for the past few days ive noticed a strange noise when the car is idling. It the same whirring sort of noise when you first put the key in poistion 2.

Switch key to position 2, the noise sounds like a fuel pump motor or something and goes off in about 2 secs. Start the car, the same noise can then be heard again coming from the rear of the car. its very faint and can be heard in a garage when no other cars are driving by.

 

If it's the same sound as your fuel pump on start up, it's probably be your fuel pump during idle. I haven't heard my MINI pump as you describe, but I have had some cars in the past that were exceptionally loud when the fuel level was low. At idle or after start up, your pump is running full time, the sound you hear before start up is the pump pressurizing the lines.

 

yup its the same exact sound, even on a full tank on gas though, and i can only hear it while idling and when the car is parked. It is the same sound i heard before startup. so this is normal ?

 

My guess would be that it's normal if it's the same source.

I'll have to listen to mine, but many folks have aftermarket exhausts, so maybe my Scorpion is just enough to cover that up. Also, I think I read you have an automatic, right?, and I don't know if those have a different fuel pump or part number than the manual shift. If you get a chance to listen to another MINI, see if you can hear the same sound.

 

thanks for the info... yup, i checked out 2 other 05 cooper S's this evening. They all make the same noise (these were MCSC's btw).. so all is good. Thanks again for the quick responses.