I used to get this in my A4 before installing a high-quality four point strut tower brace. Doesn't do it anymore.

Most people here deny any benefit of the strut tower braces on a Mini due to the stiffness of the chassis in OEM form. I have no experience with the Mini, with or without the brace, but if you're having these issues you might want to borrow a friend's just to give it a shot.

 

what Company did u use 4 d 4 point brace?
how does it actually mount 2 ur car? ( i also own a 03 jetta vR6 gli,... do they have it 4 this application)
I do believe d car should, & needs further adjustments (any metal enclosure should have braces or tower bars imo) i run one now but its not really adequate, just looks kool!
theres so many out there that r not worth d steel or carbon fiber their created out of.

 

Racetec Strut Brace from SPP

Threadjack: Have you ever thought about purchasing a Hooked On Phonics course?

 

been on that site before.. did not notice d 4 point bar

looks killer, did not look 2 c if they offer it 4 VW wanted 2 reply back 2 u
& i know ur not tryin' 2 carry me! :smile: u just got 2 get a little creative 2 read my sheit!!!! so dont b a pain in d ****!!

 

Back on topic:

Has anyone with this noise managed to have it fixed? A sunroof is one of the options I am interested in getting with my Mini, but I would skip it if this creaking/cracking/popping etc. is going to be an issue.

Followup question: Who has the sunroof but does not have this noise?

 

not that i have experienced but u should check d younger cars they might have changed a few things on d new ones i have an early 04 S.

when i look inside d roof towards d front of d car u can see wood down in there i think that might b a small feature i would not want and that might b why d sound stiks around, but its not while u drive its only when u first open d sunroof.
i dont get it while im drivin' or while on curves or nothing like that just when it opens.
what have u on order?

 

I'm not sure if we're talking about the same thing. I'm not talking about a noise coming from the sunroof when you open or close it. I'm asking about a creaking or popping noise people have heard from the sunroof when the chassis is under some kind of 'flex'...like going up into a driveway or parking garage. On the previous page of this thread, a few people with 05 cars said they noticed this.

I haven't ordered my car yet. I am waiting for the 06 models, which works out fine because I still haven't decided if I want an MC or MCS. I also haven't decided on a final spec list yet, as I've hinted at here. I really want a sunroof because I had one in my first car, but have not had one in any vehicles I've owned since then. I definitely miss the open feel a sunroof brings to a car; but if the roof is going to be making strange noises, there are other options I could spend that $850 on.

 

no i've never had that happened 2 me i think if thats d case than something's not right it should not flex that much unless these are moddified cars (suspensions and such) they might b running to tight or stiff in d suspension department.

u should go 4 d S model its night and day unless u plan on modding a cooper

 

I agree, something doesn't sound right about the whole flex thing. I don't know if people who have noticed the sound have stock or modified suspension. I guess I'll find out when more people post to let us know what they've noticed. Hopefully it's nothing!

I can't say whether I'm leaning towards the MC or MCS right now, as I seem to change my mind pretty much daily. But like I said, I have a while to think about it. I plan to order my car sometime in January.

 

I found this post on Mini2 in a similar thread:

"Both my coopers had the sunroof produce a craking/Squeeking kind of sound when going over bumps , and some ticking sound when opening/closing - applying some grease/lube on the inner back rail solved all of that - highly recommended (http://mini.uglydoris.com/archives/000026.html)."

Wondering if anyone has given this a try.

 

I have the sunroof option but have no idea if that has anything to do with it. I haven't experimented with it be open or closed when entering a garage. When and if my car ever returns from the dealer, I'll test it.


Driver centric...the only reason I have the sunroof is it came with the car. I didn't custom order it. I didn't actually want one. It adds weight and I never use it.

 

I hear the cracking/popping sound when I'm taking hard right, while driving through a seriously deep gutter then climb a steep hill immediately after. The crack/pop sound doesn't bother me as it's doesn't sound severe. I mean, I don't feel like the glass is anywhere near shattering, nor popping out. I do understand the chasis is under some serious pressure, but it's so out of the ordinary that I'm not bothered with it. I love the sun roof and I'd get it again in a heartbeat if I can't get a convertable. IMHO, go for the sunroof as it's enhances my motoring experience tenfold. The chasis flex comes in to play less than .00000000000001% of the time.

Good luck making the decision.

 

I have an 05 MCS with sunroof and in the last month it has started to pop when pulling into the drive-way (has some slope to it). But the sunroof makes no other noises while driving and it's an awesome feature - I use it almost everyday and would get it again in a heartbeat...

 

Our '02 MCS has the sunroof creak as well. It mostly happens when going into the driveway but I think it might also make some noise while driving over bumpy roads. I'll have to try and grease the channels and see what happens.

Even though I don't like the fact that the sunroof adds weight to the top of the car, for a daily driver, it's a great feature. I use the key to open it up along with the windows before you even get to the car on those hot days. Too bad it gets pretty noisy when used over 45 mph.

 

So has anyone with sunroof noises tried the greasing technique in the Mini2 post I quoted? If you do, let me know how it works. That person claimed it got rid of the noise on both of his Coopers.

 

I disagree... the mini is still a unibody. I doubt it comes close to being 3 times as rigid as anything on the road.
Unibody puts body parts as structual load components. Hence the sunroof creaks, etc..
For example, It won't be as rigid as a C5/C6 corvettes which are built on a full hydro formed frame with a center spine, very few welds.

The mini is well designed and small, so that helps, but it is a unibody design that has its limitations when it comes to connecting the sub frame components.

 

i did... or d dealer did, everytime i bring it in they perform this lub thing to it i think they use some kind of cheap stuff cause it comes back after a while but like i said its only when d sunroof is opened not up curves.

i had other issues w/curves

 

so do u beleive that d rear and front brace would help? cuz i also think d roof will flex due to d unibody design

 

subframe braces have been known to help if they are well engineered. I have no experience with using these on the mini, so maybe others will chime in who have used them.
Then again, does it need anything? A small creak or two is not anything to worry about. A tight chassis will transfer movement to other parts of the car... this is normal and to be expected. I would leave well enough alone.
Enjoy your car knowing it is engineered and very well built!
mike

 

Thanks for all the information everyone. I do plan to add the sunroof to my spec list when I order my car. Others have said they've been able to get rid of funny noises by greasing the sunroof tracks. In the seemingly off chance that I notice anything, I will try that.

 

my 05 MCS sunroof rattle noises (only when shut) were diagnosed by my dealer as being related to the wind deflector plastics rubbing against the frame, especially worse in the sun when the plastic expands. I really don't think it has anything to do with chassis flex, which the MINI has little of.

Oh and for those of U considering a strut brace, Randy Webb told me for the 05's they're a waste of money because the engine mounts were beefed up to the point that the engine itself serves as an anti-flex device. Part of this was to accomodate the cabrios. Jimbo

 

Interesting! Thanks for the info

 

I didn't have it until I had the body shop (butchers) repair my roof - they took the sunroof out and reinstalled it. Now every so often I hear the pop/tap, but not all the time. At first I thought it was my rear seatbelts hitting the panels, or the rear deck. I still can't pinpoint the exact location. Someone sitting in the back might though.

 

I don't have this issue with my 2003 S with 25K miles with a sunroof. At times, while opening or closing, the sunroof sometimes squeaks but nothing when I enter a driveway.

 

yea pulling out of my driveway i hear a clicking or creeking sound too