Bought a R56 mini recently and I haven't had any problems with it apart from the evap hose getting disconnected. I'm really having fun with this car but recently started getting concerned about reliability (of course)!!!

It's mainly a weekend car, but I have to start it and move it 3 times a week for street parking. Every now and then (maybe once a week), when I start it, I hear a very sharp rattling noise coming from the engine. It goes away after driving or idling the car for about a minute, but still has me concerned.

Should I be concerned? Should I get the chain tensioner replaced, or the full timing chain kit? Does anyone know if this is something that should be covered under warranty? I'm getting a lot of mixed responses.

If anyone has a good mechanic that they can recommend in Brooklyn or nearby, I would also be very thankful.

Thank you so much for any help.

 

Dude your effed. Same thing happened to me and right now I'm driving a loaner cause the dealer is taking my mini apart, doing the whole shebang. They said the guide rail was broke. Hopefully you are still covered under warantee. Good luck.

BTW, I thought it sounded kind of like a ricer's fart can at the front of the car..

 

I highly advise you just replace the entire thing before it destroys your engine. If it's an '07 and hasn't had it replaced before (or recently) it probably has the old parts. I know MINI changed the replacement parts like what, a couple years back? $1300 > $10,000 for sure.

 

Wanna try something cheaper ? Go buy a new tensioner. It's on the passenger side of the engine. In the rear. I had 175,00 on mine before I fixed it. I thru the tensioner only and it stopped the noise. The design of those chain can take a lot of abuse. They just don't stretch and go bad in 35-80,000. Those guides are tough as well. The problem with those systems is the weak spring in the tensioner. They put crappy springs in them on the originally designed ones. All the new ones are good. It makes noise because the oil has to get up to temperature and full pressure to make it go away because the spring inside the tensile is weak. Dealers tell people they gotta replace it all for a couple reasons. 1. Money. 2 liability. It's very simple to do. It's all over this forum.

 

Welcome to the Death Rattle as they call it, same thing happened to me 3 months after buying my 2007 MCS at 47k. It definitely got my attention, it was so loud I thought the engine was toast! Don't wait get it fixed!

What's you're mileage?

 

I got my 08 in May, Death Rattle started happening (or at least became noticeable) just a couple weeks ago. 90k miles... I waited a bit too long to get it in the shop but I didn't have too much of a choice. Like I said before, don't wait, get it there asap. I have a good rapport with my dealership, that said if you don't I recommend finding a local small shop that knows about the issue.

 

Timing chains are under recall for a lot of the second generation MCS's. Give your local a dealer a call and see what they say. Don't take no for an answer cause I just got mine done under recall about 2 months ago now