High pitched whine from engine at idle?

[Ian Venieri]

Originally Posted by brizio81

Have you got a part number for the updated ones?

Nice post Brizio. Here are the part numbers.

RMFD Water Pump: BMW 11 51 7 550 484 (changed twice)

Ribbed V-Belt: BMW 11 28 7 566 789

Friction Wheel: BMW 11 51 7 545 958

Friction Wheel: BMW 11 28 7 571 014

Parts installed in three service shop visits over a three week period.

Noise still present but after every intervention it changes its pitch, tone and loudness which is an indication that the parts exchanged are responsible for the noise. As per Brizio's post there are numerous such cases on the Eurospec cars which makes it all the more difficult to understand BMW's silence on the issue.

Last seen the car on August 12 at the dealership. The sales manager is now in negotiation with BMW North America and I hope that I may have something positive to report in the near future.

[chinq6t]

I picked up my car today from the 2nd visit. Parts had been replaced again and I haven't heard any thing yet. I think it might have actually been fixed this time..

[Ian Venieri]

Chinq, you seem to have gotten the same parts they installed in mine minus the second friction wheel and the water pump.

Please continue reporting. In each case the noise on mine came back after a hot 60 mile run.

[chinq6t]

I'll just keep driving regularly until it's confirmed!

[chinq6t]

It's back... I heard a little bit last night, then I heard a lot this morning. Time to schedule a 3rd visit next week..? I'm beginning to think about the lemon law now and what I can do about it.. a total of 4 repair attempts is required.. so I guess 2 more isn't so hard.

[Ian Venieri]

Originally Posted by chinq6t

It's back....

Having been there several times myself I know how you must feel.

If you are lucky enough to have an understanding and compassionate sales manager try to negotiate with him some resolution between lemonade and trade back. Have him go to bat for you as BMW NA will talk to him much more readily than they will communicate with you.

Best of luck to you and to the rest of us similarly afflicted going forward. Unfortunately BMW NA has taken the "ostrich head in the sand defense" on this one when they should have jumped on it and issued a service advisory.

I wonder if the 2009 cars will have the same problem.

[chinq6t]

I can live with the problem I suppose... but not without some type of compensation! I've read in another thread where the Mini owner was paid $5k and kept the vehicle. If I can work something out similar to that then no complaints there.

If you know though, which dealership would take care of me? Because I bought my Mini at dealership A, and since I live near dealership B I take it there for service.

[brizio81]

I'm posting from greek sea: Creete Island (Creta, I don't know what's the correct English for that...)

Thank You for posting back the serial number of the items changed!!!

Another question: the use of the Mini with this kind of sound may cause major damages to other parts? It's only a noise? What dealers said?


Thanks again, it would be useful if someone else will have this quirky issue (... that I noticed occurs to June and July cars)!!

regards

[Ian Venieri]

Originally Posted by brizio81

I'm posting from greek sea: Creete Island

The proud home of one Alexander Sarantos Tremoulis, the intrepid designer of the Tucker automobile. I was privileged to have met the great man and I teared when he died. Have a tsikoudia on his memory.

This interlude was good so as to put the spiritual child of another Greek designer, sir Alec Issigonis on hold for a moment. Had this grandfather of the present day Mini known how unruly his progeny is I'm sure he would have had more than a few choice words for BMW.

[steaming79]

well... the whine came back a few days ago. today was the worst.
even the guy next to me at the light, riding a motorcycle, was asking what that sound was.

not happy....

[checkercoop]

Originally Posted by steaming79

well... the whine came back a few days ago. today was the worst.
even the guy next to me at the light, riding a motorcycle, was asking what that sound was.

not happy....

Yeah mine has come back, but is now more a whine instead of the whistle...was at the dealer yesterday and they said its the water pump again

[chinq6t]

That sucks.. I cancelled my appointment becuase it went away. No problems any more. I brought it back twice. I was kinda hoping to lemon law it if it came back twice more.. Try finding some safe roadways and try that triple digit speeding. Might help..?

[mrmacboo]

Well this forum makes me very worried. Just developed the squeel noise on a hot day in Florida. I rev and it goes away. Have there been any reports from Mini on this?

Il talk to my Mini guy today and post anything of importance. Il get it into the dealership and have it fixed. Hopefully the noise stays away.
-Lemon law!?- Replacing a fatory JCW isnt going to be fun, Il have to wait forever.

[mrmacboo]

Oh yeah, mines an 09.

[phineascomehome]

Originally Posted by chinq6t

At idle there is a loud whine but gone when engine is revved. I read that an R53 member found it was a bad gasket from the intake manifold? Though it's not consistent. Sometimes it whines when engine is turned on, or has been driven and is parked. Sometimes nothing.

