Hello,

This is not my car, it's my friend's car. he is out of states for 3-4 month so I am keeping his car for a few months.
He left the car 2 days ago, and I moved it today morning.

First, I heard the timing chain rattle noise for at least 5 mins until the engine gets fully warmed up. The noise is pretty annoying. He replaced timing chain tensioner. Does this mean the timing chain is going south?
I do not hear any noise when the car is idling, but when it moves, it makes rattle noise.

Second, the engine malfunction light came on. It was yellow color. I checked the owner's manual, and it said that I need to take it to a shop and get checked. Does mini cooper s need a special OBDII code reader? or I can just use generic ones? Where is the OBDII code plug located?
I am going to call him later and ask about the check engine light to find out whether the light was on before or not.

Third, it seems like passenger side is leaking water from either sunroof or the seat belt mount. Is this a common problem? I checked the area visually, but I could not find anything wrong.
Any advice on this?

Any advice would be great. Thank you.

 

It does sound like the chain tensioner issue.
Is the car still under warranty?
If yes, run to the dealer to get the chain inspected - it may be stretched. If so, MINI will replace it on their dime (~$2K job).

You can read the error codes with any OBD2 tool, though some may not pick-up MINI specific error messages. If you have a tool - use it. The plug is under the dash next to your left knee area.

If not, most AutoZone and PepBoys shops (and independent mechanics!) will do it for you for free.
Dealer may attempt to charge 1 hour of labor for this.


I haven't personally had or heard about this issue before. Where exactly is the water collecting? Can you trace it's path?
The most likely culprits would be the passenger side window, door, and/or sunroof seals.


HTH,
a

 

Thank you for the reply.

It does not have warranty.... I guess he needs to fix this soon. How hard is replacing timing chain? How long can he drive like this?

I will use my OBDII reader on it. Lets see if it shows any error code.

I haven't really looked at the water leaking problem. The passenger side seat, and the floor get wet when rains. That's what my friend told me. I guess to trace the path, I need to water it and see where it leaks...
I will check this on weekends.

 

My 'universal' obd2 reader does not work with the Mini, so your results may vary. Timing chain replacement requires special tools, from what I can tell it's a big job. It sounds like he installed the longer tensioner? If he has the original, the car may still be covered by the recall but he will need to call with the VIN and swap it back in. Stretched chains are scary and it seems like any mileage can be catastrophic.

 

My friend said that the warranty is expired.
I guess he either sells it or replaces timing chain...when he comes back.
He installed newer tensioner, and I don't know whether it's longer than oem one?

 

Check if you (and your friend) are lucky and the car is covered by one of MINI USA's recalls: http://www.miniusa.com/content/miniu...rt/recall.html

Some claim that their timing chains and tensioners got covered.
Mine was replaced under warranty (chain was stretched beyond spec), yet my VIN is showing up as not covered by recall. Go figure.

a

 

It's not a recall per se, it's a 'campaign.' I don't have warranty either, but my car was still covered at 95k. 2nd owner. It's worth a couple phone calls.

 

Wow, that is good news. Thank you.
I'll tell my friend about it. I really hope his car is under the recall.