Guys,
I just started getting a loud click/clunking sound from the passenger side engine. I'm thinking maybe it's the timing chain tensioner (hoping) but wanted to hear some other inputs or ideas. Any thoughts would be most appreciated.

2005 Cooper S
All stock
135k miles

The noise just started and it seems to increase as the rpms do. Comes and goes but seems to be getting more frequent. Is there an easy way to test this? Or if I remove the tensioner, will it be obvious that it is bad?

Thanks all...

 

I removed the serpentine belt just to see if the noise would still continue. With no belt, the noise does not happen. So now I'm looking at a possible bad belt tensioner. The noise is odd though. It's not a squeal or rattle. it's more of a somewhat violent clunk and I can see the tensioner jump when the noise happens. Does this sound like a bad tensioner? Any other thoughts? Supercharger? Again, the noise seemed to happen more when cold, once things got up to temp, it was much less frequent or not at all...

Thanks guys.

 

Tensioner shouldn't jump around, also you said the noise goes away with belt off. I'd start with the tensioner.

 

Watch the crank pulley/harmonic balancer with the belt on. Rubber core deteriorates over time and it will wobble under load.