I'm new to the forum and Mini Coopers as well. I just bought a 2008 Mini Cooper S Clubman about 3 months ago with 77,000 miles. Love the car so far. Over the past 4 -5 day started getting the Death Rattle, even started losing power (felt like it went into limp mode a couple of times when I first started to drive it in the morning) then power came back after a few secs. After the engine warms up feels better and not as much rattle.

I just took off the Valve cover and the chain seems very tight, the plastic rails are all in place and not broke or missing.
So here is my question, should I try and replace the tension bolt first to see if that fixes it, or go ahead and change the entire timing chain? Also, anyone know if I can rent the Timing Chain Tool to lock the cam in place or do I have to buy a new one? Best place to purchase the parts from?

Thanks again for all the info on this site. I have a Ford 2006 6.0 F350 Super Duty and have done most of the work on that myself, so I am not afraid to get my hands dirty if this is something DIYers can do.

 

Cam Timing Tool - promini.com
Parts - ecstuning.com - pelicanparts.com - waymotorworks.com

Do a search on youtube and you will find several vids on how to replace the timing chain. With the timing tool is pretty straight forward.

 

If it's super cold, it may not be death rattle, but cold mini sounds. I changed my guide just as insurance

 

Yeah, I was thinking that if the tension bolt weakened it could cause some of the issue as well. I am going to change the timing chain just for insurance.

Thanks for your input. Appreciate it.

 

Keep us apprised

 

Thanks for the mention :

N14 Timing chain here: Videos and parts.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ce-please.html

 

Do the whole thing. You might as well while you're in there and have access to everything. We have the timing chain guide HERE, chains, guides, and bolts HERE. If you need anything or have questions feel free to shoot me a PM as I will be happy to help put together everything you will need for the job.

 

A video would shorten the list of possible causes, the death rattle is unmistakable to those that have heard it before and something I will never forget.

 

UPDATE.

Ok, so I replaced the tension bolt and also changed the oil for the first time and the car sounds awesome. No more rattle in the early morning.

However, I will say this, my ego took a hit. I'm not a mechanic however I can do most work with the correct instructions and direction and also maintain my own vehicles. Here is where I feel like a newbie, while changing out the tension bolt I took a look at the dipstick to check the oil and couldn't fine any on the stick. After multiple times checking (Like the oil was going to magically appear) I had a sinking feeling that the noise was due to a low oil condition. I changed the oil and it was black and extremely low , the filter was packed with black dark oil. Car was due for first oil change since I bought it from the dealer. Sticker on the window said I still had 1,000 miles to go.

Just wanted to share my experience. The rattling that I heard was similar to the death rattle (I'm assuming) and another clue was as I stated in my original post, the car going into Limp mode when I drove it the last 2 mornings before I parked it. Not sure timing chain would cause a loss of power intermittently.

The car is running fine and no rattling or Limp mode when driving. I don't believe I cause any major damage as everything is running and sounds good.

I'm guessing the dealer never changed the oil as it was that bad and the oil filter looked like it hadn't been changed in a couple of oil changes.

I know better

 

Yes, the guides wear from lack of lubrication and running low on engine oil. This can cause timing chain rattle at start up, noise when running and worse-case scenario a jumped timing engine. Definitely keep an eye on your oil level. It's a good habit to have.

BG makes some pretty good products that I use and would recommend if you think the vehicle didn't get oil changes frequently as it should have. You could do a 109 (Now called EPR) treatment and then add an MOA in with your oil change. Info on the products HERE.

 

thought the recall took care of these ?

 

By recall you mean Mini's own campaign which is not to be confused with a recall which is something entirely different.

 

The descriptions sound like snake oil — cures build-up, hangnail and the common cold! What's the benefit, and why would you run this additive in oil? How is it better than a good full synthetic oil? Thanks!

 

Coming from working at tuner shops that runs BG products, I've really come to love and appreciate the product specifically. I'm sure there are others out there, but I stick with BG. Since we sold the product at the shop I worked at we got to see the presentation that they put on about their products and their benefits. What I've personally learned is that a lot of oils are not up to protection standards now a day. For example, I'm not sure if you ever saw the bearing presentation that they do, but I thought I was getting the ultimate protection on my own motor from using a specific oil which consisted of a layer of Zinc and Molly protection, but came to find it still didn't hold up to the standards I thought it would. I was definitely disappointed. Basically, they put a dab of my oil on this ball that runs against a wheel that spins. He pushes down on it to the point where the ***** force stops the wheel from spinning. From doing this a few times the ball started to get a wear line. He then proceeded to add in the MOA and pushes down on it again, but the end result was not the same. The force he was applying did not stop it, not even once. I even tried. It even smoothed out the wear on the ball. The MOA adds that extra layer of protection all while protecting against wear and oil sludge build up. I have lots of other great stories about my experience and others experience with it in their engines over the years as well. More spec info on their MOA HERE as well.