2nd Gen R56 Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: Weird engine noise on morning startups?

A "croaking groaning sound" does not sound like a timing chain tensioner problem to me, people have gotten this into their heads and won't let go of it. it seems like if a car gets a flat tire it's somehow related to the timing chain tensioner!

You need to isolate the noise to figure out where it's coming from, if it only does it on really cold days it will be hard to do this, unless you get a real cold wave.

If you can leave it overnight at your dealer when you get a cold night then let them start it up like you do, they may be able to find it for you.

No way to know whether it's something catastrophic without knowing more what it is.

Does the sound follow engine rpms, or road speed? Does it change at all or is it always the same? Can you tell if it's coming from the engine compartment or inside the car, do you hear it on the left or the right?

 

Sounds like the timing chain tensioner. Gotta change the oil at least every 5000 miles.

 

"change the oil more often" is the most hilarious thing I've read since joining this forum. There have been MULTIPLE studies done showing that oil life far exceeds the recommended intervals. If an oil is rated to be changed every 7K miles, you shouldn't have to change it any more frequent than that(obviously keeping time in mind as well if your car sits a lot). As stated above, keep an eye on the oil LEVEL and CONDITION. Why people change their oil way more often than is needed with the way oils hold up these days is beyond me as it's simply money out the window for absolutely nothing.

 

Yes, but that's not the noise he said he heard, that was my point......

 

If it is the tensioner you should be able to get the dealer to perform a good will fix. Not sure if the 09's had the updated longer tensioner that replaced the shorter one on earlier models.

You don't have to change the oil every 5K miles. You DO need to check the oil every month even though your car is basically new as the S models run hot and go through oil. If your car is low on oil the chain will not get soaked in oil as quickly and you'll be more apt to hear the timing chain rattle noise.

 

:cornut: COLD START doesn't mean cold temperature. Cold Start means that the engine hasn't been running in 8-12hrs and all of the oil is drained down into the oil pan. The ambient temperature is NOT the criteria in the case of 'timing chain tensioner oiler' failure. It is the nonoiled tensioner 'clanging.' If it happens at 28f then it will happen at 80f.

Jason

 

Given the information, it could be anything. When droning is mentioned even if the car is not moving, the first thing that would come to my mind is exhaust.

Could be just the expansion and contraction of pipes.

But without more information on where the sound is coming from, if there are any mods on the car etc etc etc...it's hard to pinpoint on a forum with a four line description of the symptoms.