Ohh I see. Does the info also include all the alerts etc? I believe my brake-fluid icon is red when I cycle through the info menu. I checked the brake fluid reservoir and it was topped off so I don't know what the car wants.

 

all they did on mine today was replace the tensioner. And did the turbo oil line heat shield. Car is quieter now...will be interesting to see how much quieter on cold startup in the morning.

 

My work order says "measured chain deflection at 69mm. removed valve cover and found broken upper timing chain guide. Replaced timing chain assembly, engine oil and filter. Remove broken timing chain pieces from oil pan and reseal."

 

My work order did not give a specific measurement, only that they were inconsistent.

 

When mine was in they did a full check, what BMW calls an MPI. The mechanic has an inspection checklist to go through, but I believe this is up to the dealer whether or not this is done . It may be time for a brake fluid flush? From what I understand, the key does keep track of any service needed.

 

Oh ok. So this MPI should be routine? Is it free of charge if I request it?

 

I had my timing chain components replace in June of 2013, today I found out that I got the updated tensioner. Also went ahead and got the turbo oil feed line heat shield.

 

That depends if your dealer offers it. I would think that most dealers do some type of inspections as this increases profits and keeps their customers happy!

 

so, cold startup this morning...revealed a different car and a completely different sound...wow...it is quiet...I thought the car was just loud on startup, not anymore. I am due for an oil change this weekend, I think I will strain it and make sure there are no little plastic bits in it...I can't believe that a tensioner made that much difference in the sound of the car...and I know it has to be just placebo effect, but the car runs better now...

 

Update...

MINI of St Louis will measure my timing chain for free. However Cooperate MINI will not cover the cost as I had replaced the tensioner myself at 40,323 miles.

If the chain is out of spec it is again on me to try and get MINI Cooperate or MINI of St Louis to cover the cost.

This entire situation is just silly. How would a new tensioner put a timing chain out of spec? (the same one they were going to put in?)

I bought the car knowing of issues that could come along with it (time chain, fuel pump, turbo oil line, thermostat, ect) So to prevent them I took it upon myself to replace the tensioner my self ($72 and 30 mins of my time) vs Deal who wanted $ 360 to inspect and $560 to replace if bad.

Then a month and a half after purchasing the car a letter comes saying they will inspect and replace parts if out of spec for a "recall" as both stated by the SA and Customer Support at MINI USA.

As far as the heat shield I had already bought one for $6 at ECS and put it on the car when I replaced the tensioner. They put on my receipt that they gave me one but it was still the same one I had already bought and put on myself.

 

So, I just picked up my 07 MCS from the dealership today. Had the turbo heat shield replaced, did the walnut blast, and they also "inspected" my timing tensioner.

I have been following this thread for a while and I see some pretty consistent treatments from dealerships. I uploaded an image of a portion of my work order. Please notice item "C" for the tensioner. Can anyone help me understand this??



It says, "visual inspection of tensioner completed. tensioner is good ..."

I called the service manager to clarify what this meant, as I was under the impression that if the original tensioner is on there, it gets measured, and replaced if necessary. I sense his eyes rolling as he told me they literally just visually inspected the tensioner and determined all was good. How does one determine visually if all is well, if the tensioner is something you'd typically measure since millimeters are hard to measure by human eye??

I just got this car two months ago, I just want it running smoothly.

 

What I have been told by both local and MINI USA is this: "If you have the old tensioner we replace it with the new model and we measure the chain to make sure it is in specifications." "If the chain is out of specification it is replaced as well."

You either had the new tensioner already or they just did not do the work to inspect the old unit and measure the chain.

My guess, after my treatment and a few others posters treatment, you had option 2.

Again they did not hold up what the letter says, they did not inspect your chain...

Hah, I also like the fact that they want you to use 93 octane to prevent carbon build-up... but that is another thread...

