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SERVICE Alert
If you own, or know someone who owns a MINI Cooper S (R56) car, from 2006.5 to 2011, read on with great interest or concern.
With the push to get more new cars produced, broaden the product line, the life cycle has gotten shorter and shorter, and manufacturers have also taken other steps to outsource some major parts of the car to help in the rush to get this all done. Add in the change in technology, push for greater gas mileage and more power, hybrids, and there is a certain formula that something along the way may not go according to plan. We have seen this with many of the manufacturers…it doesn’t seem limited to any category or segment. Now enter MINI…and with the introduction of the second version of the second generation MINI, they have fallen in this hole. They outsourced the first MINI motor for the Cooper and Cooper S, and now have taken that same path again with the current version of the MINI, albeit with now a different engine supplier and having moved from a first version Supercharged motor to the current version Turbocharged model.
None of that would be bad….unless something could go wrong. Most of our customers today believe their car should run nearly trouble free, and not have any significant engine issues till the car nears 200k miles. Some of that is forgiven if the car is a specialty or high performance car (read Porsche and Ferrari).
The other concern is when the manufacturer tries to turn their head the other way when an obvious, and recurrent problem pops up. This is what we are seeing w the current model MINI Cooper S, the one with the turbocharged motor. Due to the size of our MINI customer base, we first started to see this issue about 2010, and now are seeing a more steady stream of occurrences. As one would expect, MINI themselves first saw the issue arise, and after a full year of issues, had issued a Technical Service Bulletin….first to its dealers, and then to the public. But, this doesn’t mean the were stating they knew there was a problem, a Service Bulletin is to make service managers and technicians aware of how to test and repair a known issue. That is how MINI positioned it, and continues to do so. Their first Service bulletin even took a more backhanded approach as it communicated the issue to the dealer network.
The issue – as low as 20k miles, and we have seen it mostly around 50k miles, the motor starts to make loud rattle. This noise is louder on cold start up, and is less noisy or may sound like a normal engine sound once the engine is fully warm. The issue is the chain tensioner….and it is not working as designed, and not producing the tension the timing chain needs, and the timing chain hits the outer enclosure and makes the rattle sound. But, that in and of itself wouldn’t be too bad, but what can happen if this is not taken care of is. If the customer doesn’t have this addressed, and this tensioner continues to get worse, and the wear occurs to the timing chain guides as well, the customer could experience complete engine failure (the chain will jump the timing chain gears, timing will get off, motor won’ t run well, valves open at the wrong time, and then really bad things happen as the pistons and valves do direct battle, with the engine losing)…read the motor will break.
There is a known fix to this, and MINI even has a test to determine if the tensioner is producing less than desired tension. Depending on when this issue is identified, and the longevity of the wear period, the extent of the fix can be minor or major. At a minimum, it requires a new timing chain tensioner (not a quick fix, but not out of the ball park in cost either). But, if the wear is greater, then several parts need to be replaced (timing chain, timing chain tensioner, gear, guides (3), and some key bolts).
If your car or someone you know has this, and the car is under warranty, MINI will test the car, and should cover the repair. If you are outside the warranty period, then even though MINI knows of this, the repair will NOT be covered.
The current TSB related to this issue is:
SI M11 02 07
Engine – February 2011
Technical Service
This Service Information bulletin supersedes SI M11 02 07 dated October 2010.
So, be aware, listen to your motor, and you may want to have MINI test your car to see that all is OK.? Believe us…this is a REAL ISSUE.
UPDATE – JUNE 2012
I’m updating this post (originally written by us in Dec 2011, but updating now in June 2012….as we are seeing cars at about the rate of one a week w this issue with many NOT having addressed this issue early, and producing other unwanted results…..read….more expensive repairs).
