R50/53 My MINI screamed at me!
5th Gear
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 781
Likes: 0
From: Goodbye Milwaukee, Hello Carson City, NV
Originally Posted by jdmarino
I think it's time for you all to break out the tinfoil hats.
..........#%$#^@#$! yourself! (smile)
Originally Posted by pgifford
Hi,
I was driving to work today, just cruising along at about 40mph or so, when suddenly from somewhere in the car came a loud piercing tone. It lasted a second or less. It startled the hell out of me. I checked all the gauges, warning lights, but there was no indication of any trouble. It was the kind of tone that if you heard it on an airplane you'd start strapping on a parachute. My ears are still ringing...that's how loud it was.
I don't have a cell phone, the radio was off. The only thing on in the car was my little Garmin i3, but that doesn't make any sort of noise like what I heard, and as I wasn't using it to navigate it was silent.
I had recently opened and closed the sunroof (I have a convertible) so I checked the sunroof. It was closed all the way.
I've read the manual and don't remember anything about a loud warning tone. Does anyone have any ideas what could have caused it?
Thanks,
Paul
I was driving to work today, just cruising along at about 40mph or so, when suddenly from somewhere in the car came a loud piercing tone. It lasted a second or less. It startled the hell out of me. I checked all the gauges, warning lights, but there was no indication of any trouble. It was the kind of tone that if you heard it on an airplane you'd start strapping on a parachute. My ears are still ringing...that's how loud it was.
I don't have a cell phone, the radio was off. The only thing on in the car was my little Garmin i3, but that doesn't make any sort of noise like what I heard, and as I wasn't using it to navigate it was silent.
I had recently opened and closed the sunroof (I have a convertible) so I checked the sunroof. It was closed all the way.
I've read the manual and don't remember anything about a loud warning tone. Does anyone have any ideas what could have caused it?
Thanks,
Paul
I have the H/K system in my car and the first couple times I had it happen the stereo was on but the screech only lasted about a second. The last time, the stereo was on when the screech started and didn't stop. When I shut the stereo off, the screech continued. I had to pull both the fuses for the stereo system to get it to quit. (Then had to put cotton in my BLEEDING EARS!!!!!!!!)
The culprit: bad H/K amp- - got it replaced, and no problems since.
For more info, check this thread: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=57020
Good luck and hope this helps!
4th Gear
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 480
Likes: 0
From: Portland, OR
This just happened to me with my week old mini. Electronic high pitched tone that was louder than my smoke alarms in my house. Glad it only lasted a second or so. My guess is that it is from the stereo like Mishka suggested. Interestingly, the volume on the stereo dropped just before it happened kind of like what it does when the nav is giving directions.
If I hadn't seen this thread before i heard it I would have pulled over and called for a tow truck
If I hadn't seen this thread before i heard it I would have pulled over and called for a tow truck
6th Gear
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 15,478
Likes: 2
Originally Posted by pgifford
No towers nearby. Exiting Rte 175 at Snowden River, for those who know Columbia. For those that don't there's shopping, offices, and homes in the area...no cell towers. There were no trucks on the ramp with me (it widens to 3 lanes).
3rd Gear
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 222
Likes: 0
From: San Jose, CA
Possibly related new noise.....
So this thread has been inactive for a little while. I'm assuming that the loud screeching noise pgifford mentioned has either not happened again or has been fixed (?). Anyway, I now have a new noise in the car that is intermittent and may be related to pgifford's afore mentioned loud screech. Every so often, within the last month, I get a VERY loud beep through my sound system: H/K with an ipod adapter and aux jack. So far the sound has occurred several times while the ipod was in use. The sound also appeared, twice, while playing a CD. Is anyone else experiencing the occurrence?
Thread Starter
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3rd Gear
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 211
Likes: 0
From: Near Baltimore, MD
Originally Posted by nethack
So this thread has been inactive for a little while. I'm assuming that the loud screeching noise pgifford mentioned has either not happened again or has been fixed (?).
Paul
4th Gear
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 411
Likes: 0
From: Tallahassee, FL
So this just happened to me the other day. Driving in Eastern Washington with my iPod playing on my retrofitted H/K system. No radar detector or alarm system. I did notice the volume of the stereo decrease before the noise and then increase back afterward. Scared me and Sarcux half to death. Fortunately, I'd read this thread before, otherwise I would probably still be freaking out. Anyone figured it out yet? I hope it's not a bad amp.
2nd Gear
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 149
Likes: 0
From: Tampa, FL
I had this happen to me a few weeks back, and I agree - I'm glad I had read this thread prior to it happening. It has only happened once. BUT, I have another weird electrical (I think) issue with my MINI. I have the Escort Passport 8500 Radar detector, and when I blow the horn the Laser goes off on the radar detector! (and scares the crap out of me)
Has anyone else had this problem? I'm not sure if it's a problem with the radar detector or a problem with the MINI....
Has anyone else had this problem? I'm not sure if it's a problem with the radar detector or a problem with the MINI....
6th Gear
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,146
Likes: 0
From: show me state
Originally Posted by ssimms
I admit this is a long shot but, I had the same thing happen in my 2003 Cooper w/o HK about 1 year ago. Only once but, it is frightening until I think I figured it out.
From what I found after pulling over and then the diligent wheels off inspection after I returned home, I think this is everyone's answer;
small piece of gravel between the rotor and the brake pad.
