Model: 2007 MCS w/JCW Tuning Kit
Build Date: 10/2007
Miles: Approximately 4600
Duration: About 2 minutes
Frequency (times per month/week): Happened only once (so far)
RPM range: Warm-up Idle
Ambient Temp: 36 F
Oil: OEM

Any other relevant information: The MINI was driven the night before and sat overnight outside. As always, it was parked on a level surface.

What, me worry?

 

Model: 2007 R56 Mini Cooper S
Build Date: ~9-07
Miles: 13,xxx miles
Duration: I shut it off after 10 seconds
Frequency: (times per month/week) This was the first time
RPM range: idle
Ambient Temp: 42F
Oil: Castrol 0w30

Any other relevant information:
So much for the 0w30 theory. It seemed quieter if I reved it up a bit. Restarting the engine made it go away.

 

Model: 2007 MCS with JCW Tuning Kit
Build Date: Nov 2007
Miles: 2000
Duration: 30 seconds
Frequency: Happened once in March
RPM range: Idle+
Ambient Temp: 40degF
Oil: Factory

Any other relevant information: Only once so far (April 2008). Will report to dealer.

*added*
Happened again this morning (May 15). Air temp 42deg, raining just like it was during the prior incident. Lasted about 30 seconds.
This is bumming me out.

 

Model: 2007 MCS
Build Date: May 2007
Miles: 4800
Duration: 2mins
Frequency: First time
RPM range: Idle+2500 above that OK
Ambient Temp: 50degF
Oil: Factory

Any other relevant information: First time I cought it. happened the Day after its first oil change, this was first time I knowingly parked it on a slight slope nose down. I Removed oil filler cap and knocking noise is much worse, i.e its coming from inside there! Idle was rough, it turned over longer than usual before starting. I'll be on to dealer tomorrow..
<EDIT> Dealer acknowledged the problem and said that its caused by "air in the oil system" They said that BMW does not have a fix yet and I should just rev it to 3000rpm until the noise goes away! I pointed out that aiir in the oil system is a serious problem that could affect the life of the engine bearings etc, and they had no answer. I logged the problem and informed tham that I want the "fix" when it arrives.

 

Model: 2008 R55 Mini Cooper Clubman S
Build Date: December 2007
Miles: 550 miles
Duration: Lasted for about a minute
Frequency: (times per month/week) This was the first time
RPM range: idle
Ambient Temp: 80F
Oil: What ever it came with

Any other relevant information:
Lasted for a minute or so. Started the car earlier in the day and it did not have an issue. Issue started after letting the car sit for a few hours. Planning to call SA this week to get more feedback.

Update 5/31/08 - Had issue happen a second time at ~1k miles. Only lasted for 5 to 10 seconds then went away. Both times this issue has happened was when car was just previously used for a short drive < 1 mile).

 

Model: 07S 6spd
Build Date: Delivered Mar. 2007
Miles: 6700
Duration: 2 to 7 min
Frequency: One time May 2007; 2x per month last winter; frequency now increasing
RPM range: around 1500; quiet <1000; not audible > 2000
Ambient Temp: 20F to 60F
Oil: OEM; changed by dealer at first service

Other Info: Happened once one month after delivery. Began to occur regularly last winter. Reported to dealer; 'piston for tensioner' replaced 6 weeks ago; noise unchanged. Occurrence seems to follow a very short use (< 1 mi.)
(I have audio files but type .wma cannot be attached.)

 

Model: 2007 R56 Mini Cooper S
Build Date: Sept 2007
Miles: 3500 miles when it began
Duration: Lasts from 20 secs to 2 mins
Frequency: (times per month/week) 3-4/month
RPM range: idle - 2500 (that's as far as I reved it)
Ambient Temp: 25-55 F
Oil: full

Any other relevant information:
Dealer bled the system. Has occured once (shortly) after. 10/25/08 - the sound has returned. While I still get the clatter sound, I now sometimes get louder, sound at and for a few seconds at start up.

 

Model: MCS
Build Date: July 2007
Miles: 6200
Duration: as little as 5 seconds, and as long as 10 to 15 minutes.
Frequency: just started a few (maybe 3) weeks ago and did it maybe once or twice a week, but it's now happening almost every time I start it up after not running for a few hours.
RPM range: at idle and can hear it up to about 3500 RPM.
Ambient Temp: between 50 and 80
Oil: factory

This makes me so sad. :(

 

Model: 2008 R56 Mini Cooper S
Build Date: April 2008
Miles: 1100 miles
Duration: Lasted about 30 secs
Frequency: 3 times
RPM range: idle - 2500
Ambient Temp: 80 F
Oil: Full & Factory

Any other relevant information: I had just switched cars in the driveway earlier that day. So the engine had only run for a couple minutes the previous time it was started.

Now up to 3 times. Interestingly, the last time was after the car had sat overnight after being driven for about an hour from the airport. Previous time was after a short engine run.

 

I am highly skeptical this would resolve it, but time will tell...

http://www.motoringfile.com/2008/07/...al-fix-coming/

 

Good Day:
Just got my 2008 MCS and it does it slightly and randomly on any start.
Research:
http://www.bmwz8.us/pdf/zz-VANOS_s62.pdf

Cheers,
Brian

 

Model: 2008 R56 Mini Cooper S
Build Date: April 2008
Miles: 3900 miles
Duration: 1-2 minutes
Frequency: Once so far
RPM range: idle - 2500, didn't try to go higher
Ambient Temp: 65 F
Oil: Full factory bmw oil

Was last driven 2 days prior, and started up for a minute one day prior. The sound was louder inside the cabin than outside until revved to 2k+, when it became violently loud. There is no way this is not doing damage to the engine.

 

Harley Davidson motorcycle company had the exact same problem back in 1979/80 with their V-twin engines. It turned out to be carbon build-up on top of the pistons. When starting up cold the valves will hit the carbon and cause the noise. The fix was going back to dome top pistons and doing away with the flat top pistons on the affected engines. They were lucky because not a whole bunch of Engines were affected and the recall was not a major problem for them.
I'm sure the noise some Mini owners are experiencing is due to crap gas allowing carbon build-up. That is why the noise is not continous at all times. I'm sure the noise goes away after running your car around the block. Noise will happen more on a stone cold engine.
Ronnie

 

No its not a gas issue in the sense, its not crappy gas. I used to get fuel from exxon or shell only and i would still get it. I got the noise in cold weather only , it was fine otherwise.

 

MODEL: 09 JCW
BUILD DATE: 7/08
MILES: 2000
DURATION: 2-5 min
FREQUENCY: Every cold start
RPM RANGE: ALL RPM
AMBIENT TEMP: 60 F
OIL: OEM

OTHER RELEVANT INFO: At start clatter is LOUD, RPM stumbles from 400 to 1100. If throttle is blipped eng occasionally stalls.

 

Damn, a new JCW has this issue? Looks like we'll be waiting for the 2010 model year to upgrade. One would have figured that MINI would have resolved this problem on new production machines by now.

The stalling issue is interesting, tho. Sounds like there may be something else at play there.

 

Model: MCSa
Build Date: 02/08
Miles: 10,000
Duration: more than 1 min, I shut it off!
Frequency: This is the First time that it lasted for more than a two seconds.
RPM range: idle to 1500
Ambient Temp: 75 deg F.
Oil: Mini supplied, was changed once at 6k mi’s w/new filter.
Any other relevant information:
Started car and moved out of garage, when restarted a few hours later to go for fuel.. Valve tappets stated to slap !!

This is an oil flow issue, a defect. The HLA's are running w/o oil, we need a fix before long term damage is done.

 

Exactly the same thing happened to me the other day, pulled it out of the garage and a couple of hours later... It took a long time to go away, If you want to scare yourself, open the oil filler cap, the noise is horrendus.

I absolutely agree on the long term damage..

 

Not sure what happened to my regular account, it got wiped out somehow. Anyway, new screen name is shortened to Spectral G instead of Spectral Glider.

But anyway, my 07 S has this problem and I can recreate it all the time. It has nothing to do with the temps or types of oil used or type of gas or incline parking or any of that. But as the last couple posters mentioned, all I have to do is fire it up and only move it as far as outside the garage or back into the garage and it will make that ghastly sound when you try to start it the next morning/afternoon/evening whatever the case may be. Also, when this does happen, if I try to go, especially in reverse, it will cough, sputter, and wheeze and act like it wants to stall until you wait a few seconds or a couple minutes for the motor to straighten out. It sure sounds like the oil flow issue to me.

To sum up, don't start your 07+ S unless you intend to actually drive it somewhere. Because if you drive it normally, like to work, the store, the gas station, whatever, the car is fine. It's the short, quick, motor starts and stops that present this issue. Kind of a small pain in the ***, but it is an easy workaround. Besides, I'm not driving 2+ hours for the dealer to pretend to have never heard of the problem and then try to humor me with some sort of lame answer. Until they really have a solution, then I'll take it in.

Edit: By the way, I have an 07 MCSa, late July 07 build.

 

I absolutely, positively agree with Spectral G's observations. I too, can make my car do this by starting it from cold, and moving it several times. On the third or fourth re-start, the rattle is usually there. My info is as follows:

Model: 2008 Clubman S
Build Date: May 2008
Miles: 4200
Duration: 30 seconds to one minute
Frequency: (times per month/week) when ever I restart it after short runs. (Move car a few feet to wash it, then move it back to original spot to dry it or detail it. If I have to move it again, for example to get it out of the sun to wax, the third time gives me the rattle. This has happened on four separate occassions. FWIW, early saturday mornings.
RPM range: Rattle is at idle and increases with rpm.
Ambient Temp: Summer mornings. 70 to 80 degrees.
Oil: original factory oil.

Any other relevant information: My rattle is there, clearly noticeable, but it is no way as severe as some of the recordings I've heard with other affected cars. Also I do not have the coughing, wheezing or sputtering mentioned above, but I have not tried to move the car when it is doing this.

They really need to figure this out. But I am not gonna let them mess with my engine until they have a proven fix in place. In the meantime, I am taking steps to minimize having to move the car when washing/detailing it.

Otherwise, I just love this car!!!!
Rich

 

Cooper S, 6-Speed Manual
Build Date: Aug 2008
Miles: 1700+
Duration: 1 - 3 minute
Frequency: has only happend once times.
RPM range: under 3000 rpm
Ambient Temp: high 60s CA weather at night time by the coastal area
Oil: got new oil change at 1200 miles so pretty much brand new oil/filter

Any other relevant information:
very noisy flap flap flap sound... after 3 minutes or so.. turned the engine off.. restarted it... gone.... doesnt do it anymore.. weird..

 

This sounds like a somewhat similar problem I have had with a couple GM trucks I own. I would start them up, back them out of the garage, then turn them off. When I went to start them again, they took forever to start. Talked to a few people and they recommended one of two things.

1. Let the engine run for at least 1 minute OR....
2. Rev the engine up to about 2500 rpm and let it come back down, then turn off the vehicle.

This is suppossed to let the computer get enough info or something like that.

I back these things out of the garage quite a bit because of other things I'm doing in there. Once I started following the above rules I no longer have any issues.

Might be something to try for those of you who have had this issue several times.

 

1400 miles and I got to experience the cold start rattle. It is actually kind of unnerving. Washed the Blue Dude and backed him down the driveway a bit last night. When I started it this morning the rattle erupted. It lasted until I got a few houses down the street. I'd sure like to know what is going on here. In the 50's when I started the car.

 

My car did it again... should i take it into the dealer? I dont know what they are gonna say. It seems to happen when I do not drive the car for a whole day then if i start the engine next day.

 

I would not drive the car until the "noise" stops.

Just let it idle and gently go up and down from idle to approx 1,500 rpm, once the oil pumps up in the HLA’s (in a couple of minutes) the "noise" will go away as your valves will be working properly. Back to happy Motoring once more !!

The lack of power and sputtering is due to the valves not opening correctly and this could be very dangerous if someone is pulling out of their driveway!!!

Spectral G., I completely agree with you, as this happened again to me last Monday after I backed the Mini into the garage from the driveway Sunday night, next day woosh… I had to just sit and wait for it to stop.

As for the Dealer they said there was no point as it was a “cold start” issue and it would be hot once I got there…??? Anyway I too am not dropping it off for them to fool w/it until they have a “real” fix.

Guess it will take someone pulling out in front of traffic and having it do a nose dive and well you know the rest… to get attention to the issue, just like the exhaust tips burning a few people ?

All said, I still love this car and have no buyers remorse (yet)