Ok, so I have a 2006 CS... been a great car for the most part with basic maintenance needs... and boy, those tires seem to wear out fast.

But the other day, it went into limp mode... and has been making a funny sound. I've searched the forums, but don't seem to have a conclusive answer with my characteristics.

It went into limp mode, threw a P1688 code, and the DSC and SES and other lights came on... engine went into reduced power with a redline of 2K rpm. There seems to be a strange squeaking/creaking/rattling sound coming from the passenger side of the engine bay... gets more pronounced with higher rpm. I've attached a picture with the area circled where the noise is coming from. There is a small black canister there, but the noise might be coming from below it... around the intake or belt systems maybe.

If I restart the car, the engine will reset to full power, but with the SES light on. However, I can trigger the same limp mode if I go above 4K rpm or if I turn on the A/C compressor.

I am familiar with the Supercharger BPV issue and also crank pulley issues... but would like some clarification. Of course, I am out of warranty (65K miles) and the nearest Mini dealership is 90 miles away... so any help is much appreciated. I just need some direction, in case anybody can help me pinpoint the issue with my diagnostic description, especially the squeaking-rattling sound... since that is obviously related.

Thanks...!

 

did you check your tensioner bearing?

 

CRANK PULLEY...................

 

Thanks for the replies...

How would I check the tensioner bearing? I'm mechanically inclined, but don;t have a lot of tools at my disposal at home.

As for the crank pulley... when I searched, I didn't see a lot about the distinctive squeaking/rattling sound... is that common?

Since the Mini dealership is a day trip... if I need parts, I want to know before I go.

 

You are just going to have to look at it. There is no one one the forum that can diagnose it without looking, only give you suggestions of what to look for.

 

Sometimes you get a squeaking/rattling because the pulley comes apart and rubs/grinds against the front timing chain cover....

 

When/If the pulley fails the car will be immobile....and will REQUIRE a tow. IF the pulley is going bad, it will worsen VERY quickly....it may not even make it to the dealer if you try to drive it right now.
Remember....if the pulley fails, stop, and shut off the car. The Alternator, Air-conditioning Compressor, the Supercharger, and the WATER-PUMP will all stop!!
Crank Pulley failures are pretty common on "pre-face-lift" cars (pre-2005), but a bit less common on newer cars due to age, miles, and a revised part that MINI started using in 2005. If you do get it replaced at a non-dealer, ATI makes a nice replacement....more reliable, and cheaper than OEM.

As for fast tire wear...depends on the tires you have installed, alignment,driving style and if you car is lowered (some people try to do it cheaply by just swapping out the springs....but other parts are needed in most cases (Rear Lower Control Arms)) or the car will just eat the edges of tires.

 

I just had my crank pulley replaced (the bushing inside of it disintegrated). Symptoms: car was sputtering and power would cut out randomly making the car jerk. It finally completely disintegrated and would not rev higher than 2,000 - 3,000 rpm.

 

Thanks everyone for the replies... I was curious, because of the weird sounds coming from the engine bay...

But sure enough, the crank pulley was coming apart... even though my Cs is a 2006. It was replaced with a new oem unit for $600 total, not under warranty (66K miles).

 

Trebien,
I'm about 85% certain that you're having the same problem I have with my r53, DSC and SES lights came on, strange noises, sputtering, loss of power, and "redlining" at low rpms and I figured out the source today.

It's the belt tensioner bearing. If you look at a picture of the belt tensioner assembly there is a little thing running horizontal that looks kinda like a mini shock absorber because that's basically what it is. It's known to fail and cause all sorts of sounds... and sadly, problems. The bearing keeps a tight tension on the the belt, and when the bearing fails there is not enough tension on the pulley's resulting in a loss of power and "sputtering". I recommend looking into the Alta adjustable tensioner, especially if you have upgrades like mine (SC pulley, crank pulley, CAI, ect) the added power can make the tensioner fail even faster (like mine) unless you want to buy an entire new tensioner assembly.

http://www.outmotoring.com/images/P/...nsioner_md.jpg
Here's a picture of the belt tensioner assembly^

https://www.outmotoring.com/alta-adj...tensioner.html
This is the Alta adjustable tensioner I suggest you look into^

You can see the difference in the parts

 

Thanks for offering the help, but the post was almost 3 years ago, I am betting it has been fixed by now.

 

I figured I'd post in case anyone else ever runs into problems like ours... I didn't bother to look at the dates haha again, I fail.

 

Nah, no fail as your information is sound and may be helpful to someone else in the future.