2nd Gen R56 Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: Timing Chain Issues

How about someone doing a How To write up on this for the library. I'd be happy to help as would Steve. Just PM either one of us to get the ball rolling.

 

I'm here, no Dragon for us.

My take, MINI has so far fixed many issues, with many MINIs I have owned. Is the timing chain any different then the early Midlands trannies? Do doors that freeze shut so you can't get out of the car count? The exhaust tips were too long on the early 2nd Gens, burning peoples legs( way better legal thing to go after IMO.) My foam vent filter things were toast in 6 months, does that count?

I don't see this "poll" going anywhere, so let's keep it civil from this point on.

Mark

 

Well, exactly, what's the difference between this and any other warranty repair? And when does the warranty end?

The thing with the fuel pump is also a supplier issue, so in a way MINI is only acting as a conduit to get the suppplier's bad parts off the road, much like Ford dealers did when the Firestone tires started failing.

I feel for those who have had failures, it seems like most of them are going to be in used cars that have had the problem a while and no one took care of it, then the second owner comes along and bang, he's in for a big repair bill. (Edit: Reading between the lines - I think this is what happened to the OP and why he's doing this - to get his own car fixed cause he can't afford to fix it himself now - I feel for him if this is the case......)

I've been campaigning here and on other MINI forums, if you have a 2007 - 2009 Cooper S and haven't had the chain tensioner replaced, do so! Buy one and change it yourself if necessary - it's not an expensive part and it's not hard to do. This community is always ready to jump in and do all sorts of complicated and expensive mods, yet they don't do a simple, easy and inexpensive "mod" to prevent a major expense?

 

Unconfirmed reports has it that Justa Jim or David O. Is phantom posting again.... Or not ...

 

My questions to the OP were to try and get additional information - not to chop his head off as he says, and to point out that if he's going to do this he needs accurate info, because I guarandamntee you MINI's lawyers will have it. Interesting that he didn't answer any of my questions.....

There may have been 1500 "incidents, but that doesn't mean there were 1500 timing chain failures - that's part of my point. The one does not automatically preclude the other, nor does it guarantee it. You need accurate case by case info to pursue something like this, just quoting that over 2000 people have had "failures" without specifics won't cut it.

I am not an attorney (although one of my kids is) and I did not sleep at a Holiday Inn Express last night but over my long automotive career I've been involved in a few of these and I have a good inkling of what happens.

Maybe my use of the word ignorance in my first response was misplaced, perhaps what I should have used is naivete'....

However he may protest that he's just trying to help us get a fix for this problem, his comment about a "team of lawyers" indicates this is more a money grab than anything else - not necessarily by him, but it's there none the less. As TGS91 wrote, the ones who benefit most from these things are the lawyers, the participants will be lucky to get a $5 oil change voucher out of it.

IMHO, the right way to approach this is to get the NTSA involved so that it goes thru them and leave the lawyers out of it.

 

Nate's at the Dragon, let the mice play!!

 

The timing chain issue is a big probem in the U.K too. My R56 Cooper S is back in dealer's tomorrow after having full fix two weeks ago. O.K if in warranty but very expensive if warranty expired. I think BMW know the cars are at fault but don't want to go to the expense of a recall so make do with temporary fixes until cars have run out of warranty and hope people will go away. Have a look on U.K Mini sites concerning this issue and you might understand the frustration people have with these so-called quality cars.

 

Remind the dealer that parts replacements have a 2 year warranty.

Speak to the service manager in a nice calm manner and slip the words "goodwill repair" in the conversation.

 

^^^Agree....
It could be worse.... At least we got a dipstick, which they forgot on the BMW's....

 

You're mad that they didn't put a light on the dash to tell you when you're low on oil?

As compared to pulling the dipstick once in a while like everyone has done since cars were invented?

:confused5:

 

This is actually an interesting point, even tho it seems odd to some of us old timers, who are used to being more "involved" with our cars, I think it accurately reflects car buyers today. I think people today expect their car to be much like their computer, completely plug and play and if it needs something it should pop up an alert on the dash, otherwise it's just supposed to work.

This concept is probably as difficult for us old timers to accept as it is for younger folks to hear that they're supposed to look under the hood periodically.

Even as far back as the early 80's manufacturers talked about a "sealed engine compartment", tho at that time they were only expecting 100K before the car needed major service. Those intervals have been exceeded substantially.....

 

Took our 2011 MCS in for a rear taillight bulb replacement yesterday and they said there were 3 recalls, including the timing belt tensioner. They replaced it while we were there.

 

You're showing your ignorance of the situation.....I'm just suggesting you know your facts before spending money on a lawyer. Also, maybe a little time spent with spell-check?

it's not a manufacturing problem on the part of MINI, or even Peugeot who actually makes the engine. It's a parts problem by a supplier to Peugeot that's the real source of the trouble - at least in the early 2nd gen cars, the later cars that have had the tensioner back out are a direct result of something that happened in assembly at the engine factory - either an incompetent installer or a torque wrench that was set wrong, but by the time they found out it was a problem a number of cars had already been built and delivered, and since the problem doesn't show up right away but only with mileage how would they know which cars to recall? I think they've simply handled it as a service situation, since not even every car built in a series would have it.

I do agree that they should have been more pro-active, but I'm not sure how - do you change every tensioner when only a few are at fault?

Is your car one of the early ones where the tensioner failed or one of those later ones that had the tensioner back out?

True enough tho, it does seem like they're doing huge recalls over increasingly smaller numbers of problems.....

What kind of a fix are you campaigning for? They replaced the tensioner in my car at 3K miles, I haven't heard a peep out of it since and I'm now over 30K. What more should they do?

A warranty extension might benefit some of those early 2nd gen cars, but I wonder if 100K would do it? And what about 2nd or 3rd owners or cars that don't have a service history?

What other forums is the thread on, and how will you know that you're not getting duplicates from owners who use different screennames on different forums?

 

Thanks Dave, Well Said

 

Ok, that wasn't quite necessary....

 

I had the issue, please don't count me as part of your class action, MINI fixed it under warranty. No issue

Only people who are gonna benefit from your actions are the lawyers

Sorry, not interested

Calling us a55holes certainly doesn't help your case (yes your pre-edited response got out)