Just started experiencing a high-pitched whine sound under certain conditions in my 2012 R60 All4 w/ manual with 12k miles. The sound is reminiscent of the sound fine crystal makes when you rub your finger on the lip.

I can replicate it best when the car is traveling between 40-60 MPH and the engine around 2-3K RPM. It doesn't matter which gear I'm in. If my foot is off the pedal, there is no sound. However, if I accelerate the sound starts, sort of like a resonance type of whining sound. It seems to be coming from the front/bottom of the car.

It's very annoying and starting to drive me crazy. I am afraid that it might be one of those problems where, if I take it in to MINI, they will not be able to hear what I'm hearing ("Sorry sir, we are not able to replicate the issue."), and I'll be stuck with this brain-melting shriek.

I figure that I describe the problem here first before I take it in.

 

Possibly a noisy high pressure fuel pump

 

Took it in.

Needs a new transfer case. Apparently there's a bulletin out on it. Clutch will be replaced as well.

Replacement case on the boat, none in the country, straight from Deutschland. Won't be in until mid-December.

 

Is the whine loud, after reading your post I to noticed this morning a whine type noise at app. 60-70 mph. It sounds like its coming from driver side and I only hear it when I accelerate. Mine is an All4 automatic.

 

Forgot to mention, it is a slight noise like if I have the radio turned up I can't hear it!

 

I was going to say Transfer case. I had the same issue twice in my 11 and once in the 12 MCS

 

It got progressively louder over the course of a few days. It got so loud on Wednesday that I had to call in. I took it in that night, and got the news this morning.

At first the radio could mask it, but in the last couple of days the high frequency took over.

I wonder what the underlying issue could be. I hope it's not going to be a repetitive issue. We shall see.

 

Hope they gave you a loaner till then

 

I have 11,000 on mine, first time heard the whine was on Tuesday. It is not all of the time and seems to kick in high 60's. I will stop at a light and it may not come back. A couple of lights latter it is back. I thought it was tires and was trying to figure out why itbwasn't consistent.

 

Yes, same model but 2013.

 

Sounds suspect. From the time I first heard the sound to where it drove me nuts to it being so loud was about a week.

It would only come on when I accelerated.

The guy did say the bulletin requires that the clutch be replaced. I assume it's the clutch-clutch, but does the transfer case have its own clutch too?

 

I had what sounds like a similar problem with my 2013 Paceman S, manual. 250 miles. They replaced the entire transmission & clutch. I took a (poorly done) video in case I wouldn't be able to demo the problem for the service tech. Was it a similar sound? Below is a snippet from a 45 second video; in the entire video, you can see the speedometer, hear shifts and acceleration and then around :35, the whine at constant speed kicks in.

 

In the 2012 the sound got loader as time went on. At first thought it might be my snow tires . Then I started to get vibrations in the gas pedal. I knew then it was the just like my 2011 cms transfer case issue.
Mini told me they found piece's of metal in it.
I hope Mini can fix this issue before it happens again.