i just purchased my 05 MCS about two weeks ago, 57k miles on it and it started making this ticking sound yesterday. the sound seems to be either coming from the area by the intercooler or valve cover. might be a bit low, i suggest turning up your sound.
The audio is not very loud; sounds faintly like supercharger lobes knocking. Remove the belt, rotate the SC pulley by hand, if you don't feel anything "knocky", start the car with the belt off. If the knocking is gone, probably the SC failing. There are other possibilities, but begin diagnostics with the supercharger. Have you had someone press on the clutch pedal to see if the noise goes away?
In the video, as you moved closer to the fuel tank vent valve, its the black cylindrical doo-dad, to the left of the intake horn, the ticking increased. My '03 MCS ticking fuel tank vent valve (say that 10 times quickly) would tick loudly at idle, give it some revs, it would go but return when back to idle. This started after a few months in storage. After a good thrashing spring drive last year, the ticking was gone! One year later, car is in storage. Ran it for 15 - 20 minutes the other day. Damn ticking at idle is back!!! Again noise goes unless at idle. Difference is, this year I KNOW THE FIX, a good thrashing!!!! Add it to the possibilities, also a much cheaper fix.
the sound seems to be there throughout the rpm range. it might need a good thrashing but i'm too new to MINI's to know. Hopefully friday i find out it's nothing too major. i wouldnt think the MINI should have many issues at 57k but I could be wrong.
Took it to the dealer where I got it, Paul Miller Audi. The guy there thought the sound was normal because his 2.0T A4 makes the same sound. His suggestion was to take it to MINI and have them look at it. SO, I have an appointment Tuesday morning with Prestige MINI in Ramsey, NJ and they will take a look.
A good old fashioned Italian tune up is a good suggestion & as Nathan said big fun. My swag is the belt tenstioner....
Good luck. I bought my '06 in January, so I've been trying to get a baseline for how my MCS should sound. If the "ticky-ticky" noise is what I'm thinking, it's normal.... kinda sounds like a little diesel? FYI- my MINI was originally purchased at Prestige
Exactly! that's pretty accurate to the sound. the whole reason i was worried is because my last car made that sound then blew a rod
I figured out the problem! It was bad gas, 89 octane actually. I put 89 in due to a suggestion that I didn't need 91 or 93 and thats not true. I filled up Saturday with 93 and cycled it through and ticking is gone.
Don't you just love proving "those" people wrong if it didn't need it it wouldn't state that it needs it.