So, I have 2011 MSC (bought brand new) with 44K miles on it. I have regular tires. Got rid of run flats long time ago. As soon as the temperature goes down outside, suspension sound and perform crappy.

It almost feels like there is no suspension.. any slight bump on the road or while turning left or right and hitting bump makes the suspension almost like non existing and kinda noisy (clunk, knock etc,... )..

I am 120 miles away from dealer. Last winter told them about it and they couldn't replicate any problems. I know this is not like it use to be and is becoming annoying every time I drive this car.

During warm months its not as noticeable but its there..

Best answer I got from dealer: wait till it gets warmer outside (last winter).

Anyone else experiencing it? How make them to look for any issue?

thanks

 

This are the same issues & symptom's faced with 2010 MCS's too. Do a search and you will find quite a few threads on this topic. I have been to the dealer so many times for this, and as always it is a miracle, they just don't seem to replicate it. The discomfort, grinding, thud, etc noise is directly proportional to the drop in outside temps. Over the last few years there has been quite a few diagnosis ranging from the steering rack, ball joints, sway bar bushings, etc. As winter sets in across the country this topic will creep up again. Stay tuned.

 

Assuming your suspension is stock, there are at least 3 usual suspects to consider:
1). Your summer tires are turning into round pieces of hard plastic as temperature drop. Somewhere south of 40F they are worthless. The drop-off is a little less pronounced with all-seasons, but is also there. Solution: buy a set of proper winter tires, if that's what your climate requires.
2). All rubber bushings in the suspension (in control arms, camber plates, sway bars, engine stabilizer, etc) are getting hard and less pliable as temps approach freezing. Solution: inspect and replace worn items, as necessary.
3). Your OEM shocks are approaching end of their useful life, or the viscosity of oil in them is dropping with the ambient temps. Solution: at 44K miles - definitely upgrade the suspension.

I would not expect the dealer to help address any of the above, except maybe some of #2.

a

 

Yep, regular tires get very hard when it's cold. I recently put on my set of winter tires and it's a huge difference in ride.

 

1 - already have winter set of dunlop intermix 195/55/16 ... so I know this is not the issue.
2 - I do think this is the problem.. BUT then being 120 miles away from dealer and them telling me all the time they couldn't replicate it blah blah, its almost impossible to have them look more into it than just simply driving my car around block.
3 - I might do it when warranty is done. Planning to keep this car, since I am only few months from paying it off.

Thank You.

 

I am purely curious now - what are Dunlop intermix tires?
No such model is listed on tireRack's web site: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/dunlop/dunlop-tires.jsp

The dealer is being lazy, or they don't think they will get the warranty job authorized by BMW MINI so they are not bothering at all.

Either way, it's time to look for an independent shop closer to home !

Since you are unlikely to get any support from your dealer (who is 100+ miles away and is otherwise useless), I would not delay repairs on the count of warranty. There is no upside to riding on shot suspension under warranty ;-)

a

 

I think that in cold weather we are just more annoyed by everything. A bumpy ride on a sunny summer day feels a lot better than a black as night morning ride when it's 10 degrees out.

 

Colder weather causes the fluid in the dampers thicken, making the suspension feel stiffer and over dampened. Its the same thing as cranking up your rebound and compression dampening on a set of coilovers.

 

Andy is correct, I notice this on my GP until the coilovers get warmed up.

You could also look at the Koni FSD shocks as they tend to ride better.

 

lol.. usually happens when U type on darn phone with autocorrection ON
Dunlop Winter Maxx..

 

I had a similar problem with my 12MCS. I had a clunka clunk that would go away after a few kilometers of driving - only noticeable on cold days. Mini first diagnosed it to the rear sway bar end links (and replaced them), but as I drove off the lot the fault repeated. I took the service boss out for a ride and when I duplicated the fault, they went to the front sway bar bushings...

Problem solved for about a year so far...

I have winter rubber, Koni FSD shocks, and the sport suspension package...

Good luck!
E