 

any 'new' tensioner replacement will only buy you time. the timing chain will break within 20k miles of the 'new' tensioner!

 

I just spoke with MINI USA to see if they could just give me details on how it is determined which vehicles get the replacement tensioner. He said that "the measurement of the tensioner will determine if a replacement tensioner is necessary."

He agrees that the dealership should have gotten an actual measurement .. unless they do so many and they're good at "eyeing" it.

I guess I'll just assume that I have the new tensioner .. would've been nice if they could have at least noted that somewhere or told me.


I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MENTION : The gentleman I spoke with at MINI USA was reading the recall information exactly as he had it on his computer. He CONFIRMED that MINI USA will now be looking into reimbursement of timing chain components if they were replaced outside of the recall, for anyone who has had to pay out of pocket for the service.

I know there are a lot of people on this forum that that applies to, so I very HIGHLY encourage anyone who's paid out of pocket for the timing chain/tensioner replacement to contact MINI USA.

 

Howdy All,
New here - nice forum you've got going!

Last night my 2010 S lost power and misfiring - yellow engine lit up. Pulled over, shut down, checked oil and then drove the mile home under 2k rpm's. Got towed to private shop who did my recent JCW turbo upgrade and just learned chain jumped the tracks and cylinder hit the valve - damn!

Any advice on approaching MINI for the fix, in light of this thread and experiences learned?

Thanks beforehand, -Joe

 

Tow it to the dealer, act stupid about it.

Really, they owe you an engine.

 

I'm gonna call MINI USA tomorrow and get a straight answer on a couple questions I have about future warranty for these new tensioners and also whether or not a physical measurement is ordered under this campaign, because if it is, then my local dealers are going to hear an earful from me.

 

Had my '08 MCS in for timing chain tensioner check today at Mini of Des Moines.
Removed timing chain tensioner and measured stretch, found chain under 68mm.
Installed updated tensioner per service action.
Apparently if something goes wrong with timing chain now it's on me.
Anyone confused about this procedure should check out video by danjreed on the second page of this thread, at the end it shows the difference between the old and updated chain tensioner
Not much to this heat shield, looks like a piece of foil wrapped around the oil line and attached with a little bracket.

 

They want you to flush & replace the brake fluid every 2 yrs. I believe
Is this really needed?

 

I purchased my 09 MCS in July at 24k miles. It now has 28k. All was well until the weather turned colder. I started it after work the other day when it was about 45 degrees outside. It sounded terrible; very loud rattling noise from passenger side of engine. I have no doubt that this is the dreaded timing chain/tensioner issue. I entered my vin at miniusa.com to check for recalls and nothing came up about the tensioner. So the recall must be pretty selective. I am going to replace the tensioner myself with the upgraded version. Not too happy about this but hopefully it solves the problem for now.

 

DONT DO IT YOURSELF!!! Despite what the website shows, your car is eligible for MINI to replace it. Call your dealer and tell them what's going on, along with giving them your VIN. They'll tell you to bring it in so they can get it replaced (in your case it'll probably be the whole assembly, guides, chain, and tensioner).

 

Thanks for the advice but I really doubt they would replace everything. The nearest dealer is an hour and a half away and the tensioner is inexpensive and looks easy to replace. So I will try this first. If the problem persists, I can always put the old tensioner back in and take it to the dealer.

 

They replaced everything on mine and I have a 2 year warranty on parts and labor. The MINI site said that there were no open recalls on mine either. Wouldn't hurt to try.

 

How long did they have it and did they give you a loaner? If there was a dealer nearby I would try that route for sure. But they are too far away and I don't have time for all that especially since many are reporting that the dealers aren't fixing their problem. I really like the car but at this point I am regretting my purchase and kicking myself for not researching these cars before buying one. I have done plenty of engine work myself so I will probably either fix it on my own or trade it for something else.

 

I dropped it off at 9:00 am and picked it up at noon the next day. They covered a rental car for two days.