I've got 6000 miles on my MCS. I frequently drive with no music on, enjoying the engine sound. However, about a week ago, I started noticing a sound that reminds me of a distant or muffled helicopter, for lack of a better description.

It is sporadic, starting and stopping in 3 or 4 second intervals, typically above 30 MPH and not really while I'm accelerating hard, more so when I'm in 4th gear, and seems to occur more consistently when I've let off the gas pedal, but can also occur when accelerating at gradual paces above 30 MPH. The sound also is more pronounced when I'm braking and downshifting typically from 4th to 3rd to 2nd.

At first it sounded to me like it was coming from the back center to left side of the car, but I'm not so sure of that. Today as I listened even more closely and experimented with windows opened and closed, I'm convinced I can't decide whether its coming from the engine bay, underneath the car, or from the back of the car.

Car has been problem free to date, and I changed the oil at 5k.

Any thoughts or help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

What tires do you have? If they are the Dunlops, this is fairly normal for them. They are noisy buggers...

 

I do have the Dunlops. Would it be normal for this to kick in after 5 or 6k of wear? I thought it may be the tires at first, maybe even a defective one, but so tough to tell inside the car where the noise is coming from. Thanks.

 

I had Dunlops on my 06MCS and lived with them and the noise for 23K. I put BF Goodrich g FORCE non R?Fs on last week and now enjoy a little peace and quiet plus a better ride and handling. R/Fs suck!!!


06MCS/DS/B/Bbonnetstripes/Whalen8ballshiftmachine

 

Have you rotated your tires yet?

 

could it just be exhaust burble on MCS? if that's the case then its normal. quite unique to the R53.

 

Appreciate the replies. Yes, I rotated the dunlops at 5k. It's definitely not the exhaust, I have come to love that sound of both the backfire and gurgle/hiccup, though i did have to do some research on this board when i first heard, and then i understood it was natural for the mini.

If it is the tires, it can't be normal, there has to be something wrong with the tread or belt, because while they exuded a fairly loud hum previously, at least it was consistent and level. This sound is inconsistent and elevates to a much more obnoxious level when it does kick in. Does that resemble the problem others refer to with the "loudness" of the Dunlops?

Thanks.

 

To close this out and for others who may encounter a similar noise, it ended up being my left front baring, diagnosed and fixed by my local independent mechanic, not the mini dealer, only because i didn't have the time to drive it to the dealer. Thanks for the replies.

 

Isn't that part covered by the warranty or another one of those that fall on the "wear and tear" clause?

 

It may very well be, I just didn't have the time to drive it in to my mini dealer -- New Country Mini in Hartford, CT. Total opposite direction of all I do in life, and time is money. But it did approach my max threshold of dollar pain that would lead me to bring it back to the dealer and make the time.

Anyone out there by the way with experience with New Country's mini service? Thanks.

 

That would have been covered for sure....Too bad you live so far away.