That's very similar to the sequence I went thru to duplicate the noise

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-post1413.html

 

I've had the sound since day one. Took it to Mini service and got the answer, "Didn't occur for them while in service". I now can make the sound occur anytime by simply starting the engine from cold, shutting it off for 5 seconds, then turning it back on. The diesel rattle noise is now there. I used to have the same problem with a Nissan Maxima. Nissan said the first cold start turned on the cold start (rich,choke) sequence but because it never ran long enough before shutting down, the second start envoked the rich, cold start again thereby causing the engine to be over choked, or run way to rich. Never the less......on my Mini if I start the car and run it until the engine is warm, I never have the noise on the next startup. If I start it, then shut it down before it warms up, I will for sure have the noise at the next startup.

 

got the word friday from my SA that my tensioner was replaced under the most recent service bulletin. they did the work last monday, and since the car was left there while I was out of town (also getting 2 speakers replaced) the tech started it every AM and said all was very quiet, that I would notice the difference. so we'll see when I get it back t'row. but he claims that all of tensioners they've replaced since late last fall have been working fine.

faulty tensioner or not, a week w/o my MCS is not fun. I had a new Sooby Outback for a rental last week, and get this: it had paddle shifters! But I like the MINI's better, for the Sooby was downshift on left, upshift on right; I like being able to up/downshift with one hand on one side.

 

T/C tensioner was replaced under SIM#11-02-07. Car is amazingly quiet now, minus the faint tick tick of the DI doing its job. Let's hope this fix is it.

 

Well went back in the shop AGAIN 2 weeks ago for the 3rd timing chain tensioner issue. Spoke with my SA A couple of days after and they are going to replace my engine since the issue even with the latest sim fix and it keeps coming back. I'm just hoping this corrects the issue once and for all!!
I don't want a repeat of last year's dragon where I had to have it towed from Fontana and fly back! Wasn't fun driving over 600 miles to have a tensioner break and NOT be able to drive the Dragon.

 

Great info!

 

Good news and bad news from the Oregon Coast. My '07 MCS has had nothing but normal cold starts since the early '09 replacement chain tensioner (full SIM-11-02-07) was itself replaced by the -895 tensioner (current latest tensioner version) in late December '09.

The bad news is that my wife's '07 MCS has just now started doing the chain rattle on cold starts. The car has 3 years and 25,000 miles on it.

Looks like all of the early chain tensioners will fail eventually ...

 

I just had my chain tensioner replaced today under SIM-11-02-07 but the part number used is 11 31 7 607 551

Is this yet again a new part #? I can't find anyone else who says this part # was used.

FYI, I'm in the San Diego area where the temp was 80 degrees today. When I dropped the car off the service advisor was very doubtful that they would do anything. He kept saying "if they can't hear anything, they can't do anything in SIM-11-02-07". He said they would need to keep the car overnight and maybe it will do something in the morning. I've really only had the terrible sound once or twice this winter. I was surprised when I got a call at 3:15 pm (same day) and said they replaced the chain tensioner.

It seems quieter -- except for all the gosh darn road noise. I love my car, but it sure has gotten less quiet in the 18 months I've had it. Also, had an auto MC for a loaner -- I sure missed *my* car...

 

The 551 number is the new number. Here's how it breaks down (or at least how the bulletin reads)...

If it's the first time the customer complains, they will replace the part with tensioner part number 11 31 7 607 551. I'm not sure what the difference between this tensioner and the older tensioner is besides the fact that it's much cheaper.

If the customer complains of the noise a second time around, then the dealership will replace the tensioner (and other components) with the tensioner part number 11 31 7 597 895.

Hope this helps, and I wish I could shed more light on this. It seems MINI has come out with a new tensioner to serve as almost a bandaid to the real problem. They install a cheaper tensioner just to hope and pray that this fixes the problem. My guess is that it fixes problems on some, and doesn't on others.

 

I have heard the same thing. There is a new fix for the problem but apparently Mini is making service advisers and customers jump through hoops to get it. I intend to record the issue on my iphone and play it back for service.

 

I looked at the new (551) versus old (895) chain tensioners today at work. The new one is pretty beefy. The actual shaft on the tensioner is longer, which is probably designed to create more tension on the chain and all of the associated parts. The one we installed on an R55 today resulted in a VERY quiet timing chain, so maybe this is a good sign!