Here are pics of a recent example where the following occurred -
(1) The timing chain tensioner does not provide sufficient tension (you can feel a significant difference in the current motor version versus the new version)
(2) The upper timing chain guide wears through, and then breaks. The picture is of the pieces left after it has broken into multiple pieces. These pieces then fall down into the timing chain galley and do further damage…and in another recent case, got caught in the oil pump chain, and broke and stretched the oil pump chain nearly throwing that chain and causing oil starvation (which would have been the end of the motor).
(3) The side timing chain guides break into pieces, and fall into the oil pan, also requiring additional time and work to repair. The pic below shows how one case, the pieces did get caught in the oil pump chain, stretching it, and almost causing it to be thrown and killing the motor altogether.
NET – if you own, or know someone who owns a 2007 – 2009 MINI, have them get this fixed, even if they think they are FINE.
MORE UPDATES – Feb 2013
Here is a comment from another shop who has read and follows our blog, about the MINI issue -
“I work in an engine rebuild center . we are seeing more & more of these MINIs coming in every day now … burning oil & timing chain problems … new one is the top guide is wearing causing metal fillings into engine ” not what you want “. Last one causing Vanos unit (variable camshaft) to cause a fault code 287d to stop working as relies on oil pressure… not the best from BMW/MINI I must say.” …..
Another comment rec’d on March 14, 2013
This just happened to me. 68k on my 2009 S. Was running perfectly, never noticed a rattle or anything, but blam, dead car. It
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23 Comments
Dear Mini, I purchased a new mini cooper s Camden from your Chelmsford branch on the 19.12.09 for my wife for her Christmas present, she was over the moon.? we notice the engine light came on in march 2010 and immediately contacted mini Chelmsford about the problem and request it taken into the garage for investigation, We were so shocked and surprised at the diagnosis report back from the service department.? The mini had been sent out to Chelmsford Mini with no oil in the engine, and the mini service department had given the vehicle a clean bill? of health before selling this mini on to me. ( obviously no such check had been done by the factory or mini Chelmsford prior to us collecting the car)? We than went on our winter holiday to Tenerife on the 21.12.09 for 7 days. So the car? was not used at all for this period.
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How could this happen to a new car, ( 01.01.2010? Platinum delivery package ??651.30) On the 26.3.10? I phoned up directly and spoke to the manager of the show room for his personal opinion and was advised on his findings, for the 1st time i heard? that no damage had been done, and the mini would be ok.Not having any oil has not cause any damage to the engine.? I verbally requested that this incident be put on record in the event that any future problem with the engine would not effect my consumer rights or warranty , for which he agreed.? I than regularly checked the oil on a weekly basic, and just assumed this was normal for a mini cooper S to use more oil as advise by mini. Yet in the service book it recommends
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My wife took charge of the mini again and with in 2 weeks the light came on again, I phoned mini and spoke with the service department manager, who advised me that as your mini was a cooper S it would require more oil fill up??s than your typical mini, so as a novice I believed this to be true, I continue to just top the mini up every time the light came on and check it on week intervals for it??s oil level.
I found my self checking the oil levels every week, and filling up the mini every 4 to 6 weeks with 1-2 litres of oil.? This settle for a while until the 15.6.10 when again the service light came on during transit. (Mini service report :24.03.10 )
while my wife was on her way to work, so she called out the mini emergency service.
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A technician Mr Gary Lynch : ID SV25BC attended and? advised replacing again the cam shaft senor,(This was replace the 1st time on the 24.3.10? with the statement that a fault had occurred due to the lack of oil).
He than filled up the oil again with 3-4 litres of oil which my wife was advised of. My wife explained to him what had historically happen with her mini, which he replied to?? I can,t believe that a car can be sold from new and have not been check for it??s oil levels and sent out empty. She was told to drive slowly and get it back to the garage. We than proceeded to book the mini in for investigation.?
Again the mini was taken in for investigation with the following fault being diagnosed. 23.6.10
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On the 19.10.10 we had to bring in the car again for the same reason,? the camshaft senor was? at fault, with engine oil levels down by 2.5 litres, refilled with 205 litres and was charged for the oil as well.? Below is a history register of events with visits to the main dealer. All the time myself and my wife have been advised that at no time has damage been done to the minis engine.
