i just got a 2004 mini cooper S a couple of weeks ago and i've noticed the fuel pump has a loud whine to it. u can't hear it in the car but i can definitly notice it from outside. this is my first mini cooper and i don't know if this common or if there is something wrong with the pump. the drives great and i haven't had any driveability issues with it. any insight into this would be helpful.

 

well you shouldn't be able to hear it at all when driving because the engine will drown it out. you should be able to hear it hum when you put the key in and turn it to acc. anyway it being loud is not good. if indeed it is the pump.

just another thing do you think you may be hearing the super charger whine and mistaking it for something else?

 

i can hear it prime when i turn the ignition on and once i start the car i can hear it running. the sound is coming from the back and not the front and the sound is the same as when u first turn the ignition on. u can hear it if ur standing near the driver side for sure.

 

I always hear my pump prime but I can't say I've stood outside the car with it running...I may see if I can hear mine with it running. Also, do you let your fuel go low? The fuel is what lubricates the pump...so if youre low it may not be getting sufficient lubrication.

 

right now i'm just above half a tank. i can't say before two weeks ago cause i just got the car and i don't know how well the previous owners took care of the car.

 

you MIGHT be hearing the PS pump....it is an electric pump too....
If you pop out the rear seat, that will gain you acess to the top of the fuel pump....so you can tell if it IS the noise you are hearing.

 

You could also take a video post it on youtube and link it here so we can get a better idea of the sound you're describing.

 

would the PS pump make noise when u first turn the key to the on position before starting up as well?

 

here is the link of the sound i'm hearing. the video was taking on the driver side right in front of the rear tire by the gas tank. http://youtu.be/I4cdgdBlcbM

 

Sounds like the fuel pump to me. I can't really tell if its abnormally loud because I've never hung around the gas tank area with the car running.

 

Also, the PS pump is a slightly higher pitched whine than that.

 

that is the only whine i hear when the key is put in the on position and the started. i really don't hear anything else when i walk around the car.

 

Do you hear it inside the car?

 

yeah, i can hear it inside the car, specially from the back seat.

 

Ive never noticed my fuel pump except when it primes. I suppose ill go do a little sound check on mine.

 

I got under my R53 (as well as one can with dumped coilovers) with it running and I can hear the fuel pump. I could not hear it at all inside, however, but my exhaust does have the one ball mod done to it and my VT mount adds a considerable bit of NVH at idle....so I think yours is probably fine. It does have to feed a forced induction engine after all...

 

ok, thank you for the feedback. :-)

 

hmm. well mine does not sound like that. just a quick question because i dont know do minis have two fuel pumps because the tank is split? if so maybe the pump on that side is failing. becasue there is two accses panels under the rear seat. and they both go to the tank. the drivers side just has wires going to it so i am going to assume that it is a pump and that it could be failing.