Did you leave it overnight for a cold start? If you drove the car into them and it didn't sit for at least 12 hours, they probably won't hear it. Make a stink and tell them you read about the bulletin - they'll take care of you (I would )

 

I did drive it in last night about 530pm... i assume they got to it this morning...but since they just called not long ago it must have sat till about 1pm today

I mentioned the SIM and whatnot, but nothing..

ill check and see where it sat and all that when i go back in a little bit

 

Adam, do you know the sequence they went thru to try to duplicate the noise? I and other's have posted it here in NAM. Before I got the fix I could duplicate it 100% of the time using 4 simple steps.

 

That is sad. Too bad you'll have to go back again.

 

i have no idea. sounds like they just parked it wherever and then took a little test drive in the morning. Said the only noises heard were the purge and some unrelated transmission noises. I parked it on the downslope of my sloped apartment garage tonight... just to see if it comes back. I doubt it will as it isnt super frequent on mine... usually after 2-3 days of sitting it pretty bad. We shall see. Im sure i'll get a call from the service manager in the morning as I left him a pretty long voice message and he was out to the doctor i guess..

 

Add me to the list of rattlers at the dealer for repair...

Dealer has had the car for 8 days now (5 business days) and told me it would be ready tomorrow. The reason they've had it so long is that (a) they had to duplicate the problem, (b) needed authorization to perform the fix and (c) said it is an 8-hour repair. I'm surprised they were able to repeat the problem on-demand because it is relatively infrequent (I think they have plenty of experience now at making the problem manifest). Looks like they are going to replace chain and tensioner.

For the record book my 2008 MCSa has 30K miles and I first noticed the problem at around 18K. It almost always occurs after I wash the car (I think the short drive down the driveway and the long period sitting afterward combine to stir the rattle demon). The rattle is loud at first but goes away after about 5-10 minutes. As the minutes pass the rattle 'moves' to higher RPM. Doesn't matter what the temperature is outside-- happens at all temperatures.

On a long drive up the 101 to visit relatives on Christmas Day, my engine light came on for the first time ever for no apparent reason. It went out by itself after about a minute and never came back. I had been doing about 75 mph for an hour straight when it happened. Not sure if this was related to the rattle, but I did report it to my SA for grins.

I'll post a followup if I have anything relevant to report post-repair.

In the mean time I'm loving my Pontiac G6 loaner --- NOT!

John

 

Given a problem similar to the one mentioned here by DangerMan (rattle and CEL that goes on and off) one wonders why others have reported no CEL or codes. Perhaps someone with experience removing the cams could venture an opinion as to why the "chain tensioner" issue would cause codes in one case and not another? On the face of it, "sure, a rattle caused by a slack chain" but why the codes (2773, 277B, 277F, 2777 on an '08 MCS)? The current Mini repair for the rattle doesn't include the "adjustment unit" on the inlet camshaft (11367545862) but changes the drive sprocket (11367547955). But, isn't the "adjustment unit" similar to units that BMW has had issues with in the past? A pointer to an explanation of the function of this particular adjustment unit on the inlet cam would be greatly appreciated.

 

Dealer called me... intake manifold is off the car... no new news though. We'll see by tomorrow.

 

LOL. did it quite a bit this morning before work. Recorded it and whatnot. Im expecting a call from the Service Manager, so we shall see. I really like my SA, but hes nowhere near as bright as the one he replaced :(

 

I had my 10/08 build 09 MCS at MAG in Oct 09 for it's yearly visit and mentioned the cold start chatter and gave him a recording.

Mine is not only a cold start chatter but also cold weather. It only does the chatter when it is below around 50 degrees so I knew they wouldn't hear anything.

He said before I left that he looked up my production date and I had the latest and greatest and should be ok.

It was getting late and I am 3 hours away so I left without much of a fight hoping that some of the local owners would fight my battle for me and convince them that the 09's needed a second look.

You really don't have to be much of a mechanic to know if you have the rattle and I don't think anyone would want a new timing chain if there is nothing wrong with the old one. I left thinking he should have taken my claim a little more seriously.


I will be very interested in the outcome of your visit.

DaveJ

 

Here is a good thread to follow

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ue-at-mag.html

 

Thanks, I'll keep an eye on that thread as well.

Nice looking car!!

 

So here's how I duplicated the cold-start rattle everytime...

• Started the car and moved it 10 feet (from garage to driveway)
• Left car in driveway for 45 minutes (simulating length of time to wash Spike). No wash actually occured and Spike was not injured during the exercise
• Started up the car and drove it 10 feet (back into garage)
• Started Spike the next day and he was rattling for the first mile from my place

This proves out the theory that water is not a contributing factor. I don't know if you actually need to leave the car over night, but you do need to leave it for several hours. The problem relates to the car not getting up to full operating temperature before being shut down. Give this a whirl and see what happens.

 

I had a "death rattle" while my car was in for its 2nd aux fuel pump and they replaced my timing chain, out of warrenty too! IIRC it had over 50k on the clock and it sounded bad, even ran the Dragon the week before they found it was bad

I'm no mechanic but the sound I heard wasn't REAL bad and hard to hear over the D.I. sound sometimes.

Check out the timing chains guys/gals

 

My car made this noise this morning. This is after simply sitting in 15-20 degree weather over night after a 45 minute (highway) commute home.

http://vimeo.com/8582979

FYI - I didn't run into anything, just hit a nasty pot hole. whoops.

 

Does anybody know if there's a production date after which I'm in the clear? I read in one thread that cars made after 11/08 were in the clear, then someone with a 1/09 date said they had the issue.

 

My car has a build date of 03/09

 

THE LOWER Y CAR WAS ON OIL THE LOUDER IT WAS AFTER ADDING OIL IT WOULD GET QUITER ANYWAY THE SA FINALLY REPLACE THE DAMN THING 2 DAYS IN COLD AND NO SOUND

 

 

I think my MCS is finally starting to have this issue. Every day this week it's been sounding really bad. It only happens when the car has been sitting for a few hours. The first time I got the Half Engine light. I let the car warm up for about 5 minutes then turned it off. Turned it back on and the light went off and worked fine. Every day this week it came on, especially in the morning or when I turned the front and rear defrosters on. The whole car shook pretty bad and sounded like it wanted to die. If I give it a bit of gas it will sound better but sometimes comes back. Just made an appt with the dealer for Saturday. My car is an '07 with just over 38,000 miles. Temps have been 20F and below. I've had the car for a little over a month and have had nothing but problems. I miss my STi!!

 

really doesnt sound like it... i think they usually run ok, its just sounds like a diesel. It also usually sounds worse with more gas.

There are notorious high pressure fuel pump issues too... might be more your problem

 

that pretty much sums it up.

 

Thanks!! Well it's going to the shop on Saturday. Hopefully it's something covered under warranty!! Only have less than 2,000 miles left!! Haha!!

 

The cold start chatter gets worse as you rev it (and does more damage at higher rpm). So, you problem is probably something else. Cold start chatter sounds like a chain being dragged across metal (which is what is happening).

 

Turn the stereo up real loud before you start your Mini Cooper S and you shouldn't have the problem any more .