I'm trying to resolve a very annoying issue with my 2016 F56S. When aggressively passing someone or entering a freeway (as all MINI drivers do!) I am getting a very loud howling noise that sounds like this video I found on YouTube. Apparently I am not the only person it has happened to. Wondering if anyone on here has experienced this and found a resolution besides "don't drive so fast"....
hope this link works >>>>>>>

 

Good Lord! I have no idea what's causing that, but it definitely ain't right! I've had mine well in excess of 100mph more than once and never heard anything like that. I was gonna suggest turning up the SCV, but that wouldn't drown that noise out.

 

At first I thought a bad french horn player was in the back seat! I have sent it to my dealer rep and he's going to have service watch the video on Monday...

 

What the hell was that?!?! It sound like your playing the kazoo. It has to be bad/faulty weather stripping.

Do you have roof bars on?

 

No roof bars and I've set air to "recirc only" and lowered the windows a little when it does it. Sounds like its coming from the front but I'm baffled. This video is what my car sounds like...the first one I posted was one I found on another forum and no one was able to help that guy out yet either.

 

Sounds like you have one of these strapped to the roof or front bumper.

 

FWIW...I have heard a hum like that from a wheel bearing at highway speed. It was on my BMW 325is. I replaced the bearing and the hum was gone.

 

My local dealer is forwarding the video on to a factory engineer...they are scratching their heads as they have not heard of this before. Hopefully they will have a solution. The only mod I've done on the outside has been replacing hood scoop with an aftermarket carbon fiber scoop and adding a NM Power boost under the hood (which BTW, is how I discovered this harmonic issue 'cause it's hard to drive slow now!)

 

This would be my first guess for cause. The scoop is right out front in the high air flow area of the car. If its not secured just so, could very easily vibrate in the wind and cause a high pitched noise. Try swapping the OEM scoop back in and see what happens.

 

Just put a piece of duct tape over it. If the scoop is the problem, that will either stop the noise or change it enough to confirm if it’s the cause. Easier than swapping scoops back and forth before confirming the cause.

 

Just completed a 2,500 round trip to the Midwest from New Mexico. Had the same sound on portions of I 44 in Missouri. It appears to come from diamond cutting to road surface, especially on asphalt curves. Got the same noise, a couple of times, on new concrete portions where they smoothed the surface (not enough-worse roads in the country next to Oklahoma). Anyway, I have heard it before in other vehicles but the Mini sounds higher pitched, probably the wheel base. A semi passed me and their sound was worse. Probably ate the Pirellis and I'll have them checked this week. The roads in OK and MI were so bad, we took a different route home. Plus it cost over $35 to get through OK on US Interstates. What a joke.

 

I would tape off the gap between the hood and the scoop first and then tape over the entire scoop. I had a truck that you would get a vibration noise from the radio antenna at higher speeds but those sounds are more like air blowing over/through a slot per vetsvette's jug.

 

Sounds harmonic. It could be the on ramp road surface, if that is the only place it happens (diamond grooved). The antenna has a rubber seal(just took mine off), try a stubby one. You may want to change air pressure in tires and see if that changes anything. I just vinyl wrapped my car and had all of the trim off. Some of the plastic grill inserts (JCW exterior) do not fit very tight with the clips. I would check them and add a shim to the loose ones.

 

Are you sure it's areodynamic?

 

Whoa, where’s that coming from. What does that sound like with the windows rolled up?

 

The problem was a pressure valve in the head. I think the sound is pressure escaping through the oil filter.

It didn't have a reedy sound like the videos above.

 

It's not the scoop...still waiting to hear if the factory engineers can figure it out.

 

:Sounds like its time for tea party

 

Needed to have the windshield pulled and reinstalled with proper sealant. There was very little along the top of the windshield from the factory. The car is quiet again!!

 

Good to hear. Thanks for letting us know the final solution.