So, if you have read my intro post you will know that I am a new MINI owner and freaking love it! The only thing bad about it is the SPEED LIMIT! I have never been a constantly over the speed limit type but with the MINI it is so hard not to! It handles so well and feels as though I am going so much slower than my spedo says....anywhow...here is the question, and this is a strange one that I am not sure I will be able to explain very well, but it is worth a shot.

The car runs great, engine sounds like a MINI should. However, I noticed a weird sound coming from the back of the car and only when I have driven for a bit and am sitting in it after I turn it off.

OK, and I swear I am not going crazy here because my wife and at least 2 of my kids have heard it. It sounds like a tapping or knocking coming from the back somewhere. I cannot hear it outside of the car, only inside. It sounds like it is coming from the roof somewhere? When I first heard it, I thought it was maybe the antenna moving (as it was very windy that day). However, the more I have investigated, the less I think that is it. The tapping is not rhythmic, meaning there is no consistency to it. It is one tap every 5-10 seconds. I can make a similar sound by tapping on the roof from the inside. My wife and daughter seem to think it is someone I have in the trunk, but I swear I dont! lol

Today when I got home, I sat and it was clear as ever. I sat there for a minute to try to locate it. When I opened the door to sort of get halfway out of the car to listen if I could hear anything on the outside, the sound stopped and didn't start any longer.

So, my theory is that it is somehow related to pressure differences and is the roof "settling"?? Its not terribly loud or really worrisome, just unusual and quirky. I cant say if I hear it when sitting at a stoplight or sitting, idling; however, that might be because I have the radio on. Tomorrow, I will leave the radio off for a bit and sit somewhere for a minute in an effort to get closer to solving the mystery.

On that note, does ANYONE have any idea what I am referring to, what it is, or could be, and does it happen to any of you? Thanks!

Mike

 

My 2010 did that. It was the pressure in the fuel tank.

 

Interesting. I could believe that. And it sounds about right, although it has sounded more like it is coming from up a little higher as I had mentioned. Is this something that should be of concern? Did you do anything about it at all, or just deal with it and get used to it?

Mike

 

Yea, after a fill up or a change in temperature you can here it, like the expansion of plastic , my Gen 1 MINI does this more then my gen 2 , but normal. Its like a thud...thud...thud right after fill up. And sometimes down the road.

 

There's also the ticking sound of the exhaust system contracting as it cools down.
Or maybe some sighs of relief after being rode hard and put away wet.

 

+1 .. the tick,,,, tick,, tick of the cooling exhaust also. Great point.

 

I didn't sit in the car very often after turning it off and learned here that is was common, so I did nothing.

 

Thanks for the responses. While I am not sure exactly what it is - I was thinking exhaust, which it could be, but it is more of an actual knock than a tick at all. I will have to see if I can record it next time, just for fun . It sounds higher up in the car, like I mentioned I thought it was coming from the roof, but the sound very well may travel for sure. Either way, I wasn't really worried about it just curious as I have not heard it before in any other vehicle I had driven.

 

Post up a video if you can get it.

 

So a couple of updates...I was going to try to capture it on video, but it didn't do it at all! Some important 5hings to mention, I filled it up before I got home plus the weather was freaking gorgeous today so I had the Windows down which gets me no closer. I will eventually figure it out, if for nothing more than my sanity!

 

ok, yea it was so nice for that last couple days here !