I just spent the last couple of days behind the wheel of a '12 JCW Coupe and was curious where the popping on deceleration was when I press the Sport button. My '11 MCS does it (and I love it), but it was mysteriously absent on the Coupe. Is this a JCW thing, or a Coupe thing, or did I just get a car built on a Friday?

 

Friday! Mine doesn't only pop and burble. It BANGS at times! It even happens sans sport button engaged on the upshift more often than I would've expected.

 

My 2011 JCW almost never popped or burbled until I took it in for the 15,000 mi. service a couple of weeks ago. Now it does it all the time at low speeds. Sounds stupid in a grocery store parking lot I think. Could really do without it. Maybe OK when driving agressively, but not all the time.

 

How many miles were on the Coupe? My factory 2012 JCW took about 200 km before the popping started and it progressively got louder/more frequent thereafter.

It also has a lot to do with weather and engine and exhaust temp and I am finding the gas you use as well (ethanol vs. no ethanol). Also depends on your driving style. I don't shift the same way all the time and different shifting, holding gears longer, being aggressive or throttle blipping can all make different sounds. Some days it is very quiet, other days I am getting huge pops, etc. I find the JCW has a lot of character but it is not consistently the same. Some days it wants to play, other times a little more subdued I guess - it probably depends more on the driver than the car...

 

I COULD NOT have said it better! best description I've read anywhere.

 

It's still on the cold side up here, but when I put my windows down, I can't hear the bobbles anymore. I have to keep my windows up in order to hear it from within the car. I'm curious if its audible from a bystanders perspective...

I want to be able to hear it...when I blip the throttle, decel bobbles, 1st to 2nd upshift backfire...I am contemplating deleting the resonator to increase the volume a bit but don't want a drone either...

 

I have read more than once that people who did the resonator delete did not get drone. Mind you I "read" that so take it for what it's worth. Either way a resonator delete isn't something that couldn't be reversed easily if you didn't like it.

The JCW resonator is huge compared to others I've seen. I've thought of doing this as well but I'm worried it will change the unique sound. Still might give it a go as it's the cheapest way to mod the exhaust in my opinion.

 

i know my jcw wont pop/burble until its warm (even in sport mode). but once it is warm it does p/b quite a bit.

 

My 09 was the same way.
A pop and burble here or there (more so on "Sport"), but nothing like after the 15k service.

They needed to reprogram because the drivers side window was having issues. (Didn't go down when the door opened).

May have been after the flash, or something with the service (though I can't see how an oil change would have caused it).

 

There has been talk about MINI removing the P&B from newer cars and if you bring in a MCS it may come out of service without P&B due to a re-flash.

I don't know if this is true or not especially as the JCW is supposed to have different flash settings from the MCS.

My JCW is a 2012 built in October 2011 so presumably it has a recent flash and I definitely have P&B noise.

Was running errands yesterday and today in mild weather and the exhaust was quite active. Especially noticeable today as it was warm enough to use the sunroof. The most enjoyable part being the drive home through my building's underground garage

 

My next service is due soon, plus I need to get in for the recall (she lives in the garage with a cover over her in the winter, which is why I haven't done that yet). I'll have to ask if a new flash will remove the P&B's, cause if so, I'll live with an outdated flash.

And +1 for the underground garage blasts. Best part about getting to work.

 

I have a 2010 JCW (May 2010 build). It was reflashed recently (December 2011) and still has plenty of P&B. Sport mode not required.

 

I have a 2012 with 3500 miles, but almost no burbles and pops so far. There have been a couple (literally), but it's far from frequent.

Sport is always on since 1200 miles.

Should I mention it at the 15K service?

 

Well everyone is gonna hate me here but I think the reason is the timing chain is stretched or the crank gear moved. There's a tsb about revised crank bolt torque.

Ray

 

I had a 2011 MCS and it P&B all the time given I shifted around 2000 rpm. My 2012 JCW Coupe didn't until I deleted the resonator. Don't worry about drone unless you do 90+ on a regular basis. Even then it's nothing compared to the droning of a V-8 with custom exhaust.

Another thought is that the JCWs are running the N16 and the newer MCS are the N18 with a different computer. The N18 P&B is a trick of altered timing as anything.

 

my 03/2012 build countryman s all4 does NOT p&b at all, sport button on or off

i also notice if on the instantaneous MPG screen, any throttle lift, even partial lift, results in instant MPG going to 99.9, i think that means the fuel injection is cutoff.

the p&b is unburned fuel thats burns in the exhaust system

if the injectors are off under throttle lift then there is no unburned fuel

just guessing here

scott

ps
i have tried throttle lift at 4,500 rpm in 2nd thru 5th gear, down to 2,000 rpm with no P&B
no p&b on upshift or downshift, either normal shifting or "agressive" shifting
no p&b with a throttle blip on shifting either

 

Funnily enough this was one of the reasons I didn't go for another JCW when choosing my Roadster but Cooper S instead.

In the UK, at least, the JCW Coupe/Roadster with the old N14 engine gurgles but does not pop. The Cooper S Coupe/Roadster (with new N18 engine) pops more than any MINI I've driven before - including my old R56 JCW with evolve downpipe mod. Also the ECU on the N18 Cooper S only allows it to pop in sport mode.

 

my 2010 JCW convertible does it, sport mode or not, if i lift my foot off the gas at low rpm most of the time. Just returned from a service and worried it is getting more and more frequent. I'll often get 3 farts each time!

I'm hoping they did something to reflash, and its not a symptom of something sinister

 

That is like that in all the minis. The injectors are off when you let off the throttle. Both my mini's did this.