Not sure if its cause of the recent change in temps but my 2008 miniS has a lot of noise coming from the engine bay up till 3k rpm or so then goes away. Also it threw a check engine code today which I believe was p0341. Any ideas where I should look first? I'd like to do the repair myself but no idea where to look, I don't think a bad cam sensor would cause this noise which is what the code is for.

 

* MINI DTC P0341 (0x2968) - Camshaft Position Sensor 'A' Performance (Bank 1)
* MINI DTC P0341 (0x2D9F) - Intake Camshaft Sensor: Signal Implausible

When you say 'a lot' of noise, where EXACTLY is it coming from?
Open the hood and pinpoint the location.
If it's coming from the timing chain area, have it accessed and repairs IMMEDIATELY!
If not dealt with quickly, the loose timing chain will eventually skip teeth on the camshafts and can serious ruin the internal components of the engine.

And it seems that the ECU is already seeing an issue with camshaft timing based on the fault code you provided.

- Erik

 

So what happened with the camshaft code? My 2008 S ~ 50k has this code as well. However, what I call dieseling at low RPM's was only when the car was cold. After about 2mi of driving it would nearly dissipate completely. I thought maybe adding an injector cleaner would help, so after [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][FONT=Verdana][SIZE=2]2 or 3 tanks with Mobile cleaner the problem was still there Plus the check engine indicator came on. I was only 1 mile from home, so I limped home and thought to check / clean my K&N air filter and have a look around. It was clean, but I noticed my coolant was very low... then I noticed my oil was very low as well. I topped off both and the dieseling went away as well as the check engine light.... Just wondering about the code... did it trigger the engine indicator, or did something else? Why didn't my oil light go on? It's been a long time since my oil was changed, why didn't that indicator trigger? Am I burning oil, there isn't any on the floor. I'll reset the code and see if it comes back. I'll also do a full oil/filter change this weekend.[/SIZE][/FONT][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]

 

You should be changing oil/filter every 5K miles. Use the correct oil and check your oil level at least once a week. I use Mobil 1 0W40 (approved by Mini) that I get at walmart for $24 for a 5 quart jug.

 

This is absolutely necessary. I understand that the engine can go 10k-15k miles, but please...change your oil every 5k. These engines will like you better for it.

 

Some mini's can BURN a quart of oil every 1000 miles OR MORE, and run fine...
So check you oil every couple of gas ups....
I hope you did not cook your motor....
But odd sounds...That went away when you added oil...ouch...
Low coolant....if the motor keeps running...might want to find the source of the leak...
Sorry to sound so harsh...but you are likely about to learn a very $$$ lesson about car ownership...

 

P.S.
It has been covered a million times...
The oil light is just a low PSI light...not a level light....
Go below 2 quarts low, and some real $$ dammage can occur...and contribute to timing chain issues....making repairs even more $$$$, possibly resulting in the need for a new motor...
And one more tip...
A k&n filter should not be overoiled....they should be cleaned every (depending on application) not more than 25,000-50,000 miles....overoiling after cleaning WILL cause sensor issues and codes...

 

One more tip....
Please look up carbon build-up....
In a gen2 direct injected mini..like yours...injector cleaner does not clean valves...it must be done manually...dieseling might be from a zero compression cylinder due to carbon buildup...or maybe from a timing chain issue from low oil....wow...

 

What does "dieseling" mean to Andrewwe? To me, it means that the engine continues to run after you turn the key off. This happened in old carbureted engines when there were spots in the combustion chamber (usually carbon deposits) that ignited the air-fuel mixture, even after the spark plugs were no longer firing.

Fuel-injected cars stop fuel from going in when the car is turned off, so that sort of "dieseling" would be very difficult to set up.

Do you mean that there was a loud rattle or clatter when the engine was running? If so, that was likely because you were so low on oil that the timing chain tensioner was no longer doing its job properly. This could have damaged (stretched) the chain, or broken one or more of the plastic chain guides. Hopefully not, because the noise did go away with the proper oil level, but it is possible. Search for "death rattle" on this BBS for the "worst that it could be"... :(