Hello everyone,

I've done some research and forum searching which has led me to believe the problem is either with a timing chain tensioner or the harmonic balancer. Car in question is a 2004 BRG MCS with 124,000 on the clock. New supercharger, so I know it can't be that. Car seems to drive just fine, except for this ticking noise coming from the engine bay. You can hear it on startup, it never goes away but it gets faster the higher the RPM's. For example, you could be coasting in neutral, but if you were to downshift into second gear, the ticking gets faster with the increase in RPM. Help?

 

Mine turned out to be a chipped lobe on the camshaft. They scoped it to find it, then did their costly camshaft replacement to fix it. Good luck.

 

dang, I hope that's not it, what was the price in the end for that?

 

~$2000 CDN I think it's a rare thing for it to be the cam shaft (hardened steel and all), so I'm sure your issue will be similar to your guesses. I had the same signs though, so I wanted to throw it out there as it can be hard to diagnose.

 

Thank you for your input, If it is this, I'm going to be so

 

Sounds like a lifter or valve train noise. Chain tensioners are very reliable in that car and I have yet to see a Crank Pulley/ harmonic balancer make noise... especially like that. I have seen a chipped lobe on a camshaft before.

 

Wow I need to get to the shop then, In the meantime how harmful is it to drive the car if it is a problem like you guys are describing? I don't drive too much, but the mini is my only means of transportation

 

im gonna be selling my car soon but its ticking so loud, i feel as though it's gonna stray away everyone from buying my car.
i've posted about my problem before.

got an oil change a thousand miles are so ago, and the noise almost went away completely. then came back recently and is still ticking away.

here's a youtube vid on my ticking
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXO-A8e_Vyw


**update**

i tried to record a video just now, left my car on ignition on while i got my iphone ready to record, and it stopped ticking...?!?!
weird..it'll prob def come back later.

 

Minjae,

My 2005 MCS is at the MINI service department right now with exactly the same noise. The diagnosis came back late yesterday afternoon as a failed Timing Chain Tensioner. The estimate from MINI of Peabody (MA) is $260.00 for the repair. My advise to you is: Don't drive the car like that! If the chain jumps a tooth on a timing gear, you will be adding an extra zero to that $260.00 ($2600.00) for the repair.

 

Yeah sounds to me like the timing chain tensioner. And as for that $260, they are stealing your money. Its a $50 part that takes 5 minutes to install. (just a PITA to get to it if you dont have a universal joint)

 

IRRGGGG! $50.00 for the part; I hate over paying for stuff like that!

I don't mind doing mechanical work on my cars as long as it's something I can start and finish on a weekend. This one had me worried with the noise and I chose the safe route and went to the dealer for diagnosis. With the car already there, it made the most sense to leave it there for the repair.

 

I had a 5 speed Maxima with a similar problem. It turned out to be a failed part (I can't remember which one anymore) in the trans case that started "floating around." The trans needed a complete tear-down ($2,200 as I remember -- ouch!). Fortunately, I caught the problem before the part got wedged-in frying a gear which would have sent the repair cost soaring. I suggest that you get the problem professionally diagnosed.

 

Thanks for the input everyone,

It was my girlfriends Cooper S that was doing it, such a pretty british green S but such an annoying noise! Turned out she was low on oil. Previous shop that did the oil change put regular motor oil instead of synthetic that eventually burned up -_-.

Oil changed with synthetic now its gone.

 

Wow! My advice is to not run too long on that oil change, either. Get a can of Sea Foam, put it in the oil, drive for about 200 miles, then change it again. That's peace of mind to make sure you don't have any sludge buildup.

 

my 04 has a slight tick tick at accelerating points, very very quiet...sounds like a normal engine. I've never second guessed that its a bad noise. Car has 90K