Yes, believe it or not, I found that my noise became a grind when I applied the brakes hard after hearing the noise and then suddenly disappeared as quickly as it had come on. So after calming my beating heart I thought this through and it mades sense. Upon my arrival home I removed both front wheels to inspect the rotor to discover an obvious, light but definite groove about mid pad on the left front.
Since I live in the foothills we get late snow storms and they gravel the stops signs and turrn areas near my house. I can only imagine that a small piece of gravel was bouncing on the road under my car and became lodged in the outboard pad of the left front caliper. As it turned sideways, being too large to roll through is perfectly made an imprint in the pad and the rotor as it "squeeled" to high heavan.
That's my story and I have never had a repeat although I probably need new brakes soon, so I will let you know if I found similar marks at replacement time.
For those of you with repeat experiences in the same vehicle could you remember if there was any obvious gravel on the road at the time?????
From what I found after pulling over and then the diligent wheels off inspection after I returned home, I think this is everyone's answer;
small piece of gravel between the rotor and the brake pad.
Yes, believe it or not, I found that my noise became a grind when I applied the brakes hard after hearing the noise and then suddenly disappeared as quickly as it had come on. So after calming my beating heart I thought this through and it mades sense. Upon my arrival home I removed both front wheels to inspect the rotor to discover an obvious, light but definite groove about mid pad on the left front.
Since I live in the foothills we get late snow storms and they gravel the stops signs and turrn areas near my house. I can only imagine that a small piece of gravel was bouncing on the road under my car and became lodged in the outboard pad of the left front caliper. As it turned sideways, being too large to roll through is perfectly made an imprint in the pad and the rotor as it "squeeled" to high heavan.
That's my story and I have never had a repeat although I probably need new brakes soon, so I will let you know if I found similar marks at replacement time.
For those of you with repeat experiences in the same vehicle could you remember if there was any obvious gravel on the road at the time?????
My husband thinks it was a rock caught up in the brakes...time will tell. But it was the scariest thing that's happened to me and my MINI ever!! It was a high pitched noise...almost like metal. I've driven with a bit of caution since then, but it's never happened again. I've even had it cked out and the dealer says everything is alright. I think our MINIs have minds of their own.
Had the screech today. Imagine sneaking up behind a bull moose, and grabbing his *****....HARD. Same kind of noise!
I do not have the HK system, just the standard stereo CD. It started at about 70 mph, and stopped when I backed off a little.
I'll be calling the dealer Wednesday.
I do not have the HK system, just the standard stereo CD. It started at about 70 mph, and stopped when I backed off a little.
I'll be calling the dealer Wednesday.
3rd Gear
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 224
Likes: 0
From: NorCal
Originally Posted by pgifford
Hi,
I was driving to work today, just cruising along at about 40mph or so, when suddenly from somewhere in the car came a loud piercing tone. It lasted a second or less. It startled the hell out of me. I checked all the gauges, warning lights, but there was no indication of any trouble. It was the kind of tone that if you heard it on an airplane you'd start strapping on a parachute. My ears are still ringing...that's how loud it was.
I don't have a cell phone, the radio was off. The only thing on in the car was my little Garmin i3, but that doesn't make any sort of noise like what I heard, and as I wasn't using it to navigate it was silent.
Thanks,
Paul
I was driving to work today, just cruising along at about 40mph or so, when suddenly from somewhere in the car came a loud piercing tone. It lasted a second or less. It startled the hell out of me. I checked all the gauges, warning lights, but there was no indication of any trouble. It was the kind of tone that if you heard it on an airplane you'd start strapping on a parachute. My ears are still ringing...that's how loud it was.
I don't have a cell phone, the radio was off. The only thing on in the car was my little Garmin i3, but that doesn't make any sort of noise like what I heard, and as I wasn't using it to navigate it was silent.
Thanks,
Paul
-
Cell phone free, that's me! No one is interrupting my open motoring!
Coordinator :: Metroplex MINI
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 162
Likes: 0
From: Dallas, TX
Originally Posted by boognish
I swear this happend in my '03 MINI last year, too. Startled the heck outta me. Do you have the HK system? Did the noise happen at slow speed, at about the same time the car automatically locks the doors? I often hear a nice loud thump/pop through the speakers in tandem with the doors automatically locking. But no, this sounds nothing like you described... however yes, I did have a similar experience hearing a short, sharp shrill that lasted only a second, maybe less... and it never happened again. Our cars are possessed, that's all there is to it.
Rock on,
-boognish
Rock on,
-boognish
I AM NOT ALONE! I too have the H/K (and LOVE IT) but have heard that shrill shriek a few times over the 14 months I've been driving April. I'm fairly deaf from 30 years of drumming/rock music, etcetera, but that sound made me wince. No question it's an audio issue and nothing else.
Jeeze Louise!
Jeeze Louise!
7th Gear Gal
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 36,087
Likes: 3
From: Weeblegabber West (aka WLA)
Originally Posted by Gromit801
Ok, here's a twist. The shriek from Gromit, is actually coming from the headliner area at the front.
Not even a week into MINI ownership and you have your first quirk! Hope it gets sorted out FAST!
4th Gear
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 366
Likes: 1
From: Winston-Salem, NC
I had the same thing happen just a couple of days after taking delivery. I heard it 2 different times, but haven't heard it since *knocks on wood*. I couldn't figure out what it was, but mine had similar symptoms... Volume dropped and then raised again after the beep, it was clearly electronic, I have H/K and was listening fairly loud.
I just figured BLISS was trying to get me to stop singing and leave it up to the artist. Hahaha!
Drew
I just figured BLISS was trying to get me to stop singing and leave it up to the artist. Hahaha!
Drew