R53 supercharger/water pump noise

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

May 21, 2014 | 11:27 AM

#26

jamalz

1st Gear

Joined: Jan 2011

Posts: 15

Likes: 0

From: Katy, Texas

Just saw this a little too late! I just posted my own video of a similar sound but i think mine sounds much worse! Any thoughts?

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...his-noise.html

May 29, 2014 | 10:57 AM

#27

jskeith111

2nd Gear

Joined: Jun 2013

Posts: 137

Likes: 3

From: NW Indiana (45 min south of Downtown Chicago)

Similar noise?

My 05 MCS with 45k miles just started making this noise? Any thoughts? Tensioner?

The "droning" sound is my Power Steering Pump.
The "squeaky" sound is what I am concerned with...

Thanks!

Jul 17, 2015 | 12:17 PM

#28

PRustan

Neutral

Joined: Dec 2002

Posts: 4

Likes: 0

Squeak noise

jskeith - I have what sounds like a similar noise to your squeak. It is only when I start the car when it has been sitting for a while and will go away after 5-10min of driving. Did you ever figure out what was causing the noise?

Thanks.

Jul 17, 2015 | 12:47 PM

#29

jskeith111

2nd Gear

Joined: Jun 2013

Posts: 137

Likes: 3

From: NW Indiana (45 min south of Downtown Chicago)

@PRustan - I stopped worrying about mine and it went away within a few weeks. I think I accidentally got some oil on it or something. It's been gone for a long time and hasn't come back.

Jul 18, 2015 | 05:25 PM

#30

MiniSuperCooper

4th Gear

iTrader: (1)

Joined: Jul 2006

Posts: 471

Likes: 1

From: Oklahoma City

I had my supercharger rebuilt at PSE in Oklahoma City. The guy there specializes in our supercharger. He knows what he's doing. He said there's a flaw in the seal. He said that he was hired to fix the issue and the later built Cabrios have the updated seal. He had 12 or more of our superchargers there in his shop. He broke my SC down right in front of me and showed me the seal. MINI is out of superchargers, so it's best to take care of the one you have. PSE charges around $800 for the rebuild. I think that's about the going rate. The guy there said it will sound like you have rocks in your SC. If that happens, he said not to drive it at all. He said that you will demolish your SC by driving it like that, and the guy showed me examples of that in his shop. It wasn't pretty, and there's no fixing it. Some of the ones he showed me had no gears left. They were completely rounded off.

If that happens, you have to find one someplace else. (salvaged, rebuilt core, etc.)

Aug 23, 2022 | 08:33 PM

#31

cooperwiththemini

1st Gear

Joined: Dec 2021

Posts: 28

Likes: 0

I have the same sound

Quote:

Originally Posted by mini Paul

It is a 2004 r53 mini cooper S, 105k miles and ran perfect to now. There has been a noise coming from the engine bay similar to this Mini Cooper S R53 - Noise from Supercharger/Waterpump area? - YouTube (Not my car but sounds identical) it was not over heating but the sound was getting worse.

So today I dove into it and took of the supercharger. It sounds fine, the PTO was filled with oil, and spun freely. The water pump appears to be stiff and not really wanting to spin freely but there is also still water in it.

I am a little stuck now as I don't know what is the problem and I don't want to start just replacing parts. Any ideas? How stiff should the water pump be? has anyone had the same issues?

I have removed the supercharger and alternator and water pump in a quest to change the supercharger oil and when I got it out I gave it a lil spin while looking in at the screws and I heard a noise quite like the one in that video, I can't seem to tell if its a water pump noise or a supercharger noise. tomorrow I am going to separate them and spin each one to see where the noise is coming from, I may just get an aftermarket water pump anyway while I have it out because I can get a cheap one for around $40. Would it be worth it to get the aftermarket one or should a pay more for a good one and any ideas on the noise?