1st Gen R53 Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: [Help] Unknown Engine Bay Whistle

  1. BruceK

    BruceK Active Member

    Feb 24, 2015
    401
    215
    43
    Texas
    Ratings:
    +215 / 0 / -0
    #4 BruceK, Dec 17, 2015
    Does this sound similar? This is the noise my '02 Cooper S engine made about 3 years ago when I had a maddening whistle/tone. (apologies for the vertical video, I was intent on recording sound, not concerned with images when I took it).

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6PgZkUPlejc

    I could get the noise to change tone by gently pulling/pushing on the flexible parts of the intake tract. So I narrowed it down to a component or a joint before the hard-mounted supercharger. After many, many hours spent digging for the source, (and that involved putting the car into service mode) I finally found it was at tab on the little green gasket that where the plastic intake tract joins the bottom of the supercharger housing. The tab was accidently folded back when reassembled after supercharger maintenance months before, and the noise didn't appear until ambient temperatures got warmer in the Springtime. I put a new gasket in and that solved the problem.

    [​IMG]
     
  2. BlimeyCabrio

    BlimeyCabrio Oscar Goldman of MINIs
    Lifetime Supporter

    May 4, 2009
    3,532
    2,896
    113
    Professional Facilitator and Alignment Consultant
    Holly Springs, NC
    Ratings:
    +2,896 / 0 / -0
    #2 BlimeyCabrio, Dec 13, 2015
    The sound I'm hearing sounds more like a high pitched whine, than a whistle.

    While I know you said you just changed them, I suspect a bad idler pulley. Or the bearing may be adjusted too tightly.
     
  3. Firebro17

    Firebro17 Dazed, but not Confused
    Lifetime Supporter

    Sep 18, 2010
    7,820
    3,327
    113
    Retired CAL FIRE Battalion Chief
    The Great Irrigated Desert of Central CA
    Ratings:
    +3,328 / 0 / -0
    #6 Firebro17, Dec 17, 2015
    Been there and done that Bruce. That's a great bit of info you just shared.
     
  4. melvinyip

    melvinyip New Member

    Apr 26, 2015
    19
    3
    0
    Ratings:
    +3 / 0 / -0
    #3 melvinyip, Dec 17, 2015
    Thanks for the tip blimey. It sounded almost like a pulley spinning and grinding making the whining noise. More prominent when cold, and increases with revs. Idler pulley replaced barely over a month ago. The noise seems to be coming from the supercharger pulley though. I'm on 17% reduction WMW pulley
     
  5. BruceK

    BruceK Active Member

    Feb 24, 2015
    401
    215
    43
    Texas
    Ratings:
    +215 / 0 / -0
    #5 BruceK, Dec 17, 2015
    (deleted duplicate post)
     
  6. melvinyip

    melvinyip New Member

    Apr 26, 2015
    19
    3
    0
    Ratings:
    +3 / 0 / -0
    #7 melvinyip, Dec 27, 2015
    Thanks for the tip bruce! I'll check it out.
     
  7. melvinyip

    melvinyip New Member

    Apr 26, 2015
    19
    3
    0
    Ratings:
    +3 / 0 / -0
    #8 melvinyip, Jan 18, 2016
    I can't seem to locate the noise exact position. But I am pretty sure it's coming from the pulley area. Not the intake / Waterpump side
    Here's another clip
    [ame="http://youtu.be/_ETkwv1WzAQ"]http://youtu.be/_ETkwv1WzAQ[/ame]
     
  8. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
    Staff Member Articles Moderator Supporting Member

    Jul 31, 2009
    11,305
    6,277
    113
    Male
    Ratings:
    +8,070 / 10 / -3
    #9 MCS02, Jan 18, 2016
    My Mini has always done that. Great something els to hunt down.
     
  9. nkfry

    nkfry New Member
    Motoring Alliance Sponsor

    Aug 12, 2013
    93
    147
    0
    MINI Specialist at Detroit Tuned
    Roseville, MI
    Ratings:
    +147 / 0 / -0
    #10 nkfry, Jan 18, 2016
    Why did you rebuild the SC snout Melvin? And how did you go about doing so?

    If you aren't getting any air leaks from the intake tract and you have ruled out the idler pulley& tensioner, I would suspect something going on with the snout rebuild.