Engine Drivetrain 2nd Gen S Most liked posts in thread: Duplicating the cold-start chatter

Anecdotal evidence also points to parking on an angle with the front of the car lower than the back as a method of getting the dreaded cold start rattle to rear it's noisy head.

 

And changing the tensioner cures it completely for almost anyone who's done it......so why not just fix the problem?

 

Tell the dealer it makes the noise, there is a service bulletin out on it. If they won't fix it, take it up with MINI. It's quick easy money for the service dept. Fools for not doing itut:

Mark

 

I'm with Lotsie on this, I can't believe any dealer would still be hassling people over this noise, since it's so well documented.

FWIW, when my car made the noise, it did it under the exact same conditions posted by Rixter. I moved it out of the garage, then later that day drove it and it made it from start up, although when I revved it up it immediately went away. So, even tho they didn't hear it, my dealer changed as soon as I asked for it......

 

I solved that problem by just filming every start for a month with my iPhone, warm or cold. Then I imported all the clips on to my computer, and compiled them into a DVD with titles before each clip, that noted wether it was warm or cold, and the date.

When filming each start, I let the camera linger on the date and time display in the car, then after starting the car, moved the camera to the milage display. Each clip was about 20 seconds long.

I am sure it was the most boring footage ever, but it got the job done. I gave the dealer the DVD with all the starts, and they repaired my MINI and got it back to me within 24 hours.

Now, I'm sure any cheap or bundled movie editor can do something like what I did, and any modern smartphone can take the footage. If you don't have a smartphone or a video camera, you probably have a digital camera that can take movies. Or borrow one - someone you know has something you can use.

Even if you can't make a DVD, you can upload to YouTube, make it a private video and give the dealer the URL - just add some footage to prove it's you and your car.

It's the 21st Century and we have the tools to document anything. Better to use them to get your beloved MINI fixed than to upload yet another cat video!

 

How long ago was that?

My question is if dealers are still wanting documentation at this point before they do the work?

Seems to me given how much publicity has gone on about this that they'd be glad to simply replace the tensioner to cure the problem....I'm sure there are some dealers (like mine - Baron in KC) who are more customer oriented than others, but by now I'd think they'd all understand how important this is.

Are people still encountering resistance at the dealer when/if they go in for this problem?

 

I did this in March, but I doubt that my MINI dealer would have given me issues if I hadn't. I decided to go to that extreme largely due to reports online that some dealers were resisting doing the repair, and because my issue was intermittent.

I repair computers for a living and the worst thing a customer can tell me is that an issue is intermittent. Knowing that intermittent issues can be headaches, I did what I wish my customers would do, and documented everything.

Perhaps it was unnecessary, but it really wasn't that difficult to do.

I offer the advice as useful for any intermittent issue, or situational specific problem. "It only happens if I turn right at exactly 34 mph on cloudy days" would be a good one to have your passenger film for you, for example.

These days I think that there's no good reason not to record any kind of weird intermittent thing that you need repaired so that your technician / mechanic / plumber / etc can see exactly what you're seeing.

 

There are dealers out there that are not as customer centric and require first hand proof of any issue before they will initiate a repair under warranty. Often times these dealers were once quite free wheeling with repairs on MINIs dime but subsequently been reigned in. They now go the complete opposite way and want you to rub your tummy, pat your head and hop on one leg before they will do anything.

 

See, that's what I was wondering.....if they were giving people a hard time on this.

I agree with Zapski, documenting problems in a way the tech can understand is a gold mine for getting weird, intermittant or unusual problems fixed.

I run a mfg plant and when our night shift has problems, it means an hour's drive for me at all hours of the night, because the supervisors, operators and general employees do not speak "tech", or even English! All they can tell me is "it no work".....sometimes it's as easy as flipping a switch or changing a fuse to fix something, but they're simply of no help. I used to have remote access to our security cameras and sometimes I could diagnose and even direct repairs remotely, but our company shut that off due to "security concerns", whatever that means....

 

Chickens only work on audio issues. For this you need to bleed a pig.

Mark

 

does anyone have a video or sound clip of this they can post?

 

Here are a few...

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ6cbW_DRY4]mini cold start chatter - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x04c96UlGgU]R56 MCS Mini Cooper S Cold Start Engine Noise - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOhtSoEe6Ww]R56 Mini Cooper S Engine Noise When Cold - Morning Start - YouTube[/ame]

 

Sounds just like a diesel.....
Mine didn't sound like this at all, as a mater of fact it sounded "normal". I asked the dealer to look into it, which they did and replaced it without any argument what so ever. I think they pretty much know about the problem and take care of it if you bring it up. Of course mine was still under warranty.

But even if your warranty has expired, it was a quick change out so it can't cost much. mine was done within 45 minutes and that included a oil change with new filter and also a cabin filter change as well.

I'll bet the mechanic had the tensioner changed out in 15 - 20 minutes max. and I think the part cost was something like $45.00 or so. Get it dealt with now if you have the old tensioner, because when they fail they can really cost you some big $$$$$.

 

Yep sounds like the diesel I drive 5 days a week.

That is an ugly noise emanating from that engine for sure. I'd carp my pants if my engine sounded like that. We are lucky here in central Ohio our local dealer is a good one & takes care of warranty work with no fuss.

Has that sound been banished from the R56 with the release of the 2011 models? I'd like to buy a new MCS, but do not want to be faced with a bucket of bolts engine after the warranty has expired. If I changed cars every couple of years it would not be a problem, but I tend to keep cars a long time & pile the miles on.

 

Chuck, why are you putting these things in your pants????

 

Don't knock it if ya ain't tried it..... rrr: