Hello,

Just bought a 2002 Mini base model with 80,000. I live in the mountains, and have always noticed a rattling noise under the car at about 3200 rpm (drivers side). Never thought much of it, but now I have a scraping noise on some right turns when I come down the hill in the morning. It happens both during braking and not. If I do happen to be braking, a vibration can be felt through the brake pedal. I have checked under the car, nothing is dragging, and no visible parts in the suspension feel loose. The noise is intermittent, and is much worse on hills so hard to duplicate for the mechanic. It's definitely coming from the front driver's side. Any thoughts would be appreciated. By the way, my clutch just had to be replaced after having the car for one month. Don't think the noise is related, but it has become slightly worse since that was done.

Thanks!

 

Brake pads need to be replaced? Maybe what you're hearing is the wear indicator such that it isn't scraping all the time but just when there is pressure on whichever side the pad is very low. Maybe this could cause the vibration when braking as well since the metal backing might be in contact with the rotor. Could be a lot of things though but I'd start there due to the ease of diagnosis and low cost to replace if that is indeed the problem.

 

Thanks for your reply. The brake pads have been replaced recently and have much wear left on them. The rotors do look like they need to be turned though.

Any other ideas anyone? I tend to think it's a CV joint or wheel bearing, but not sure. I am taking it in Saturday, but don't think they will be able to duplicate the noise. It only does it downhill when the weight is shifted to the front of the car. There are no hills near the shop

 

Okay, this is truly a long shot but when I replaced my shocks, one of them had a decal that was partially peeling off and touching the wheel spokes during cornering like a playing card on a bicycle. I peeled the rest of it off and presto!

 

Well, I wish it was that simple. Unfortunately it's more of a metal grinding noise. I didn't see anything unusual when I took the wheel off.

 

The mechanic could not duplicate the noise, but a friend took it for a test drive on a downhill ramp. It looks like the brakes are the problem. The right side is making a scraping noise, and it gets worse when braking during a right turn. I am considering replacing the rotors and pads.

 

I can't figure this one out. Just replaced the rotors and pads on the front. The noise is still there! When cornering right, there is a grinding noise coming from the left wheel area. It happens on ramps, going uphill or downhill. It happens without braking, but gets MUCH worse when I put the brakes on. The vibration can be felt in the brake petal. So, anyone know what it is? CV joint? Wheel bearing? I don't want to just randomly replace parts to figure this out.

 

I have replaced the front rotors and pads, swapped the front hubs (switched left and right) and still have the noise. It is on the driver's side front, and happens when cornering right. Now it happens going uphill as well as down. It affects the steering too, especially on freeway ramps. My CV boots are intact, nothing is visibly wrong or loose under the car. Please...any ideas would help. Could it be a ball joint, shock, CV joint, sway bar bushing, steering rack?

 

I'm getting a whistling noise from the brakes. It happens exactly at 36 mph and I am not applying the brakes at the time. I also get a scraping noise when starting off from a dead stop. It's a vibration.

 

i wonder if it could be the bearing? That could explain the increased grinding noise while cornering and on the brakes because there is direct load in all those situations. An experienced mechanic should be able to feel play in the bearing.. or have you tried walking beside the wheel while it makes the noise to get a sense the exact area?

phil.

 

Thanks, Phil, I haven't tried that with the bearing. I don't know if I could run that fast next to the car! It sounds as if it's coming from beneath the car. I think there are two things going on here: The brakes have a whistling noise they emit when I just driving along. And they also squeal when I stop. I had them replaced last year.

 

I replaced my pads and got a squeal. I'm going to lube them and see if it goes away. Don't know what to do with your grinding problem though.

 

I actually had this happen on my old car: wheel bearing was bad and the brakes would randomly make noise like they were worn, happening more often than not after turning a corner. went in for brakes one day and the mechanic told me the news.

there's nothing I can think of under a FWD car that could make a grinding noise in the middle... unless your exhaust is somehow rubbing against something but that'd generally make a rattle noise.

 

I wrote down wheel bearing on my list. I have taken such good care of this car since I bought it new in 2002. Changing oil every 6,000. Keeping the air filter clean. Keeping the right things lubed. And now I'm getting little problems that I want to catch before they turn into big problems. I belong to the MINI Club in New Mexico, but no one seems to want to work on their cars. It has turned into a social club only. I love this car, but I'm getting older and I'm thinking about it too much. Honestly, I don't know what to do. I especially bought an extended warranty so that if I sold the car, the warranty goes with it. The warranty covers all the big ticket items. I need to find a mechanic who will look at the whole car and not just one piece at a time. So I've made a list of "sounds I've heard" and am ready to take it in somewhere. I'm not having actual problems, just sounds. And you know that when you have a car for awhile, you know its sounds, right?

 

Ah, like the squeek my passenger's seat made in my old car when no one's in it, or the sound of a seat belt in the "rear passenger cabin storage" banging against the molding, the vibration rattle of one of my speakers stripping out yet another bolt, or, my favorite "Yeah, that noise... it's nothing" from my eclipse, lifter rattles..