I have aquestion for you guru's, while I was on the phone with BMW Canada I asked them about service bulletin # SI M 21 01 05 which regards to the flywheel ratteling, right after she said that she said my car doesnt apply to that service bulletin because service bulletins are attached to the VIN numbers. So I asked her what model my car was she replied an RE33.

Now on the bulletin it states that R53 (which is a cooper s) with W11 (I have no idea what this means) and that under a customer complaint only will they replace the dual mass flywheel. Now I do have the ratteling, not all the time but I do hear it.

This is where I get lost my car is an RE33, which my guess is that its a Canadian Cooper S, compared to the USA Cooper S R53, so what that bulletin only applies to the states?

Essentially Im trying to get them into my transmission to diagnose the "chewbaccka" clutch and replace the faulty, be it the throw out bearing, or flywheel which is probably relating back to chebaccka.

 

Maybe the guys over on mini2 can answer this question about model numbers.
I thought Cooper S = R53 everywhere. Ask them what thier Cooper S model number is. So is she saying we only fix the messed up USA Cooper S R53 but we made the Canada version different so this TSB doesn't apply?
Sounds like "she" doesn't know what she's talking about to me.

In any event I want to thank you for posting this because just yesterday I took my MCS into the Dealer for what will probably be it's last warranty visit.
I had a couple of things to get fixed and they called and said they were going to keep it overnight to finnish. This morning I got in the new 06 MCSC loaner and started it on first spin and thought mine doesn't do that (cold start issue) and then I realized dang this is quiet, no rattle. So I called and left a message to have them look at that and check out the clutch rattle.
So they didn't call back today to come pick it up. I got home jumped on NAM and find your post about the exact TSB I need to get mine fixed. I have reported this to them since my first visit and was told " Oh it's normal" BS, BS, BS I hate to be lied to.
So i guess the clicking noise I hear on acceleration, that they tell me is the purge valve is also BS.
I'm going to press this issue.

 

Yeah Ive been pressing the issue of my clutch howling / roaring like chewbaccka for 15,000km and they keep routing it back to that it might be abuse / bs even though I have had all manual transmission cars none of which have ever had this problem. Im hoping that if I can get them to replace this part that I can at least get them in the transmission and "diagnose" the problem and not simply right it off and expense it to me.

I lowered the car and now the suspension creaks, do I complain about that? No because I know its from me lowering the suspension and its something I have to deal with. What Im worried about is that this a leased car and when the lease is at its end and I want to give the car back there going to jam me with a $2000 repair bill, even though this problem would have been documented for 2+ years.

One other thing if you want to view any other service bulletins just hop over to Alldata Service bulletins. Anything with an M in front of it is to do with MINI.

 

Anyone else had or having this problem???

 

Lots of us are still having the clutch howl, I know I still am. I don't know how widespread it is, but it certainly seems there is an unusually high number of people who have exhibited this problem. It appears to me they have some flaw in their manufacturing line to have so many reported issues, unless it's a design flaw. Either way, I figure I'll just live with it for now and when it comes time for me to sell/trade-in the car, I'll just have to hope the squeal doesn't hurt the value of the car too much.

GotMINI

 

The "RE33" is called the lead type, and refers to the transmission.
an R50 with lead type RC33 is a midlands 5-speed, RC34 is a CVT. An R53 lead type RE33 refers to the Getrag 6 speed (I do not know the code for an R53 auto)
SO, She did not know what she is talking about. BMW identifies VIN ranges for service bullitens based on returned warranty parts and the production codes that go with them. The system sometimes leaves out vehicles that can apply to the subject or benefit from the repair. My advise would be to try to duplicate the noise with a GOOD tech in car with you. Even if they can't claim it under the service bulletin, perhaps they will fix it for you if they experience it for themselves.
--Dan

P.S. You will find an RE33 sequence in the VIN #, show it to her!!!