Dang. I just watched your failing SC video and that noise sounds familiar... A lot like mine.

 

I would not worry too much until it gets a bit louder and drowns out the sound of the stereo ;-)


I was able to get another 30,000 miles (2 1/2 years) out of it before it failed.

 

So these superchargers only last 50 to 130k?! What kind of POS car is this? I just bought one with 82k on it and thought that was low mileage, considering that I have always had Volvo and Mercedes which go 200k miles with very little problems. Is it possible to fix this or just let it go out and tow the car to the junkyard where it belongs?

 

You can get a rebuilt SC for about $1K and it will outlast the car.


It will also help with the resale if you need to sell it later on.

 

Don't you think you are a bit melodramatic? I bet you had Volvo 240 and Mercedes 220D. Better sell your high mileage Mini now before the rest of the world finds out it is a POS.

 

​​​​​Heyyyyy, don't harsh the vibe here buddy. Every car is different, because everyone maintains and mods their car differently.

​​​Food for thought, my buddy modified and maintains his '06 R53 like no other (his kids are gone, he owns his own business, so he has plenty of time and money), anyway he has over 220k on his odometer and the only major trouble he's ever had was his transmission failing.

But back to SC rebuilding, if that's my case. : fingers crossed it's not: Aren't rebuilds around $700 from reputable companies. Or would you opt for a rebuilt/used unit?

Hmm, maybe the Harrop Super Charger unit with 1 PC intake and auxiliary water pump!!

Edit: Anyone know of any successfully rebuilds completed by an individual. I see rebuild kits on that one bidding site. :Wink:

 

+1

any possibility the serpentine was routed incorrectly and spinning something backwards?

Disclaimer
I have turbo not a sc so I'm not really familiar with the setup but I've had my fair share of wtf moments

 

It will take a genius or a new and improved fool to be able to do that.

 

Nope, I took pics, drew a routing, and even have the routing on the car.

The belt will be off this weekend, maybe tomorrow, and I'll be able to report more findings then. When I take the belt off, when turning by hand should it be easily turned or have quite a bit of resistance? Any advice as far as turn the other pulley's, easily turn or resistant?

 

Any guide pilots that have not other function than to route the belt should spin freely.

The ac compressor will have a good bit of resistance and so will the alternator

the water pump should turn with a little bit of resistance

What your really looking for is
loose or bent pulleys
chirping or scraping sounds when turned

do you have the original plastic water pump or the second version aluminum one?

Like i I said I'm coming from an r56 so not 100% about the setup on your r53 but I assume it's similar.

 

*guide pulleys

 

the tensioner should also spin freely but as far as the sc I'm not sure if it should have resistance or what. Anybody here know for sure?

 

That's what I was needing. Thanks given!
given. I have the aluminum, wasn't aware they even had a plastic version.

Glass 1/2 full Thought: If it is the supercharger, I guess I'll be swapping the tranny, clutch, CV axles, and shift cables to my R50, along with some other items. I wouldn't be too upset if I had to put the r53 on the back burner. I think my R50 is pretty dapper! Black, white roof, graphite interior. Only thing I'll miss are the sunroofs. Plus I still have my system in my R50 (No HK[Awesome])!

 

here are a few videos that might help. His sounds almost exactly the same and it turned out to be the gear for the water pump but you should definiteley give these a watch. It looks like it would be fairly easy to rebuild.

 

Big thanks MiniCooper_S! I just got off work and letting the car cool down right now. I noticed something interesting today, the noise was still present even after I turned off the car and turned the key to POS 2 so my friend could listen to music while I ran in the store. Sounds like this is similar, but not the exact noise.

Take a listen:
"When it rains it pours" sounds like a fitting quote for my day. ��

 

Ok that's prety weird!
Not sure about the r53 but I know the r56 has a pump that keeps water circulating when the car is shut off to cool the turbo.

 

Does your power steering work all the time or seem to intermittently cut out?

 

well that's a lot cheaper to fix, see if there's something in the fan first it's easy to reach and unplug

 

This is a prime example that recording the sound through a mic on a smart phone cannot accurately convey the noise in situ because of he audio DSP which is designed to suppress and manipulate the noise. This would be my last time trying to second guess the true cause of the problem base on a video clip or audio recording. My advise is to use a piece of PVC hose to track down the source of the noise yourself. That is what I would do.

 

Well this was recorded with the engine off, meaning the PS pump is possibly going out as well. That's the only noise in the last video I posted. In the first video it's a combination of both noises, which makes for a super annoying drive. I feel like I need a Xanax everytime I drive the car now, either PS or water pump/SC will die with no warning. I've been a maintenance but with this car too, always checking oil and fluids, so neither unit has ever been run low or dry.

Power Steering works all the time, no issues, just a noisy pump. I bought a mechanics stethoscope and can hear it in both hoses.

Didn't have a chance to work on the car at all, girl won $500 on a The Walking Dead (WOOHOO, TWD) scratch off and decided to take a trip to the beach. I figure the R53 will be fine to drive until the coolant gauge pegs. I mean it's basically the noise of a dying SC anyway. Found a unit with 44k miles on it for $450, so I guess I'll go that route instead of trying to fix it myself as people who go this route don't seem to have the best of luck.

I guess the upside is that I have brand new spare PS pump on my R50. And as far as the fan on the PS pump goes, it's the new style with the protective grille. Not sure if the previous owner took advantage of the extended warranty on the replacement.

Edit: Wish I could add a poll, but I'm seriously considering doing a transmission swap to the R50. The expensive problems on the R53 keep stacking up against me.

1. Supercharger
2. Water Pump
3. HK amp started coming and going this morning
4. Strut towers starting to mushroom
5. Engine idles rough
6. Could keep going... You get the gist.

So what do you guys think would be the smartest, economically inclined choice would be? Keep in mind I don't care about going fast anymore, I just want reliability and classy all in one.

 

Does your R53 qualify for the P/S Pump Recall?
If so. you'll get a new pump and fan replaced free of charge.

Enter your VIN here to find out.

 

I'll check the VIN when I get back to the shop, but it's just outside of the 13 year mark by a couple of months. Maybe I can catch the service manager on a good day if it hasn't already been done.

 

Ah, the site says the service is currently down.

Well, the belts off, letting it cool. The SC pulley spins with a bit of resistance. All others spin fine, except crank of course.

Will start it up later if I don't pass out before then, looong Monday.

Edit: I just checked it again, and it QUALIFIES! Hopefully it won't matter that the car is a couple months past the warranty end date? :Shrug:

 

As far as the fan goes, I put a brand new fan on back at the beginning of Summer, but will double check it anyway. Never hurts. But this noise seems more in the electro pump, which is odd. When my R50's failed it just went, no sounds, or warning.

 

Now that the belt is off, does anyone have anything to add, since he's most familiar with the R56'S, should I look for anything else?

So far everything you stated sounds correct, water pump has some resistance, quite pulleys spin freely, crank doesn't move of course. Anyway to test the belt tensioner? Anything guys, it's greatly appreciated!