Well my dealer called me and said they can't find anything wrong with the car. I talked to the tech that Saturday when my car made the noise. He knew what I was talking about and said they have a repair kit for the timing chain to bring it in. Now the service advisor is telling me everything is normal with the car and they will not do a repair untill they hear the noise. I said it has only happened once but it was alarmingly loud. Why must the deal play the game the customer must prove there is a problem before any repairs are made. Its a known problem.

 

I had sent them the three below, but now you could probably find a lot more, including on mini2 where there are reports of catastrophic engine failures....

http://www.motoringfile.com/2008/07/...al-fix-coming/
https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...hlight=chatter
http://www.r56mcs.com/

 

I noticed on MINI2 that somebody had posted a video complete with sound of their startup experience. There might even be a link at the start of this thread. Perhaps if you did the same, a couple of times, the dealer would be willing to do something then.

PS Nice bike

 

Thanks

I will try but my car has only made the noise one time so far. Maybe I will be lucky and that will be the last but I bet not.

 

Members over at MINI2 are reporting good results on version 3 of the chain tensioner. Its also going into engines in the factory starting Mar. 2009 (I don't have a specific date in March though).

Details:
PUMA measure number is 10686850-12. (released on 24/02/09)
The part number for the new tensioner is 11.31.7.598.956.

 

I hope soon we will have this settled with a TSB that we can all print and carry to the dealer and be like look fix this issue. We know it is real here is the TSB ok fix it even if i do not hear the noise it has the potional to happen so fix it.

 

Perihelion, that's a good bit of news! I have avoided doing anything about the cold start rattle up to now since I didn't want them pulling apart my engine if they didn't have a working solution. (and because I have learned to avoid the problem by not having any short runs with the engine) Do you have any idea how we could get a copy of the PUMA to read (and take to the dealer)?

Rich

 

Cooper S 6 speed
Build date: Sept. '08
Miles: 7200
Duration: 1 to 3 minutes
Frequency: about 4 times
RPM: idle to 2500
Ambient temp: between 50 and 70 F
Oil: factory fill and MINI 5W-30

First occured with less than 500 miles on car. All instances have occured after car sits overnight in level garage. Ambient temp doesn't seem to matter. Turning the car off for a couple of minutes doesn't eliminate the noise. Sounds like valvetrain clatter or diesel. Certainly not normal.

 

Cooper S Auto
Build date: Nov. '08 (born 11/06)
Miles: 3100
Duration: 1 to 3 minutes
Frequency: 4 times
RPM: idle to less than 2000
Ambient temp: below freezing
Oil: original factory oil

I let the engine idle for about a minute or so, then restart it. This has cleared up the issue for all but one instance (which required two restarts). Occurs on a flat surface, so uphill or downhill does not seem to apply here.

 

Clubman S Auto
Build date: July '08
Miles: 1st @ 10600
Duration: approx 1 minute
Frequency: 3 times
RPM: Idle up to ?
Ambient temp: 1st: +54 F, 2nd: +56 F, 3rd: ?
Oil: Factory Fill

All known occurances were when Felix was sitting on a level surface. Oil level full each time. Each time sounded as if no oil was present in the top end of the engine.

Took engine oil sample after 1st noted and came back with recommendation to change oil, before next scheduled service, to remove contaminants.


Taking sample printout to dealer to see if they'll change the oil under the maintance plan early. (Computer claims another 8k miles or July '09)

 

This may sound odd, but I just went in to have the OEM Alarm installed. The dealer ran a 6 hour software update (Covered by warranty), and since then, I haven't heard the dreaded cold start diesel sounds. It's also been snowing the last couple of days, so the conditions would be right to cause it. Maybe the software solved things...

Factory Cooper JCW
Build date: June 2008
Duration: 1 to 3 minutes
RPM: idle to less than 2000
Ambient temp: Below Freezing
Oil: Factory Oil

 

Six hours???? That's horrible........for a ECU update??? Unless it kept failing on them.......geez, that would suck.

 

Model: Cooper S 6 speed manual
Build Date: 7/1/08
Miles:6700
Duration:10 sec to a few minutes
Frequency: Every cold day
RPM range: idle
Ambient Temp: 30-50 F
Oil: Factory oil

This is me but I notice I don't always get a cold start if I park the car somewhere flat, I usually park on my driveway which has a down slope, my car facing down it.

