So, I arrived home last night and opened the door to my ~6300-mile '11 MCS with the engine idling and noticed a very distinct rythmic, mechanical knock at about half engine speed. I raised the hood and, sure 'nuf, there was a new sound I had not heard previously. I changed the oil/filter with the MINI recommended stuff I bought from my local dealer at ~3800 miles and was planning on another change in another 1000 miles or so, regardless of the free service that comes with the warranty.

The noise obviously concerned me so I let the car rest for a couple of hours and checked the oil level with that infernal dip stick MINI tortures us with. The level was at 3/4 of the way up the indicator as I could best discern so I didn't add any and decided to take it in to the dealer near work in the morning.

I dropped it off early this morning and spoke to the service rep about the issue. He was very helpful and I was on my way to work quickly with a loaner MINI. They called me late this afternoon, saying they couldn't reproduce the noise so I went to pick it up. The tech told me the engine was 1/4, yes, one-quarter, of a quart low on oil and that was probably the cause of the noise - that these engines are ultrasensitive to low oil level. Just damn - you ain't kiddin'! The engine was running while we discussed it and the noise was gone since he'd added that critical 1/4 quart.

We discussed the new engine design the '11 has and he admitted they had little experience in how this engine will do with respect to oil consumption and the redesigned timing chain guide but said they were told the previous issues were resolved.

Anyway, I took my MCS and it sounds fine at this point. Time will tell.

P.S. So, the loaner they gave me was a Justa and I have to say that I was actually surprised at the pep it had compared to my S. I figured it would be a dog in comparison but it had no problems keeping up in traffic. I only drove it for a few miles but it did not disappoint. The suspension was a bit less precise and the throttle was very ON-OFF without the SPORT button on. Also, the seat foam felt much softer than mine (both have the leatherette). Not bad, though.

 

I call BS on the 1/4 of a quart low making the noise. I think the dealer couldn’t find anything so that was the best they could come up with.

A 1/4 of a quart won’t make it make noises... that’s plain ridiculous.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the ’11’s have timing chain tensioner issues too...

Hope for your sake that the dealer was right but I wouldn’t hold my breath.


Mark

 

I've recently had the same issue but with my 07 MCS. I went to Patrick in Schaumburg 3 times and they said they've heard the noise once, and that it was just the injectors. After that, I took it to Bill Jacobs in Naperville and they pulled it apart and found that it was the tensioner, and the chain itself was cracked and was just days away from a disaster... They've replaced the chain, tensioner, some railings etc. I know there was a lot of stuff, but I don't have the work order in front of me. All I know is that you should pursue it further or you might need a new engine at your own expense!

 

I agree - I'm an experienced diy'er with major work under my belt over a few decades and this was not injectors. It was coming from the timing cover area and was obvious which is why I took no chances and took it in.

 

I'll keep an eye on mine, I'm vigilant. These motors are noisy when cold too.

 

+1. Utter BS. Was this your mechanic?

 

Actually, the service rep and tech treated me very respectfully and patiently. They did seem very sincere and gave me all the time I needed to discuss the issue. They even offered to keep the car an extra day to troubleshoot some more but I declined. The car was quiet when I got home last night.

 

I (and I think I speak for most others that agreed with me) don't think it was that the service department was trying to buffalo you as much as I think they are yahoos and don't know what they are doing.

I'll bet the tech looked at it briefly, couldn't find what was wrong and saw the oil being a bit low.

Since he couldn't find anything else, that MUST be the problem so he told the service writer what he found.

No doubt in my mind the service writer was being honest and respectful but the truth is, he doesn't know crap.


Mark

 

Agreed, Mark. but it's been more than 20 years since I've taken a car in for a major service issue since I always do my own work and have been lucky enough with cars I've bought to not have a warranty claim since the 80's. I wasn't sure how to call BS and still be able to go in there when my MINI comes due for the requisite maintenance so the warranty is maintained. It is scary to think I'd be letting the same guy change my oil though.

Thanks for the validation, though.

 

I must admit that after driving my 08 GTI and dealing with its 2 1/2 quart per 5k oil consumption, which is normal for it, Im a little paranoid on the subject.

I also noticed a funny rhythmic noise coming from the engine after around the first 2500 miles. I had already picked up a quart of oil from the local dealer just in case. Checked the dipstick and found the car was around 3/4 to 1/2 a quart low. Topped it off and the noise is gone except for the normal injector tick.

So it would seem that these cars, 2011 with the N18, are very touchy on oil levels.