I picked up my 2005 MCS two weeks ago from Mini of Fairfield in CT. I'm very happy with my MINI but, ever since I got it, the exhaust has been making a popping noise on deceleration. This is not a subtle pop by any means. It can be heard in the car with windows up, A/C and stereo on. Quite alarmed by this, I looked online and found a lot of posts saying that this noise is "normal" for the 2005s.

I however, do not think that this is a normal noise for a car with 600 miles on it to be making. And don't think it sounds sporty either as my service advisor, Brett at BMW of Darien, tried to convince me.

I compared my 2005 to two different 2004 MCSs owned by friends of mine, and their exhausts didn't have the slightest hint of a popping noise where as mine is quite loud.

While the MINI service advisor claims this is normal for 2005, the BMW half of the service representatives at the dealership do not. They spoke to MINI, and I have an appointment to have a 2004 exhaust system put in on Friday.

Can anyone think of any reason why I shouldn't have this done? They claim it will solve the problem and not effect performance.

Thanks,
Alex Scolnik

 

Ive heard nothing but great reviews on the 2005 exhaust...that it sounds much more aggressive. But if you dont like it, get rid of it. Throwing a 2004 on there couldnt hurt.

 

What makes the 05 exhaust different than the 04? Better yet, did they tell you why it's supposed to be normal to make that sound?

 

So let me get this straight you think the exhaust is too loud If thats the case maybe the MSC is not for you because your car is going to make a lot more noises to come in the form of rattles, squeak etc.......I have driven the 05 and think the exhaust sounds awesome!!

Good Luck!

 

I think the exhaust sounds terrible. It's turning a lot of heads when I pull into parking lots because of the loud popping.

It doesn't sound sporty at all, it just sounds like something is wrong. I was in a Ferrari 360 Modena with a sports exhaust. It had a low burble and sounded great. However, it had no popping like my MINI's exhaust does.

Also, I certainly hope the car doesn't start making lots of squeaks and rattles. I bought it to replace my 2001 Nissan Xterra with 60K miles, which had no stray rattles or squeaks after 4 years, and I thought the Germans were supposed to build a better car.

Alex

 

Do you have a lot of carbon deposits on your rear bumper? If so, I think
your ECU's set too rich for some reason. If that's the case, the 04
exhaust might still pop.

 

The exhaust has been tuned by MINI to sound more aggressive for 2005 - like you described. Personally I think it's fantastic sounding (as has everyone I know who's driven an '05) and think it's a huge upgrade. I'd recommend either trying to live with the sound until you like it or putting on someone's discarded '04 exhaust.

Keep in mind this is one of the noted improvements to the 2005 MCS.

 

I'm in CA, had my exhaust replaced @ about 4k miles with a Milltek cat-back. If you're interested, let me know.:smile:

 

I appreciate all the replys, but I don't think we've heard from anyone else who has regularly driven a 2005 for a couple of weeks. It may sound OK for fifteen minutes on a test drive, but believe me, it gets old real fast.

Thanks for the offer minismith, but the dealer is replacing it for free.

Alex

 

i've driven my 2005 mcs for close to 400 miles. it alarmed me at first, until i read some posts on nam from people saying they had similar sounds. i thought there was some backfiring going on, some deposits from transit or something.

anyway, it takes some getting used to. it reminds me a bit of some old rally video game i used to play, the lancer would gurgle and pop when you let up on the gas. i agree, the exhaust sound is a bit awkward when you're rolling through a parking lot, but it's awesome if you're pushing the car around some curves. i think it'll get even better after the odometer passes 1200.

is it true about the 2004 giving the same performance? wasn't the new exhaust part of the reason for the 05 performance gain?

 

This is completely normal on performance exhausts, you're hearing the popping as you close the throttle plate. Barely noticeable on most stock exhaust systems, when I upgraded my A4 it was right there and I loved the sound.

Perfectly normal, nothing to fret about.

 

That popping you're hearing is in fact engineered in. It is not only normal, it was designed to be that way. The MINI engineering team is trying to make the new MINI sound more like the vintage British roadsters and such from the 50's and 60's.

