"The Rattle"....
"The Rattle"....
274 miles, and when I started car yesterday it sounded a little different....
Took it in to dealer today. so ill find out tomorrow what it is.
I really like the car, but man, if it is the tensioner, wouldnt you think after years of this problem they would figure it out already!?!?!!
I mean wtf! no biggie, just plain annoying.
Just a rant.
Took it in to dealer today. so ill find out tomorrow what it is.
I really like the car, but man, if it is the tensioner, wouldnt you think after years of this problem they would figure it out already!?!?!!
I mean wtf! no biggie, just plain annoying.
Just a rant.
With only 274 miles on the car i would suspect that it is a 2011/12 model year car. And if that is the case then you have a N18 Engine NOT the N14 that has the major tensioner problems.
Now that is not to say that there is not a tensioner problem with your car but it is NOT the same as the Cold Start Rattle or Death Rattle as some call it.
Now that is not to say that there is not a tensioner problem with your car but it is NOT the same as the Cold Start Rattle or Death Rattle as some call it.
6th Gear
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,497
Likes: 0
From: Orange County, CA
The rattle sound you are hearing is 100% normal for your car (i.e. a 2011/2012 "S" with the newly redesigned and more efficient Valvetronic/VANOS-equipped N18 Prince engine). You can find the official MINI Technical Service Bulliten (TSB) that talks about it, along with a video of another MINI "S" making the rattle noise on cold start in the following NAM thread:
N18 – Cold Start Exhaust Rattle Noise (Turbo Wastegate)
I thought the same exact thing about my new 2012 MINI Coupe "S" when I first heard the sound upon cold start. It sounds totally awful, but is completely normal indeed.
N18 – Cold Start Exhaust Rattle Noise (Turbo Wastegate)
I thought the same exact thing about my new 2012 MINI Coupe "S" when I first heard the sound upon cold start. It sounds totally awful, but is completely normal indeed.
SUBJECT
N18 – Cold Start Exhaust Rattle Noise
MODEL
R55 Cooper Clubman S, R56/R57 Cooper S and R60 Cooper Countryman S with N18 engine
SITUATION
The customer complains about a rattle noise coming from the exhaust/turbocharger area during a cold start. The noise lasts for approximately 20-30 seconds after the engine starts and is audible outside the vehicle.
INFORMATION
In order to meet stricter (ULEV2) emissions criteria, the N18 engine turbo wastegate activation strategy has been revised in comparison to Cooper S vehicles equipped with the N14 engine.
In higher ambient temperatures (between 64° and 86° F), the turbocharger wastegate stays fully open during a catalyst warm-up. This condition produces a rattle type of “acoustic feedback” and is created by the rotating wastegate valve face. Valve rotation is required for proper valve seating.
This type of rattle noise is considered a normal operation/characteristic of the N18 turbocharger wastegate system.
No diagnostic or repair attempts should be conducted for such a condition.
N18 – Cold Start Exhaust Rattle Noise
MODEL
R55 Cooper Clubman S, R56/R57 Cooper S and R60 Cooper Countryman S with N18 engine
SITUATION
The customer complains about a rattle noise coming from the exhaust/turbocharger area during a cold start. The noise lasts for approximately 20-30 seconds after the engine starts and is audible outside the vehicle.
INFORMATION
In order to meet stricter (ULEV2) emissions criteria, the N18 engine turbo wastegate activation strategy has been revised in comparison to Cooper S vehicles equipped with the N14 engine.
In higher ambient temperatures (between 64° and 86° F), the turbocharger wastegate stays fully open during a catalyst warm-up. This condition produces a rattle type of “acoustic feedback” and is created by the rotating wastegate valve face. Valve rotation is required for proper valve seating.
This type of rattle noise is considered a normal operation/characteristic of the N18 turbocharger wastegate system.
No diagnostic or repair attempts should be conducted for such a condition.
1st Gear
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
From: Indianapolis, IN
The rattle sound you are hearing is 100% normal for your car (i.e. a 2011/2012 "S" with the newly redesigned and more efficient Valvetronic/VANOS-equipped N18 Prince engine). You can find the official MINI Technical Service Bulliten (TSB) that talks about it, along with a video of another MINI "S" making the rattle noise on cold start in the following NAM thread:
N18 – Cold Start Exhaust Rattle Noise (Turbo Wastegate)
I thought the same exact thing about my new 2012 MINI Coupe "S" when I first heard the sound upon cold start. It sounds totally awful, but is completely normal indeed.
N18 – Cold Start Exhaust Rattle Noise (Turbo Wastegate)
I thought the same exact thing about my new 2012 MINI Coupe "S" when I first heard the sound upon cold start. It sounds totally awful, but is completely normal indeed.
But that is exactly what many dealers stated early on when the N14 Rattle was first shown to them. Just Saying
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6th Gear
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,497
Likes: 0
From: Orange County, CA
Maybe so, but the characteristic exhaust rattle noise of the N18 engine only lasts for about 30 seconds on cold start and then it completely goes away (exactly as stated in the TSB). The N14 rattle, on the other hand, never goes away (or at least it didn't on my R56 with the N14 engine in it - the car had to be towed to the dealer).
2nd Gear
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 72
Likes: 2
Really? This sounds HORRIBLE. Every other automaker seems to be able to find a way to meet the requirement without allowing their engine to sound like it is about to throw a rod. Man, I am REALLY glad you guys do such a good job finding out these issues and reporting them. If I buy a new MINI for my wife and it sounded like that, we would have both had a heart attack! Glad to see it is not a problem, but...REALLY? This is considered acceptable by BMW/MINI? I hope we don't find out down the road that to meet another requirement, the airbag opens up and the car punches you in the nose and MINI considers THAT to be acceptable.
1st Gear
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
From: San Jose
FWIW, my 2011 Kia Sportage SX (2.0 turbo) has this issue too. For emmissions reasons the wastegate is allowed to free-float at cold startup. It makes a rattling sound that owners complained about. There is now a TSB on it and owners can bring their car in for a software update to "fix" the issue. It doesn't sound that bad to me, but I don't know how bad the MINI sounds on cold start?
The rattle noise during cold start on all 2011 and 2012 Mini Cooper S-es is the wastegate. The turbocharger wastegate stays fully open during catalyst warm-up. The N18 motor (2012 and 2011) produces a somewhat loud and nasty rattle noise created by the rotating wastegate valve face. The noise lasts for approximately 30-60 seconds after the engine starts and is audible outside the vehicle. The noise is "considered normal."
We that have the N18 engines still need to listen for other noises and keep the oil level in the healthy zone.
Video of the wastegate:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ngQv...ature=youtu.be
We that have the N18 engines still need to listen for other noises and keep the oil level in the healthy zone.
Video of the wastegate:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ngQv...ature=youtu.be
5th Gear
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 763
Likes: 0
From: Southern CA
When everyone says "cold start", how cold is cold? What kind of temperatures are we talking about? (Or does "cold start" simply mean that the engine wasn't already warmed up, like coming out of a store after a few minutes and starting it back up regardless of outside temperature).
When everyone says "cold start", how cold is cold? What kind of temperatures are we talking about? (Or does "cold start" simply mean that the engine wasn't already warmed up, like coming out of a store after a few minutes and starting it back up regardless of outside temperature).
6th Gear
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,358
Likes: 1
From: Graham, NC
When everyone says "cold start", how cold is cold? What kind of temperatures are we talking about? (Or does "cold start" simply mean that the engine wasn't already warmed up, like coming out of a store after a few minutes and starting it back up regardless of outside temperature).
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