I'm a new owner of a 2011 MCS with about ~500 miles on it so far. Since this is the first Mini I've ever owned, I'd like some guidance from all of you on the level of engine noise at idle. I'm a bit surprised how noisy (clattery-ish) the engine is for such a highly engineered vehicle. The clatter goes away when revving off idle and accelerates smooth as silk, but is it supposed to be noisy like that at idle? Is this new 2011 N-18 engine noisy by design because of the new valvetronic system? Perhaps the valve train adjusts/tightens as the RPM's increases, or maybe more oil circulting on higher revs quiets the engine? Not sure, just wondering what your opinion is.

Just for comparison, although not a direct/fair comparison, I also have a 2008 Honda Civic and the engine can hardly be heard at all when at idle - it's very quiet... What gives?

Thanks, tvanhouten

 

Most likely due to the direct injection. VW's 2.0 did the same thing when it switched to DI.

 

They are real noisy , turn up the radio .

 

Yup. Mine is noisy too. It's the DI and lack of sound proofing.

 

whoa, i just posted about the same thing. wondering why my new mini sounds like a diesel at idle.

 

btw. i emailed the dealer and they invited me to come in and hear some of their other mini's at idle. It may be normal but I dont see how it can be good unless it really is just the injectors or coils firing.

 

GEOSP,

After you go to the dealer for a listen, post back with what you discover. My closest dealer is 400 miles away, so I don't have the benefit you and others have of swinging by the dealer very often.

In the mean team, we may get other posts on why the engine is noisy @ idle.

tvanhouten

 

2011 MCS here.


Gee, I sorta like the noises the engine makes. My other car, a 2007 Civic sounds like a blender......

 

Common-rail direct injection has been used in the diesel world for years. The sound is really not all that different in the gasoline versions that utilize the same technology. I work in the diesel industry so I guess the sound doesn't bother me. Come to think of it, I really don't hear it on my MCS at all. But that's probably due to the fact that I'm around louder versions of it on a regular basis. Best thing I can suggest is turn up the radio more or get busy loading up your car with Dynomat.

 

When I bought my 2008 MCS a couple months ago, I thought the tick/clatter that I was hearing was due to the timing chain tensioner. Turns out that was only part of the noise.

After the dealer did the chain tensioner fix I noticed that she still sounded as if she had a broken lifter. Poking about and listening to other MCSes and finding they all sounded the same, I figured it was just the nature of the beast.

I still cringe every time I go through a drive-through with my window down and hear the tick-tick-tick at idle. I have to unlearn that this noise does not mean something is broken, lol.

 

I got my 2011 R55s home and my wife ask it was a diesel. As long as others have the same sound I am not to concerned.
It also make a few funny noises during shutdown, we will see after a few thousand miles.
Spent more of the time learning the Connected system. Still takes me a while to change from XM to FM and back.
Cool machine.

 

On a side note to the DI noise...just got GT5 for Christmas....

Buy the 07 MCS in the game, and it makes the same noise at idle in the game. I thought it was just too funny.

 

LMAO... awesome. I heard the game was supposed to be very realistic. I wonder if you drive the car long enough, will it need a carbon cleaning?

 

I'll be at the dealer's tomorrow and I'll let you know what we find. By the way this thread is looking, the sound may actually may be normal

 

The sound is perfectly normal, they all do it (just take a look at some youtube clips of people revving their newly installed CAIs). Nothing to worry about.

 

...and the sound after shutoff?

 

Funny, I only hear the idle noise when I'm standing outside my '07 MCS, not sitting inside it. As for other noises such as timing chain and aerated HLA, they've essentially disappeared since I've changed my oil to Castrol Syntec 0W-30. Yes, Couper has had the timing chain tensioner replaced (the first time) and the chain replaced (the second time). MotorCityMini has actually been very good about warranty service.

If you have cold temperature startup noise, you might want to read the thread on it over at www.michiganmini.org.

 

The S makes a humming noise for about 5 to 10 minutes. There is a small pump that pumps coolant through the turbo water jacket to cool it after engine shutdown. This keeps the oil in the turbo bearing from overheating upon engine shutdown. The turbo housing gets plenty hot. This coolant pump eliminates the main longevity problem that early turbos of many different car manufacturers sometimes had back in the 80's.

Regarding the clacking at idle - they all do it. These direct injection engines have fuel pumps that pump at pressures over 20 times higher than regular engines and the injectors must slam shut against this very high fuel pressure. They do chatter a bit!

 

Thanks for the explanation, so basically it's got a "turbo timer" built in from factory. Cool. Still getting used to this car. I have almost 400 miles on the odometer.