound is sporadic. It usually occurs after sitting for 8 hours or more and outside temps are in the 30's. I've tried parking with the nose pointed downhill but for have seen no correlation with that. Saying the car is just louder isnt a justifiable answer to me. Its not a sound the car shpuld ever make. This is third attempt by the dealer to fix it, and they have had my car for about 15 days now...

 

I wonder if it is something as simple as what my service dept found (and/or "said") it was??? Just the cover to something on the Turbo rubbing when it was cold. Would make sense that it only occurs on the ones with the Turbo.

Mine is quiet since...... (a week now). BUT, has not been below 30 degree's. Been hovering around 30 to 40.

 

That would be nice, but then it would do it all the time when it was cold. Mine has done it when it is as warm as 60+ degrees outside, and it has started without the noise after sitting overnight at 18 degrees in the morning.

 

hmmm.... of course it is possible mine was something different, but I would dout it. It sounded like a bad metal grinding noise similar to the video's.

 

Update: It was 28 degree this morning, started it up, and the dreaded noise was back. But, it was not as loud as it was the first time I herd it when it was 10 degree's. Definitely temp oriented

 

Is this issue related to a specific build date. I would prefer to custom order mine if/when I grow the ***** to put pen to paper. But these threads are very distressing. Was there some type of factory update of the valvetrain to solve this? IS this effecting 08's as well.

 

Like most things this isn't affecting all cars. I have a mid 07 build and I haven't had this.
The car is a little diesel sounding at startup on cold mornings but nothing like what is really being described here.

 

If it becomes something they dont fix on the 08s, you can always go for the MC (non S) if you want to avoid the problem altogether (i know most dont want a non S tho, but they are just as fun and more fuel economy)

 

Nope. As determined by a discussion on MINI2... recent builds are experiencing the problem as well.

Nope. No updates as of yet. They're still trying to figure it out. '08 engines are identical to '07s. So we're not out of the woods yet.

Yet...

Most owners seem to notice it as a mild diesel-like rattle at first, lasting less than a minute. It becomes louder, lasts longer and occurrs more frequently as time goes on. I had close to 10K before it started with my car. Some have experienced the rattle in the first thousand. Some after passing 20K. It's different for everyone but the end result is the same. One things for sure: there are more and more new owners appearing in this thread, or starting new threads about this issue every day.

With my car, they've ruled out the tensioner and the hydralic lifters. The head has pretty much been rebuilt now, with no effect. All thats left seems to be the specific oil, oil pump and/or the ECU program controlling the oil pump on start-up. With that in mind, I would guess that this problem has a very high likleyhood of effecting all cars. Some just experience it sooner rather than later.

I'm passing 3-weeks without my MINI. The only bright spot for me so far has been my dealer's attitude and support. They truely want to fix it... and I have a loaner for the time being... but I still really want my car back badly.

 

I have a feeling this is an issue that effects all R56 MCS engines, but it may be more severe in some cases. There was a survey thread started on MINI2 where an owner posted a video of a severe case and asked people whether or not their R56 has the same noise; out of 21 responses (so far), only three people said their car does not have this issue, and at least one of them is an R53 owner.

We have to bear in mind that many owners live in areas where the temperature rarely (if ever) drops close to freezing, so they may never experience this noise, and this is the first winter with a significant number of R56 owners out there. I have a feeling new reports will keep popping up as cold weather continues.

 

Looks like this weekend will present a good optest of just how widespread the R56 cold start issue actually is. The starting problem threads are likely to become quite active:



I'm thankful my MINI is housed in a balmy 68 F throughout the winter...

 

It makes me wonder if it has anything to do with the engines not running the engine coolant system for the first few minutes after start up to get the engine in its optimal temperature faster

I guess the only good thing about have to use a loaner is that they give you another MINI instead of some family van or something you cant go crazy driving