I have a 2005 Mini Cooper S and when i turn sharply under 10 miles per hour, mostly into parking spaces or around corners it makes a loud rubbing sound. It sounds like the tires are rubbing on the inside of the wheel well. I have taken it into mini cooper 3 times and they say they hear the noise every time but have never been able to fix it. I even got all new tires and still no help. Has anybody had this problem and know what it is? thanks

 

Well you can check the tires to see if they will rub. Just turn your wheel all the way in one direction, and put your hand back there to feel if you have sufficiant clearance.

If you are stock, you should not have a problem like this. The dealership said they can not fix it?

 

If it's rubbing, you should see rub marks.
I know my Goodyear OEM tires make a grinding sound at low speeds. Did you get a new TYPE of tire, or just new tires?

 

Thanks for the help, I did turn the wheels and check with my hand and the tires are not rubbing anything i can feel. The noise does not happen unless the car is rolling under 15mph and turning at a pretty sharp angle like into a parking spot. The noise is quite loud in the cabin and the best i can descbride is is a loud moaning from the front of the car, or really it still sounds like a rubber wheen rubbing loudly on plastic. I dont know what else i can look for...also my wipers stopped working in a snow storm the other night so that was fun trying to drive home in...

 

My wife's 05 Cooper S has done that since we first got it - she was told by the dealership that the noise is "normal" and that all Mini's do that. I call B/S but it's my wife's car and its her baby - I will not tell her what to do with it.

But I know the noise that you are talking about - do you have the LSD (Limited Slip Diff) from the factory?

 

Could it be your hearing the power steering pump groaning? Its pretty loud, but only when your not cruising at 60(and then the wind noise and such is louder).

 

I have the same noise. I'm guessing that you have the Goodyear OEM Run-Flats. I'm also guessing that you have S-Lites.
One last guess. It happens when it rains.

I think that it is the rim-protector that is incorporated in the tire "rubbing" the wheel. I would check the pressure and see what happens.

 

It's the electric power steering and it's normal (unless REALLY loud). I know MINI addresses it in some owner manual or other literature they send you after you buy your car. Can't find it right now, but I'm sure it's been discussed at length here on NAM. Try searching for power steering groaning or something like that.

 

Thanks for all the replies, It was actually two things aparently. 1st Baron Mini in KC resurfaced the rims and installed the tires incorectly so they rubbed on the rims and went flat after about a hundred miles so i was very unhappy with that, 2nd they said it was bad trany fluid that they just replaced less than 400 miles ago. I dont hear the noise now but now im having electrical problems with the lights and wipers again so go figure, if its not one thing its always another.