I noticed an odd noise yesterday in my new 05 MCS. If I put the key into the "accessory" position (1st click), I hear a faint whirring noise coming from the radio-A/C area. The radio is off and the A/C is off. There's no disc in the CD player. I walked around the front and lifted the bonnet, and the sound doesn't seem to be coming from the engine compartment - it's definitely in the interior.

I have the Auto A/C. If I put my thumbs over the two little vent holes at the lower outside corners of the A/C panel, the sound changes pitch.

I understand that the vents are for the thermostatic temperature control. Is there a tiny little fan in there that draws air in through these vents? Could that be what I'm hearing? Is it normal for this to be on with the key in the accessory position and the A/C off?

 

Everything in the auto AC unit is servo-controlled, so it may just be the unit setting up in neutral position. The Mini has so many little electric motors in it it must put out a magnetic flux. I would not worry about it. I often hear little whirring noises from the dash at different times. Its either normal, or those little guys from "batteries not included......" Remember that the power steering is electric as well, and it may need to "power up."

 

I notice that with my manual A/C car, if I have the recirc button pressed, I hear a whirring sound when the car is turned on and off. I am assuming that the damper is controlled by a motor and goes back to the open position to allow ventilation while the car is parked. This happens even if the A/C is off so I'm guessing something similar may happen with the Auto.

 

Thanks for the replies, but this isn't a servo-thing. Bzzzhhht-click! It's continuous. Sat in the car and listened to the end of a book on CD that we'd started on a trip - maybe 15 minutes. Still whirring away.

Guess it's time to take it to my dealer?

 

Trip #1 and counting...

 

Well, I took Tillie in to the dealer this last week for several minor issues. One of the things I asked them to check was this whirring noise. And to answer the questions in my last paragraph above: yes, yes, and yes.

When I dropped off the car, my Service Advisor said that he hadn't heard the noise before. (It's faint enough that you need to close the doors and windows.) But when I came back to pick up the car, he said that he had checked some of the other 05s they had, and sure enough, they all made this noise.

There is a tiny little fan inside the Auto AC panel in the center console. The two little holes in the lower right and left corners of the panel are intake vents. The fan sucks air in through those vents into the panel for the temperature sensors. He said the fan comes on in the accessory position so that you get a more accurate reading right away when you start the car.

Still, it seems a little odd to me that the fan would be on in the accessory position, but, oh well... I'm just happy to know that this is "normal" and not a sign of anything weird going on!