MINIUSA has got to know the problem exists. Whether or not they've issued a bulletin is another thing. whether the same techs that read it are still there is another. Whether your techs even read those bulletins is yet another.

Here's a little known fact. I am very tired of posting threads about problems I have with my MINI, garnering very good mechanical advice, and then having to involve the dealerships' good names in a negative light because they a) won't recognise the problem, b) won't fix the problem, or c) fail to fix the problem.

let's see. the last problem I posted and was fixed, in that order, with no monkey business in between... i guess there are a lot of such posts only after the fact. oh well.

 

in the last 200 miles or so on my aug 04 build S (6100K) I've noticed an occasional "clink" sound when I'm releasing the clutch in lower gears only. really noticeable on the driver side with the windows down, now that the weather is nice. kinda sounded like linkage binding somewhere. mine is not a works nor is it pulleyed. Jimbo

 

yup. it's the click. my first S was just an S and it had it. I bet that if you drove along jersey barriers and shifted through the higher gears, you'd hear it.

(do you really have 6.1 million miles?)

 

not on my S (six thousand one hundred), but my Toyota PU is getting pretty close

If it gets worse I'll call my dealer (Schomp), who is quite good compared to horror stories I've heard about other dealers.

Maybe we'all got a bunch of faulty short axles that aren't holding up to the revised gearing and more power. I dunno. Jimbo

PS seems to me that something like this that could not be fixed repeatedly would fall under state Lemon laws.

 

point there well made says yoda. depends on the state of course, and the overall willingness of the customer to file suit... i'm but 1/3 of the way to a lemon in ct...

 

My click continues and is getting more and more annoying. I'm not sure if it is actually getting worse or I am just paying more attention to it now. Yesterday I had both right and left windows open, tried to lean in to the middle and listen to what side it came from or both: it was all on the left/drivers side.

Still trying to figure out what it could have to do with JCW, considering I don't have the suspension. All I can think of is the exhaust bolts or exhaust hangers.

 

Josh,

I've never heard of bolts or hangers causing this kind of noise.

aren't you near the best MINI dealership in the usa (Peabody)?

why not just pop in and ask them to have a look? They'll understand if you would like it to go away before MOT.

Cheers,
john

 

They may be the best bust they don't win in convenience. Service is only open weekdays during business hours, and they don't give loaners. I'll go a long way before I bring it in.

 

wow. never heard that before. maybe as herb chambers regains consumer confidence, the peabody docket will open up...

 

Great, something to look forward to. Hopefully you guys will have it figured out by the time mine starts to do it.

 

I forgot to add. As a last resort you could try to replicate the noise and keep doing it hard untill something lets go. I used to work in a shop and have seen it done many times.

 

Ours has been clicking on both sides. So perhaps both shafts are bad. What a mess. Still waiting to hear back from our dealer on what they want us to do.

-Dave & Stacy

 

July 04 Build here and I have the same click...

 

Not you, too, buzzy!!!!!!!!!!!!
Think maybe salt on the roads???

 

buzzy werent U having a litany of problems with your 05?

 

change the "we" in "weren't" to an "a" and you've got it. Isn't that about right, luke?

Let me postulate: (name your make) dealerships are perhaps finding themselves so overwhelmed in the service end, as all the MINIs that keep selling and having warranty issues - that they've taken to being rather selective about who and what they deal with. A friend of mine was recently told never to return to his dealership, for instance. Those with persistent niggles will be doomed to deal with them on their own terms, or face the sometimes unbearable tediousness of dealership obfuscation.

 

G-- my mindset is one of not bugging my SA aboot the niggling little annoyances that just part of owning an MCS. I've had a couple of notable ones fixed quite well, but they've all been of a non-mechanical nature (interior.)

And the retarded rear fog programming issue on early build 05s.... I've seen better dropped ***** by NFL recievers, BMW.

But mechanically EFR has been a shining beacon, and my dealer treats me quite well with cabrio loaners always offered. It seems they really do appreciate it when people do not book valuable shop time over a buzz in the passenger A-Pillar.