Personally I love it.

 

SCO:

I also just recently purchased a 2005 MCS from MINI of Fairfield County (Mid August) and noticed the popping sound the day I picked it up. I think I didn't notice it during the test drive be/c I had my girlfriend and the MA in the car with me and everyone was sweating so the Auto AC was on high. I never noticed the sound until I picked it up and drove it for a few miles to a nearby parking lot where I stopped to answer a cell phone call.

I called my MA the next day and he assured me his '05 MCS made the same sound. I was going to double-check with a MINI tech but after checking with some fellow NAMers, they said it was a normal sound for a supercharged engine to make. Personally, I like the sound. Especially if it is designed that way and there are no adverse effects to the engine or exhaust.

My MCS is a daily driver with ~2000 miles on it already. So far, I've noticed a very slight decrease in the popping. I have become accustomed to the sound so it does not seem strange to me anymore. I have not seen any ill-effects from it either.

I hope the replacement exhaust is to your liking.

~Paul

 

The service manager at BMW Darien, just called, and told me that since my car was in on Monday, he's had two more MINIs in complaining about the popping noise.

He said he spoke to MINI again, and this time, they said that they are aware of the problem, and are working on a software update to correct it. He said that the update should be available in the next week or two, and will hopefully correct the problem, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see...

Alex

 

If you think there is popping on the new 05 exhaust--DON'T, DON"T get an upgraded performance exhaust! I put 1,000 miles on my 05--just added a Magna Flow and talk about "Snap, Crackle, Pop"!! WOW !! With each shift--I really like it, but I admit to being an exhaustaholic. Nice low "rumble"/sweet!As far as loudness--I will cover under a separate thread. Actually not loud enough to scare anyone's kids. Nick

 

You are about to enter the smoke and mirrors game known as software updates. Beware!


Marty

 

I would also advise you to get as much information from this site and MINI2.com as you can as you deal with this problem and any other ones that might crop up-- I've been dealing with the service dept. at MoFC for over a year, and while I'll stop short of saying they are untrustworthy they are not the most forthright people I've ever met. Knowledge is power, and the various MINI sites can provide a lot of it. Be ready, and "check" the answers you are given to your questions.

 

Alex:

We've had our 2005 MCS for 1600 miles now and the popping is normal. And to us...it sounds AWESOME! It sounds very similar to our rallycar on deceleration. We love it. If it's not something you can live with, you might try looking for an alternate exhaust or possibly look at a Cooper.

One other issue might be a vacuum leak at the supercharger mouth. If yours has a leak, it might be dumping extra fuel in causing extra popping. If it pops 3-5 times on deceleration, it's probably fine. If it pops 7-10 times, you might have a vacuum leak. Keep in mind SOME popping is normal. It's your call whether you want to take it in.

 

dont mean to bring a post back from the dead but my 2005 is making the same exact sound. Its alarming to me at first, but after reading this...i guess its normal. My cousin has a 04 and i have a 05 and my car DEFINATELY is ALOT louder.

 

Mine does it too but it sounds killer, like mentioned before if you dont like the burble DONT DONT change the exhaust it will only get louder and more noticable ( and sound better )


I believe its in the way mini tuned the car for 05 and has absolutly nothing to do with the exhaust...at least not the rear portion of it.

 

My '05 does it as well. I love it. I hope BMW doesn't decide they need to "fix" it to avoid frightening people.

Mark

 

I am with you on that one Mark. The sound and LSD are my main reasons for considering a trade.

 

Are you kidding? I love the sound of my 05 exhaust. it is the main reason I don't want to change it for aftermarket!

 

I have to admit though right after we got the car my wife drove it to work and she came home telling me there might besomething wrong...its making a sound when you let off the gas.. Made me laugh.

 

My brothers R32 does the same sometimes.....I was concerned at first, but since SO many ppl have the same sound.... I just shrug it off now.

But, people are annoying me... "Dude your car is backfiring"....then i have to go into a story about how there are Car Forums, and everyone with a 05 has the same sound...lol. Then they look at me like