I have an 09 Clubman on order and live in Philly where it can be rather cold in the Winter. I have been reading the cold start threads but it seems most of the issues are occuring in models other than the Clubman S. I was just wondering if any Clubman S owners have been having any cold weather difficulties ?

Thanks in advance.

 

The Clubman S is mechanically identical to the other Cooper S cars. The engine (and indeed the entire front clip) is exactly the same as a non-Clubman Cooper S. So one would expect the same mechanical "issues," including that clattery noise when you start the car cold.

--Dan
Mach V

 

I test drove an 08 Clubman S on a cold night last November, and was sure I heard the clattering when the MA first brought it around. I didn't notice it when I dropped it back though...

 

I have had the cold start issues with my 08 Clubman S, so, yes, we have the same issues....look around a bit more, we're out there in those threads too!!

 

It is also noted on the non-s coopers and over on the the Peugeot forums.

 

thanks for the responses guys. i have been spending lots of time reading threads. there is alot of posts on this subject and they are starting to melt into one inside my brain. is there anyone with an 09 who can attest to these issues ?

 

There is a "Stock Problems" subforum under 2nd Generation Minis and the cold start thread is a sticky: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-database.html

(P.S.: the cold referred to is a cold engine, not the outside temp)

 

On the other hand, if you don't live in a cold climate you may never experience this problem.

 

I live in Ontario Canada and It can get cold. On some mornings my Clubman S will sound like a diesel when I first start it but after 5 minutes it smooths out.
Another issue I had was when I started the car on cold mornings it would surge while idling and the engine would go into a limp mode while driving. I took it in to be serviced and they explained that there was moisture in the idle vacuum line. The problem continued until after I filled up with gas again. The problem started after filling up at Shell with there V-Power Premium gas. After filling up at Sunoco with Ultra 94 and running some of that gas through it I have not had the problem since.
There are some examples of this problem on YouTube. Just do a search under Mini Cooper S Engine Idle Problems. I see one was just posted on the 28th of January.

 

After alot more reading all i can say is "good grief"

My pure excitement has certainly been tapered. I am trying not to worry or be concerned about a car that hasnt even been delivered yet but the posts on what appear to be serious issues with no fix in sight are a bit dis hearteing.

 

So, amusingdream, what color Clubman did you order? Packages?

 

Unfortunately these problems appear to be very real and affect owners living in very cold regions of the continent.

Tonight we are forecasted to get down to 37F here in Miami, FL For us this is "Polar" temperatures. We are nearly year round in the 80s and 90s with 100% humidity. I am not complaining Not having to use the A/C for several weeks now is a very welcome change.

But for us living down here, we will hardly get to experience this problem with the PSA engine.

 

Hot chocloate all over with black viper stripes and black wheels. i got lots of options, all the big ones.

Can someone out there try to make me feel good about it again ?

 

The problems are not that significant. If you live in the colder climate then get the Independent heating system (I have not got this yet but will for next year). Also make sure you get the best gas you can during the winter. The turbo's need high octane fuel. My experience with Shell I think was a fluke...Shell normally has decent fuel but this was a faily new station so there may have been moisture in the tanks, I am not sure. Sunoco has the highest octane (at least in Canada) so I try to use that. The quality of fuel in the U.S. is also better than ours, every time I make a trip down south my mpg increases after a couple of tanks of your fuel.
These problems are minor compaired to the fun you will have driving the Clubman. I got mine in early August and have 12,000km (7500mi) on it and still smiling everytime I push the start button.

 

where one lives does not make a diff, there are reports of folks in AZ and CA and TX having the cold start issue. It cuts across all climate lines.

 

dont bother with this, a block heater will not fix this problem. The problem, as noted by Tom on MichiganMini's forum, is the valve lashes are not receiving adequate oil at startup and are clashing into their shoes at a high velocity(making the noise). The best fix so far that anyone can do is to switch to 0w-30 oil (although noone has confirmed yet that this does not affect warrenty coverage). Also, as said before, this is not limited to cold areas of the continent, it just simply refers to a long period of time that the engine is sitting unused, hence the engine is cold at startup.
All said and done, keeping the RPMs below 2000 until the knocking goes away is what Tom recommends, and it should not be a big deal. BMW should have a fix soon, it seems as though they have started to acknowledge the problem.

 

Live in Springfield (yes...the one a few minutes from you)...if the Cold Start Problems you are talking about are the horrendous noises upon start-up which go away after a few minutes of warm-up...I get it too...2009 Clubman S...

 

Amusingdream,

I have a 2009 Clubman and it does have the cold start issue. Read all my posts over on the cold start thread in 2nd gen stock problems and issues.
Since my last post and about 1700 miles after the first time it happened to me, I can confirm that it does not happen anymore as long as I run the engine for at least 15 min each time it is started. I can't believe the people I read on here who state that they just let the engine run under this condition! I never did the 4 times it happened to me. I would shut engine down, wait a minute or so and restart and noise was much, much less, almost gone.

You will know if you have one predispositioned for the problem after about 1500 miles. Run the car for short periods (like to back out of garage to wash it and put back in garage) and then let it sit overnight. You will hear the death rattle on the next start.

If you do happen to get one, please report back on this thread and let us know how you feel after dropping that much cash on a car that sounds like it wants to come apart and you are SOL as far as Mini USA or your dealer working out a fix.

Good Luck,
George