 

Is the new SIM bulletin not also coming with a longer chain? I recall MINI announcing a couple of months back that a longer chain was part of the new 'permanent' fix? One service tech I was speaking said that having the beefier tensioner with the older/shorter chain would cause a lot of stress (?)

 

Other way around - the old tensioner was too short, too weak. The old chain was too long. The new tensioner is stronger/longer, but if the old chain/old tensioner was run long enough, the original chain gets stretched out and even with the new tensioner the chain is too long and has too much slack. The techs measure the slack in the chain - if it's outside the maximum length, it gets replaced - along with the tensioner. However, the first complaint requires us to check the oil level, top off and ship the car if low. If the car comes back, we can replace the tensioner only, and ship the car. Only after the car returns after that can we replace the chain. Kind of stupid.

We've only seen one or two jump timing with the excess slack, and it cost them a head each. Aside from that, it's all been noisy, but time will tell.

 

My MINI (2007, Cooper S, Hardtop) just picked this up about a week and half ago -- very sudden. Here's my question: I have 55,000 miles, so, I believe that I'm past the normal warranty. Is the SIM going to cover this or am I going to pay for this out of pocket?

 

Did you buy it from a dealer, or private party?

 

I bought it new from a dealer.

 

Well, took my car in for the second time yesterday (Friday) to take care of a few issues.

First, one of my headlights got messed up from hitting a pothole too hard, resulting in one of the "eyeballs" being a little cockeyed now. Replacing the entire driver's side headlight assembly under warranty.

Second, the chatter is still there, and while they said the first time it was low in oil and that's what caused the random occurences of the chattering, they added oil, and within that time, my car dropped 2 puddles of oil on the ground in my driveway - not cool. The chattering is still there, doesn't happen every start, but happens often enough to be embarrasingly annoying. The night before taking my car into service it chattered again, the morning I took it in it was fine, but when the dealer had the car sitting around for a while and started it up, the chatter was there, and they confirmed it to be a chain tensioner issue, so it will be fixed/replaced.

Third issue is an odd (you don't feel it, you hear it)vibrating/grumbling sound coming from the engine just as you are on the clutch/off the gas and upshifting into 2nd, and during the 2-3 upshift at anywhere from 3700-4300 rpm. It seems normal, but I figured I'd mention it. I went for a ride with one of the techs and they heard it too. Didn't know how to react to it, whether it seemed normal or not, but he did hear it and said they would look into it.

Lastly, The JCW upgrade will finish off the list of things "to do" at the dealer. My Clubby should have a bigger set of nuts by Monday...

 

How much time does it take to have the Chain Tensioner replaced at the dealer.

 

I think it's a same day affair. In my case they let the car sit around for most of the day to diagnose the problem, and it wasn't until towards the end of the day that they called and went over everything with me. They wanted to diagnose and fix any problems before doing the JCW install. I hope to have my car back by the end of the day Monday.

 

I hope it is the same day as I live 100 miles from the dealer.

 

It took a week to have mine done. Most of the time was taken reproducing the problem. Some time may have been taken waiting for the part to arrive. My SA said mine was the first one they had done.

I'm about 100 miles for the dealer. They gave me a Clubman to drive while I waited.

 

Mine took maybe 2-3 hours to get replaced.

 

mine only took 1.5 hours but the dealer kept it for a few days afterward to make sure it didnt reappear. 1K later all is well and very quiet. Of course I couldnt open my hood for 2 weeks due to a snapped release cable

 

humm, that's not what this says about a longer t/c...

http://www.motoringfile.com/2010/01/...problem-again/

 

So yesterday AM I go to start my car, and the bonnet is making a rattling noise. No big deal, I just turn the rubber bumpers clockwise, and all's well. But what is that faint but discernable knocking noise I hear from the engine, passenger side, to the rear, where my replaced timing chain tensioner is?

bam bam bam. It's baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack

I had it replaced in March, and all had been well. However, my SA says that a couple months ago a whole new tensioner came out, and that they will look at replacing the one installed in March--which wasnt new--with the newer part. Anyone have any info on this please chime in.

getting frustrated with this. at least my dealer is being proactive.