I have an 03 R53 and notice a loud buzzing noise from the speedo when the key is on accessory - the dealer says its a fan???!!! Any clues?

 

Is this when you're first turning the car on? If so, watch the speedometer needle carefully next time you do it. If it vibrates along with the buzzing, it's probably time for a new battery. Low battery voltage at start up does strange things with the MINI electronics and this buzzing speedo can be indicative of a battery on the way out.

 

No it's not only when I start its anytime I turn the key to accessory!

 

I have the buzzing noise but its coming from the AC controller. Could it be yours is coming from the controller also?

 

It's definitely from the speedo!

 

Ours does the same thing. After I have been doing work to it, had radio on with key in accessory mode...next time we start it, strange buzzing from the speedo. It happens every time the key has been in accessory for a time. Just figured it was a MINI quirk.

 

Actually I just real used it is coming from the A/C thermostat dial??!!

 

Mine does this too. No idea what it is.

I also hear a buzzing when I open my door, after the car has been sitting. Anyone else hear it? It's fairly quiet, but there....

 

I just met a girl a few days ago with an '08 MCS and when she has the a/c on, there is a buzzing that comes from the speedo area. It is intermittent; it comes on for half a second, a few seconds of silence, and it will do it again, sometimes more often than others. The sound completely goes away without the a/c on. I'd really like to be able to give her a straight forward answer as to what it is. It sounds like there's a speaker mounted in the center of the dash playing this sound. I know there isn't, but it's annoying, and loud enough that I'm sure it's not just "what it's supposed to do".

 

That's sounds lucky,... You should buy a lottery ticket!

My a/c controller noise people mention is more like a very muted high pitched ring, can't hear it with the engine running.

I heard my gauges make a mechanical clicking sound once, as they bounced against their zero mark.... This was during the completion of a computer reset that I did once. -You could try a reset,.. See if it does anything,.....couldn't hurt

 

Offer my $0.02
I have experienced buzzing on other modern Speedos and gauge clusters that have turned out to be "stepper motors".
Almost all modern gauges and Speedos that have moving dials use 'Stepper Motors' to drive the indicating dials. They are usually reliable but can fail and make buzzing and clicking noises as the age.

I have to ask myself: "Why would a Speedo have a fan?"

 

I had this problem as well and found a fix for it. I don't have time to write up the procedure right now, but will post a solution here when I get time.

 

First I should say that this is only for those that have the AUTO AC controls, NOT for the manual controls. The manual controls do not have this part. Also, they changed the design sometime in the 2004 model year. The way you can tell if you have the control unit I am talking about is to look at the vents at the bottom of the unit. In the picture, the top one is the old style and the one I show how to fix below. The bottom one is the newer style and may be able to be fixed, but I have not done this style.


Mine was buzzing when I got it and I figured out how to fix it. I pulled it back apart just for this post to take pictures. If yours is like mine, the buzzing is coming from the temperature sensor fan. #2 below


On mine, it was jammed up with dust and nastiness. I pulled my sensor out and the first time just cleaned the unit out with a q-tip and cleaner, but it was still buzzing. To do this correctly, you may need to pull the sensor fan itself apart and completely clean it as I did the second time.

To fix it you need to pull out the sensor in one of two ways. You either need to take the dash apart and pull out the ac/heater control panel, or if you have small enough hands you can pull it out through this panel on the bottom of the instrument cluster. I don’t recommend pulling it from here unless you have had the dash apart and are familiar with the location of connectors behind there.


If you opt to pull it out through the panel here is a tip. I shined a light through the vent hole and lined the sensor up while pushing it in. You will need to rotate it while pushing until it seats correctly.


Once you have the control panel out remove the temperature sensor. Unplug it like so.


This is the sensor itself. Be careful not to damage it.


This is the side of the sensor unit.


Pull the o-ring off, and using a flat screwdriver push on the tabs to pry the back off.


Carefully bend the sensor back so it clears the casing when pulling everything out.


Using a flat screwdriver, push each of the orange rubber tabs toward the back of the unit in succession a little at a time. It may take a few pushes to get it moved back a little. If your screwdriver is small enough, you can push the motor out by inserting the screwdriver through the hole where the sensor is and push.


Clean off the impeller and around the motor. Also pull the impeller off (it comes right off) and lube the shaft with grease or spray.


Put everything back together in reverse order and again, be careful of the blue sensor when bending it back. Make sure the green circuit board is flipped the correct way otherwise you will need to pull it apart in order to be able to bend the sensor back correctly. Hopefully as was my case, you will now have quiet (at least from this fan).

 

It was pointed out to me that the images are not loading. I tried fixing them quickly before leaving for the day but was unsuccessful. Below is a link to the guide with working images until I can get the ones here working.

Interior Temperature Sensor Cleaning