some new posters report the issue for the first time, but since Mini says it's fixed (with the new chain tensioner), barring new news from Mini, we'll all just wait as the number of cars with the issue climbs.

Matt

 

Okay, I'm adding my situation to the pile...

My car was built 2nd week of Feb 2008. Picked it up on March 18, 2008, and drove it everyday between 3/18 and 3/27. During those days, my trips consisted of long leisure drive that are probably 20 miles continuously, and consecutive short errand runs (less than 5 miles each leg). I also started and stopped the engine several times in the garage without driving. The car is always parked in the attached garage overnight with the outside temp between high 30's to mid 40's at night. No problem so far. The car is then parked for four days straight between 3/28 and 3/31, and during that time, I may have started the engine for a few seconds once or twice, but didn't hear anything unusual. It also snowed a few times in those four days. On April 1 (with only 235 miles at this point), I started the engine and heard the chatter loud and clear; as others had said, sounded like a diesel. My immediate thought was "valve tapping due to lack of lubrication". So I let the engine run for a couple of minutes but the noise did not go away, and decided to just drive. The sound went away (or at least couldn't be heard) while under load but persisted during idle. The sound gradually diminished as I drove further. Today (4/2 and at 265 miles), I turned on the engine and no chatter, and backed out of the garage to wash the car. After the car is washed, turned on the engine, still no chatter. Drove back into the garage and parked.

If the chatter comes back, I'm going to replace the "Cooper S" badge on the boot with a VW "TDI" badge, so people won't ask what's wrong with my car, instead they'll say, "Wow, you have a diesel MINI."

P.S. I opened the bonnet after I washed the car and water was everywhere, I think I need to make some sort of scoop cover for when I wash the car.

 

i got some bad video (but great audio) of my poor mini's cold start noise. eek...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ6cbW_DRY4

 

When I first started watching it, I thought you didn't have it as it sounded normal, but when you started filming outside, it was clear that the noise was not normal.

 

Were you revving the engine or was engine doing that on its own?

 

That sound just like my old TDI (VW diesel).

 

i was revving the engine, to show the range it makes the noise in (noitce above 2K it sounds normal). next time i'll shoot one just at idle.
i also realized that the mic on my camera wasn't that good, and that's why i took the camera outside - to get the full effect of my "issue".

 

Cold start chatter again yesterday. 65F outside, MINI had been parked for a couple of days. Lasted from my pull out of the garage and up the street until I turned it off and back on at the stop sign about 1.5 blocks from the house.

Bleh.

 

For those with this problem, is there a common point when it started happening (did it begin right away or after XXX miles)? Or does it seem to be completely random?

 

I've been reading the posts, but I don't recall.
Does the sound go away after a restart?
I'm thinking some weird programming bug causing dieseling and reset...

 

How many 07's vs 08's is this affecting?

Granted, a lot more 07's are out there than 08's at this point. Just curious how many people with 08's are having issues too?

 

But the year is young!

Matt

 

we have 2000 mi and 1200 mi each on our 2008 MCSs and no rattle YET....

 

Mine definitely improves and/or goes away on a restart. It seems to depend on the severity of the noise. Usually, when it does occur, it's not terribly loud, and a restart clears it right up. On the one occasion when it was VERY loud, a restart only improved it but did not remove it completely.


Mine first occurred when temperatures dropped close to freezing; there were very few kilometers on the car... it may not have even been broken in yet (I received it last October).

 

This is very disconcerting... This thread had gone relatively quiet for a while, and I had assumed the fix that MINI had been making to affected cars (new chain tensioner) was solving the problem. But maybe not?

And the fact that it is affecting brand new 2008 MINIs is even more of concern. I would have thought any field corrective actions would have made their way to the factory by now.

I have a Clubman at sea, due to arrive in the next few days, and I'm really wondering if I should take ownership of this car. It would be a major bummer to have this thing for a month or two and start hearing this noise.

Curious what the rest of you would do...

 

I'd buy my car.

IF the problem shows up, get it's occurance documented at the Mini dealer.

Then I'd go change my oil for a 0W30 or a 0W40 and drive the sucker.

Matt

 

I've seen a couple of posts in this thread suggesting that a change to 0W oil has made a difference with this problem. It seems that only a few people have tried this. I'd like to hear from these people to see if it has kept the cold start rattle away over the long term. I was originally considering a MCS as my initial Mini purchase (love the acceleration) but am now considering a MC until this problem gets sorted out.

 

mine doesn't usually go away with restarting, but sometimes it does. today i restarted it and it actually got worse.
the problem showed up around november, when i had about somewhere between 5500 and 6500 miles on the car.

to the person awaiting delivery of the new clubman, congratulations, and i would definitely still take delivery of the car. it's one of those things that if it does happens, just get it documented by the dealer.

 

Had a conversation with the SA at the dealer. They acknowledged knowing of the problem. I take my MINI in later this month, we'll see if they DO anything about it. The weather IS getting warmer now though so it probably will not act up for them.

 

Just got back from the dealer. Had my chain tensioner replaced. I feel like the noise is still there, just much, much quieter. But maybe it's back to normal. I just can't remember if there was any noise like this before because I have had the noise for so long. But overall, it is a major difference, because I can't hear the noise from inside the car anymore.

 

Happened again today. I moved the car about 50 yards during lunch break at work. 4 hours later, when I started the engine to drive home the cold start noise came back.

 

If I had known about this problem and how common it is before taking the delivery, I would not have purchased the car.

 

Something is gonna fall apart..

 

My car sat for another four days straight, but this time I didn't start the engine in those four days. On the fifth day, I was expecting the worst when I go start the engine, but instead, the engine started fine without any unusual noise, and idled smoothly.

 

Yep, length of time does seem to be a factor (or at least not the only factor). I have had my Mini sit for several days and start without incident, and on other occasions it has only sat for a few hours and started with the noise.