On my r56 it occurs in colder temperatures, though recently it started when it was in the 70's, and after about 20 minutes of driving. I also noticed (FINALLY A CLUE) that it would stop all together or in some cases just be less severe if i turn on the AC button on the climate control. I toggled between on and off and when off, the whine came loud and true, and on it almost instantly disappeared. I think with this i have a bit more to provide to my apathetic service folk. THough they will most likely inform me that they wont be able to replicate as usual

[checkercoop]

Originally Posted by phineascomehome

On my r56 it occurs in colder temperatures, though recently it started when it was in the 70's, and after about 20 minutes of driving. I also noticed (FINALLY A CLUE) that it would stop all together or in some cases just be less severe if i turn on the AC button on the climate control. I toggled between on and off and when off, the whine came loud and true, and on it almost instantly disappeared. I think with this i have a bit more to provide to my apathetic service folk. THough they will most likely inform me that they wont be able to replicate as usual

Does yours seem to be strongest after the car has warmed up? I know when I had it, by the time I was at the dealer it was warmed up and I left it running and had them come right out to hear it. I bet the AC part is because of the increased revs. I know mine would go away completely one the revs went past idle with no AC. The new whine mine has developed goes throughout the RPM band so its more annoying

[phineascomehome]

Originally Posted by checkercoop

Does yours seem to be strongest after the car has warmed up? I know when I had it, by the time I was at the dealer it was warmed up and I left it running and had them come right out to hear it. I bet the AC part is because of the increased revs. I know mine would go away completely one the revs went past idle with no AC. The new whine mine has developed goes throughout the RPM band so its more annoying

Yeah it is fine at first start, and really doesn't start until 20 minutes after. I also forgot to mention that it is at idle, if you even put a hair on the accelerator and make the rpm budge at all the noise goes away almost instantly. I am no master technician, nor am i even close to being a mechanic (though i can rebuild a law mower engine!), I do think it is either the pulley on the AC compressor or even the AC clutch. I decided to place a small amount of faith back into my local dealership and take it in next wednesday. This time, however, I will make it known that I will not be pushed around and that their job as Service advisors and technicians is to repair my ephing car, not to just change oil and tell customers that they cannot replicate things. I'll update the diagnosis (if they provide one). The plus is that i will have a new service advisor; the last one seemed to think that i was selling girlscout cookies or something.

[checkercoop]

Have them use their stethoscope thing to fine tune where it is. Honestly yours sounds like the water pump. Turning the AC on to make it go away is probably just happening because the AC increases the idle Revs. But you never know maybe it is the AC at fault.

[Swisskidd]

Has anybody had any final success with their repairs regarding WP Noise??
My '08 Clubman has developed the same behavior (@ idle, after 10 mile continues 60mph drive. But not everyday. Same sound during engine turn-off.) My nearest Dealer is 120 miles away, that's why I'm trying to cut the visits to a minimum.

[saturn]

Had mine changed some 11,000 miles ago, haven't been heard since. So far, so good!

[checkercoop]

Originally Posted by Swisskidd

Has anybody had any final success with their repairs regarding WP Noise??
My '08 Clubman has developed the same behavior (@ idle, after 10 mile continues 60mph drive. But not everyday. Same sound during engine turn-off.) My nearest Dealer is 120 miles away, that's why I'm trying to cut the visits to a minimum.

After 2 pumps mine has been quiet. I have a feeling its a design flaw in the pumps that does not affect all. Just got to keep going till you get a pump that does not do it unfortunately.

[chadtoolio]

We have had 2 do this in the shop on us....One of them was an 08 Clubman and the other was an 09 Clubman S. On both accounts, with the car running and wheel turned or removed at RF, pull the wheel well cover back to gain access to the belts/tensioners. Next step is to pull the release tongue on the waterpump tensioner as to release tension against the Wpump. What we noticed is that the tensioner kept spinning, the water pump slowed down and everytime it stopped the noise did too. Re-engage it and as soon as it starts to spin the squeel comes back. Both of ours have not had repeat issues. I know that the pump has not worked for some of you, but it has worked for us.

WARNING: perform the above diagnostic step at your own risk, we used long needle nose and in no way had our hands near any spinning belts while engine was running. In other words, If you stick your hands in there, they or your fingers could be ripped of of your body! Or possibly death!

Sorry to make this so graphic, but there are some stupid people out there...If you got offended, you may be one of those people! LOL

[kartking]

I am new to this problem.... My 09 JCW is starting to have the same noise.

If the problem isn't fixed, will there be any mechanical consequences?
The noise is intermittent, but it doesn't bother me that much right now.
I appreciate you guys' feedbacks!

THX

[checkercoop]

Originally Posted by kartking

I am new to this problem.... My 09 JCW is starting to have the same noise.

If the problem isn't fixed, will there be any mechanical consequences?
The noise is intermittent, but it doesn't bother me that much right now.
I appreciate you guys' feedbacks!

THX

I would say there is probably no extra mechanical wear on the car from the noise. I believe its just a design defect that causes the noise. But the noise is definitely something you want them to fix soon because you bought a brand new car yet it sounds like it has tons of miles on it. Thats what got me mad about mine when I have people asking what's wrong with my car. It only had a few thousand miles and was whistling like an old beater

[abbie01]

Mine whistled/whined for the first time yesterday, but not while idling. I was driving about 50mph when it started. Went on for a few miles, then stopped and hasn't occured since. Is this the same thing? Should I take it in? It's a 2008 MCS.