To-day EFR started on the first crank after being dead cold for a week, and just tapping the gas kept it from sputtering (it's never died.) No click sound with clutch released and in neutral, and no clink sound driving around shifting, windows down, next to barriers.

Motored on some new pavement, smooth as silk, no noises. Odd calm feeling. Oh well, t'rows another day in my MCS's weird, quirky FUN world Jimbo

PS BMW should really reconsider placing a few MINI mechanics within most of their dealerships. They've not increased the level of physical MINI dealers much over the last couple of years, and now there's got 2 B close to 100k on the road by now.

 

Just talked to our SA again. Looks like Molly is heading up to Motorwerks this Saturday. She'll be there for a week so that they can take a chunk of time to try and figure out the click.

When we get an answer from them...we'll let you all know. We have total faith that they will be able to get everything fixed up.

That's all for now...

-Dave & Stacy

 

As I may have posted above, The clutch replacement was unsuccessful. After only four days the click worked it's way back. The dealership knows this and seems very eager to remedy the problem.

Meanwhile:

A reknown member (Hrach) of a reknown MINI dealership's (Peabody's) staff kindly gave of his time at MINIs on Top 05 this weekend and had a listen to my clicking. His diagnosis, as it seemed to be at the LF wheel alone, and at the wheel itself, was an useated brake pad, clicking back and forth inside the caliper only on momentum shifts.

I am eager to see if my local MINI service will corroborate this diagnosis the next time the car is brought in. I suspect they have already ruled it out. I would love to see the problem solved either way.

It's ironic that I am bringing my mother's Camry in for her tomorrow for a very similar reason - except I was explaining to her it was the Camry's brake pads making a 30-40 mile clicking weeks ago....

 

I seem to have this problem too. Originally, I thought it might be the clutch and was ready to set up a service appointment at the dealership when I realized that the click/chirp sound happens even when I'm not even touching the clutch. It only happens when the car is under a fair amount of tourque, i.e. in lower gears. It seemed like it might be a squeaky engine mount or bolt.

I thought it wasn't a big deal. I was just going to wait a few months, when I have to go in for the 25K service. (I have about 19K on it now.) But after reading this thread, I'm thinking maybe I should make the appointment sooner than later.

 

Welp, got back from my service. The pinging noise is gone. Asked my SA if he knew what specifically was the problem. Unfortunately he didn't. He did say that based on the location of the sound it isn't the CV joint. He thinks it's something further out toward the tire. He also mentioned that they send all the parts back to MINI for testing and examination. So maybe something will show up in the form of a service bulletin at some point.

 

Damn, you should have grabbed me so we could compare our clicks on saturday. Did he just speculate the brake pad was the problem or did you confirm that? I guess I could remove the wheel and check my pads to see if there's anything wrong. But the more I hear the click, the more I think it's a drive shaft. It doesn't occur with weight shift due to braking, only with torque changing to the opposite direction.

 

josh. post a picture so next time i'll recognise you. too many faces at mot. would have liked to have met you.

He was damned sure the pads were to blame... but still not confirmed by any MINI service center that will be working on my car.

 

Im sure some creative searching say in Ian's gallery will find me
I find it's always easier to find someone by locating their car...

Because I did the pads myself is why I'm concerned and want to check it out. But why would they be shifting if I'm not even applying the brake?

 

yeah, ian's got the yearbook of mini owners. shoulda thunkit.

josh- my saab used to have a similar prob. my mechanic in a hungarian accent found it hard to explain how the clicking was made when the caliper was closed (readpen(but then you did change your own pads)) and the car was simply driving about. The fact is, brake pad clicking will NEVER happen when the brake is applied. When the pad is not fixed properly in the caliper, the simplest change in momentum will cause it to knock to one side of the caliper, which apparently makes a pretty loud "tink". A momentum change to the other direction can make the same noise as the pad slides back. Previously I have seen the pads shift with the force of every wheel rotation - or should I say - heard it.

This is how I've been made to understand these brake clicks.