2010 Justa has always produced a loud "zing" sound for about two seconds on cold startup, which then goes away. If you immediately shutoff and restart, there is no "zing". I have always assumed that this was due to inadequate tensioner pressure due to momentary lack of oil pressure.

My question is, what is making the sound? Is the chain dragging against the guide until the oil pressure builds up, the head, block or???

Is this what eventually kills the chain and ultimately the motor?

An accusump or preoiler would presumably eliminate this issue. Could this then make the chain last at least 100K as one would minimally expect from a normal car?

Any chance of convincing Mini not to void the warranty for such an addition?

Thanks,

DOC

 

I think you have described what I hear when starting mine. I estimate the sound lasts for no more than a second. With subsequent starts during the day it's not heard again.

Others have commented on this and I accept the explanation that the sound is coming from the vacuum pump and is normal. Unfortunately I cannot prove it. No doubt other opinions will follow.

 

I saw a service bulletin about cold engine start/timing chain noises and it said the initial zing noise is normal. If it continues after start then something is wrong.

 

It also seems to be "normal" to have Prince motors routinely blow up in 50,000 miles. I usually keep my daily driver street cars over 10 years (race cars going on 35) and planned to do my usual with this Mini. However, it looks like a full timing chain service with related ancillaries is needed at least every 50K to keep the motor in one piece. This is hard to justify, even if the current dealer price of $1900 for this can be brought down to, say a grand, using an independent shop.

I am looking to see if there is something simple like the use of an Accusump or preoiler that could dramatically lengthen the life of the timing chain. If the cold startup chain/guide wear can be eliminated by having the tensioner at full "tension" BEFORE the motor is started from cold, then perhaps this could be a viable car to keep beyond the warranty coverage.

My last daily driver was a VW Passat 1.8 T 5-speed. I put 320K on it in 11 years. It still has the original clutch, bottom end and head. Replaced two timing belts and one turbo (5K Mobil 1 oil changes, doing the same with the Mini).

(My first car in 1965 was a 1960 Austin 850 Mini. I planned to "bookend" my life with my first and last cars being Minis, but it is not looking so good for the R56.)

I don't expect to repeat those extraordinary results with the Mini, but I would like to get to 150K without replacing several motors.

I am currently at 23K. I plan to go with the 7yr/100K factory warranty, but will have to bail near the end unless a solution to the timing chain problem is developed.

Thanks,

DOC

 

Sorry, but the Prince motors blowing up within 50k miles are the rare exception. The ones doing so due to failures of the timing chain tensioner are probably non-existent. And I expect that mileage limitation can be removed and this would apply to all 2nd gen MINIs.

 

I must admit, after my tensioner/timing chain change at 23k, the initial zing is gone. The new tensioner may well keep more tension on the chain at engine start than the old one did.

 

Beni,

Yes, that certainly suggests that the higher spring pressure of the new type tensioner keeps the chain off whatever it hits that normally causes the "zing" until it pumps up with oil pressure.

The question is whether eliminating the cold start chain drag will dramatically increase the service life of the timing chain and related components.

DOC