I have noticed this this past couple weeks...after driving for a little while (especially if i rev the engine or drive spirited) my engine will make a subtle whistle at idle...its like a small screech/whistle...after i have drivin and i stop somewhere, I can sometimes hear it...sometimes pressing or releasing the brakes will stop or start it (it makes the engine work and change itself so the noise will come or go)

Is this normal? or is this a not so good problem that I should have checked out? I only have 4200 miles on the engine

Thank you

 

Hey Coop-

I've seen a number posts on this issue in other threads, and it may be related to your water pump. Check the coolant level in your overflow tank to be sure it's not low (mine was). My dealer says they've had a few failures recently with '07s. Hope this helps!

 

Actually mine is at the max...it was just in to have the coolant system checked for leaks because it was low...maybe the messed with something and started it?

 

Some of the 07 Minis across the pond had this problem of a whistle/ whine and it was due to the alternator.

 

here is the audio from it happening tonight...the engine wasn't warm enough, so I had to rev it a little, but I don't go over 3000 rpm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb4k1lwidL8


At first its at the cabin (hood open) then I put the phone right next to the engine against the seal and the hood bumper. When the engine has heated up enough the engine will do that repeatedly without reving like it does on the lest part where it goes on and off as the ECU controls the idle

Oh and you can also notice at the very end when I shut off the engine this whistle can be heard

 

Interesting sound . Its got to be one of the components on the belt drive ! ----- alternator, water pump clutch , belt/tensioner. Probably the water pump friction drive

 

Do you think its anything I have to worry about until it goes in for service? Im planning on a 170 mile round trip tomorrow I just hope its nothing to worry about for that...i think its just an issue at idle i dont think I have to worry, but let me know if i should haha

 

personally, I dont think you have to worry too much, like you said---it only happens at idle. Let us know what the dealer finds when youtake it in.

 

will do oh and I skipped the trip today

So heres another problem that developed tonight

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQIp-JEXg3E
turn up the volume its kinda quiet...this is engine off and bonnet open

I noticed it when parking and putting it into gear...it makes this noise every time I let out the clutch now even in neutral...it happens at the top of the travel (last portion before fully off clutch) (plus I can feel it in the pedal)...im sooo glad I go in tuesday

Anyone have any ideas?

 

Unfortunately with my luck the engine whistle just would not come up The tech and I took it for a drive a few times, then he did the work that was also on the list, then I took it out once more to see if I could get the whistle but no luck.
It kinda sounds like the whistle is replaced with a rougher sound, but I honestly don't know...the cars still brand new so I'll just wait and see what happens with time

the clutch sound:
They think it has something to do with the contact with the throwout bearing. They aren't a hundred percent sure, but they can hear and feel the clicking as well, but they can't do anything under warrantee because it functions properly...so i guess i have to wait and see what happens with that

 

well of course the whistle came back tonight

I think it has to do with outside temperature as well...it was warm today, but we just had a cold front this evening and that could be it..or humidity cuz it was dry today and it is raining now

Anyways I'll just wait for a cold day when I hear it and take it down there, they said to just come down when i hear it no appointment needed

 

omg now its driving me nuts...the cold seems to make it a consistent whistle and at every stoplight...im going in tomorrow morning and it better still show up haha

 

Ok so thankfully the whistle occurred at the dealer and they got their stethoscope out and confirmed it's coming from the water pump...they placed it on order and should be in in about 3 days...so within the next week or 2 it will be replaced and I'll post if it fixed the problem

 

That's great news! Well sort of, you know what I mean. Glad they are taking care of it. Thanks for the threads and sound clips of this.

 

Haha i know what you mean I had a smile when I arrived and it whistling haha
He was laughing too cuz we were trying hard tue to get it to happen, but today it just did it the entire time idling....i really think the cold amplifies it because it was in the 70s-80s tue when it wouldnt happen, and yesterday and today its been in the 50s-60s and it happens at every idle after warm up

 

So I have my appointment to have the water pump replaced with the "New" water pump Tue 18th. I use new loosely because they just sent me the sheet that says my part is in and it's a remanufactured water pump I really don't feel that good about that, especially since they are putting old, used parts on my new MINI....only has 5200 miles

 

Well now I have a used water pump and an engine that still whistles haha...I'm just going to give it time and see what happens...i think as long as it doesn't continue throughout the summer then I will wait for winter for the colder weather to bring the whistle back. Then I will take it in

 

Hey, Mine is an 07 MC, with ~3700 miles on it, and it just recently started making that noise. I take it in for service this week, I hope it is easily resolved. I hate having weird sounds coming from a brand new car.

 

Same here I've taken it in for rattles inside and a few other things and somethings I feel like a hypochondriac for my car haha I just get worried when I hear things because it's new, but then I just have to realize that the car is covered for a long time, these things are quite sturdy, and if something is wrong now it will show up later still under warrantee...tho I'll still take it in now if I have to haha

Let me know what happens when you take it in and what they find it to be. I know I really thought it was my water pump, but the whistle did change a little and it used to do a dying down whistle when shutting off the engine, but now it does not. It's hard for me to believe that I got another whistling water pump, but it's not impossible. I could have had the combo of a water pump and alternator maybe, and now I have changed the water pump and still have the whistling alternator

 

Since they have done all that work and the problem is still there , you might also look into the belt alignment/ tensioner system.

 

Yeah I may look into that...summer is coming and it seemed like colder weather brought the problem out...if it shows up in summer I will take it in, but if not I will just wait for next winter

 

So........i said that i would take it in last week in my earlier post. I had to reschedule because the noise went away, and I also needed a loaner car. But, it came back today!!! and the odd thing.....the temp was 40 degrees. The other times it was 20 degrees warmer. I recorded it and it sounds identical to the recording that checkercoop posted. I take it in next wednesday, and now that it has returned, I hope that they can find the problem. I am an extreme hypochondriac about my car too, I suppose I just dont like those gross sounds coming from my brand new car, especially for the price I payed (am paying!)

 

Yeah mines come back on and off here too as we get on and off cold fronts...i knew the whistle was related to the cold because it would go away when it was warm, but once it got below 60 it would come back more often...the day it came back was around 40's and I just went straight to the dealer before the cold front went away haha, but now that it is really close to just staying hot here in florida, I will just wait for the winter to come back

Goodluck, I hope they find the fix for you. And just so you know, they replaced my water pump and using the stethoscope to pin point it, but that didn't work (it did lower the intensity of the whistle tho)

 

Well they are going to try replacing the tensioner and see what that does

 

well it was inconclusive....the stuborn little shiat wouldnt do it. I shouldnt talk that way about her.

I have a feeling that the temperature had some influence on it, it got down to like 32 when they had my car in the shop, and the noise never did it when it was that cold. Plus, they wouldnt keep it in the shop to find the noise because I needed a rental and they wouldnt pay for it anymore if they couldnt find a problem( not to say they didnt believe me, but they couldnt see it)

So i have my service man on speed dial and will take it back if it does it again.