 

Cooper Clubman S, Automatic
Build Date: October 2008
Miles: 3500
Duration: 1 minute
Frequency: has happend twice
RPM range: 1500-2000rpm
Ambient Temp: low 30's
Oil: Factory Fill, Castrol 5w-30, oil level full

The weather was cold and quite damp (Chicago in January!). The first time I had to stop/restart the car twice before it stopped, the second time, only once. I took it to the deal who inspected it and the logs, could see that the throttle faulted, but said it is a known issue with condensation in the throttle for which Mini has not yet dealt with, created a solution or a recall.

 

2007 MCS with 21K miles. Always from day one the car had this engine noise at start up which would go away after I'm guessing 10 minutes of driving.
Finally car is at the dealer for this and other issues and now I am driving the loaner 2009 MCS Clubman with 2,500 miles. I can definitely say that the 2009 Clubman doesn't have the engine noise at start up. It's quiet and works the way it's suppose to.
I hope they install the same new parts in my engine.

 

Model: R56 Cooper S
Build Date: Dec. 1 2008
Miles: 4060
Duration: First time ever today
Frequency: (times per month/week)
RPM range: All
Ambient Temp: 45
Oil: Factory Castrol Syntec

 

I had 'the rattle' today again. Interesting correlation, it came after I just washed Spike. Thinking back it's alway after I've washed the car . I'm not shooting water into the engine. The only thing I do however, is I will lift the bonnet (aka hood) let the water run off a bit, then wipe where it drips on the engine. Sometimes I don't even lift the bonnet. Hmmmm

Is that's what's causing my rattling?

 

Mine, too, is almost always after washing. I do not wash the engine either.

What I DO think washing has in common is either:

- I move the car a VERY SHORT distance, wash it and then back.. next crank, "the rattle"
- the car is sometimes parked on an incline (though not always)

Anything similar for you?

 

Spike's parked on a flat in my garage. I do start/stop him to get to the driveway for the wash then back. My old 318is used to have problems after starting/stopping/washing, but then it was 18 years old.

An interesting test would be to simply move the car the same distance, do the start/stop thing (without a wash), wait 1/2 an hour, move back into the garage and see if that triggers the rattle the next time.

I also happen to spray inside the wheelwells and maybe a bit underneath the car to get the road gunk off, but not directly under the engine compartment.

 

My MINI is going in on 03/31 for the above parts - also I should add my info:

Model: R56 Cooper S
Build Date: 10/1/2007
Miles: 13000
Duration: 2-5 minutes
Frequency: Winter is 5 out of 7 days per week while summer is only 2 out of 7
RPM range: All but particularly bad in the 1500-2500 range
Ambient Temp: -25F - 60F (yes I really has occurred in that big of a range)
Oil: Factory - Changed at dealer at 1 year mark

 

Yes, I have the exact same thing. I've had the engine rattle now probably 6 times, and 5 out of 6 times was after a car wash. I don't think it is related to the wash - it is more related to moving the car such a short distance and not letting the car warm up. I'm going to take the approach this weekend to rev the engine to 3000 RPMs and hit the off button per another posters suggestion that it works for him (on the other cold start rattle thread here).

 

Is this test a fix or just a way of temporarily addressing the problem? How long do you rev it @ 3000 RPMs?

 

You can find the post on this link:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...hatter-38.html

Post #945.

The author of the post (Sequence) makes it sound as if you just rev upto 3000 rpms and once there hit the off button. So far, he has never had the issue happen again. Might be a good work around until the final fix is available.

 

I'll have to give that a whirl next time I bath Spike

 

Ok, so I did a test:

• Started the car and moved it 10 feet (from garage to driveway)
• Left car in driveway for 45 minutes (simulating length of time to wash Spike). No wash actually occured and Spike was not injured during the exercise
• Started up the car and drove it 10 feet (back into garage)
• Started Spike the next day and he was rattling for the first mile from my place

This proves out the theory that water is not a contributing factor. The next test I want to do is the rev the engine to 3000 for a few seconds before shutting off. I do not feel comfortable simply shutting off the engine right at 3000 rpm however (as suggested in another thread). I'll rev Spike, then when the RPMs drop back down, I'll shut off the motor.