Hello,

My 2007 Coupe has been making intermitten squeaky noise. The noise occurs when the brake pedal isn't even stepped on or touched. It has been observed at various speeds and weather conditions but I've been unlucky with getting it reproduced with the Mini dealership (Mini of Mountain View) When the noise is observed, it happens mostly when the steering wheel is slightly turned to the left, e.g. following road curves, not necessarily sharp turns.

MoMV would not look at the issue until they can reproduce it and even though I've left the car for the whole week for them to test drive it, they claimed it wasn't reproducible.

Drew, the foreman, mentioned some possibilities as the brake sensor wearing out or the tires.

What are other possible causes of squeaky problems like what I've described so far?

I wrote a longer post in https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...n-touched.html but maybe that's too long/daunting or in the wrong place. I'm starting a shorter one here to hopefully get some responses and discussions.

Thank you.

 

Any codes? Where is the noise eminating from? at all temps or only when hot or cold? Only in turns, or also going straight?

 

Mice will make squeaky noises, but seriously the intermittent noises you are getting are sometimes rather difficult to find. You detect them better because you are more attuned to hearing them. Try your best to locate the source but be aware that the sound can travel from unexpected sources.
I know this isn't much help, be diligent and best of luck.

 

Thank you for your reply.

I don't think there's any code. The Mini dealership never told me any codes for the 3 or 4 visits just for this issue (and I've made another half a dozen visits for other wind noise/rattling issues prior to that). I even left the car with them for a week to test drive and they couldn't reproduce it. That was almost a year ago when the noise started happening.

The noise seems to be coming from the right rear, but Drew, the foreman, said that it can originate elsewhere.

Temperature doesn't seem to make any difference as we've heard it both during the Winter and Summer days.

Slight turns/curves to the left is when we've observed it happen the most, but we've also heard it while making slight turns/curves to the right as well as going straight.

The noise had been observed at different speeds: 20, 30, 50, 65 mph, both on local streets and on freeways.

The noise started becoming more and more audible as time goes by and happens more frequently, too, but still intermittently. Nowadays, when it happens, it can be heard during a long stretch, more than a mile recently.

Unfortunately, the last time I brought the car in to the dealer, it happened to be a bit rainy and the noise wasn't reproducible/heard.

About a month before we first heard the noise, my front brakes (pads for sure but unsure about rotor) were replaced as they were due but they didn't touch the rear brakes because the car didn't have enough miles yet. I asked Drew if the front brake replacements could have been the culprit as it happens more often while slightly turning/curving left. He discounted that possibility.

 

Thank you for your reply. I'm glad there aren't mice in my MC.

The noise still seems like it's coming from the right rear and 3 people in the car had simultaneously heard the noise as coming from that direction.

I realize that there are more chances for us hearing the noise as the short test drive with the dealership's service foreman. I wish they would at least inspect it visually by disassembling the brakes or what not but they wouldn't do that unless they can reproduce it.

I've captured short videos (mostly to capture the audible squeaking noise) but they're of no use to the foreman.

I've read somewhere in this forum that somebody's car had microphones attached at different locations by the service guys. I'm not sure why the dealership that I've been going to can't do that with my car.

Are there other suggestions as to how to pinpoint it?

 

Anybody with other suggestions/advices on how to analyze and pinpoint the source/culprit?

 

I had the same squeeky noise before form the front right of my 2006 S however now it has turned to a louder noise like the tire is rubbing on something, but no rubbing going on. Could this be a wheel baring going bad?
Thanks,

 

I also have this problem, and, all that i have to add is that it only happens when the car is warm (driven for a while). It bugs me, but, yeah, it's so intermittent that I doubt i could bring it to a mechanic.

Sounds like the left rear.

 

Thanks for the replies.

krenzkes, I don't think my case is due to the tire "rubbing". The noise sounds like when brake squeaks except happens with my car during normal driving while the driver's foot not on the brake pedal at all.

Benny Profane, the squeaky noise in my car happens regardless of temperature (have heard it during the Winter when the road isn't wet as well as during the Summer). The squeaky noise seems to come from the right rear in my case as observed by several people in the car at the same time (on several occasions).

 

For 2007, there is one for the front sway bar bushings, and another for transmission mounts.

You say rear though, so consider a TSB for some 2007's (build thru April 2007) for rear sway bar bushings:SI M 33 01 07

Another covers the rear seat back latch: SI M52 02 08


Seems less likely to be the seat latch if people are sitting there, but from your description it sounds like it possibly could be a sway bar bushing problem.

 

Good info,it looks like you know a lot on '07 mini.do you work at mini dealer?

 

I had my pads replaced by the dealer last week, and this same problem has arose for me too. It sounds to me like the pistons were not pushed back all the way, making the pad touch the spinning rotor at speed. I have noticed that it becomes worse after light braking and better after hard braking, leading me to my opinion before I dive under the car.

Needless to say, I called the dealer today to set up an appointment just in case I can't fix it myself.