Now it,s the 8.5.2012 some 8 weeks after a? service and oil fill up at mini, my wife has advised me again the? car sounds and feel terrible, engine sound rough , loud, so again I check the oil tonight with no signs of any oil on the dip stick. So tomorrow morning my wife will be booking the mini in for further investigations.
I do feel now that my patients have been exhausted, so I have taken professional advise from 2 other garages about my situation and will be seeking legal advise based on the response of mini back to me.
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I would like the car replace with an identical mini Camden, as I feel that I have been completely miss led by mini, and this engine has been completely damage due to the 1st incident on the 24.3.10 .
I think you have been totally complacent in your advise to me and action within your investigation , the mini should have been taken back and replaced after the 1st incident of being sent out of the factory with no oil in it, being driven in this condition for some 4542 mile record on it. ( under the sale of good act and duty of care) This is totally inexcusable from a company such as yours. I feel completely let down by MINI.? I expect my wife to be given a courtesy? mini immediately? while you find a new replacement car.? Please advise immediately.?
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Historical report
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Technician report:
Date 24.03.10
Account no C0002
Document no : 37119413
Job no : 83879
Mileage :4542
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Inlet camshaft senor faulty due to oil levels low. Oil level not set correctly from factory.
I immediately ask has this cause any damage to the engine, but was told no. No damage was caused. I ask why with a new car should it be sent out without any oil in it, we where told the fault is down the the factory sending out this way. So why was it not check prior to exchange funds with me.
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Technician report:
Date 15.6.10
BMW Group
Emergency service Report
file no 11082868
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Again the cam shaft sensor was replaced. Part no 13627570191
Mileage : 3866 ?
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23.6.10
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mini taken in and? cam senor replace and oil filled up again.We do not have a copy of this mini investigation but I am sure it is on record at the garage or on the system.
I called? mini and? I was told that the mini cooper S naturally use more oil than your typical car because it is a sports car. We have had this mini since the 19.12.09 .
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Technician report:
Serviced on the 4.5.11.
Account no C0002
Document no : 37151370
Job no : 0
Mileage :11247
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Technician report:
24.11.2011
Serviced on the 4 .5.11.
Account no C0002
Document no : 37168784
Job no : 0
Mileage :16180
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Minor repairs
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Technician report:
01.03.12
Serviced on the 01.03.12
Account no C0002
Document no : 37176978
Job no : 0
Mileage :18456
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Oil levels not on dip stick. Filled up with oil again.
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Interesting article. I bought a 2nd hand mini r56 cooper s from a car yard (not mini distributer) only may last year. It has always had a rattle – but I was told that’s the noise they make. I noticed last week the noise was very loud and clanky, I rang bmw to book in a service – I explained the sound and what the engine was doing – loss of power – had to ride the clutch – stalling – etc. I was informed to bring it in on the friday – earliest time. Not once did the “specialists” inform me to not drive the vehicle – funny as this is a known issue (now I know this). On the day before the service the car stopped in peak hour and was dangerous where it cut out. Car was towed to bmw – advised it was timing chain (took 4 hrs to diagnose this and 10 mins for me to google this) – 2500 later I was facing a very expensive fix for something “known” as a design flaw by bmw. I complained and have received a “partial goodwill” payment – this is disgraceful – it should be a free fix and a national (and international) recall. Shame on you bmw for ruining a fabulous car brand history
Timing tensioner failure on 08 R56 @ 44K miles. Mini of San Antonio would not cover repair stating out of warranty.
My mom recommended this blog and she is totally right in every way keep up all the great work.
2009 Mini Cooper S, stretched timing chain at 12,800 miles. Dealer replaced with new parts (chain, tensioner, gears, guides). has been running perfectly since the repair (knock on wood). I am now concerned that this might repeat again after more significant wear (like around 50K to 75K miles) when the car is out of warranty. Any advice on what can be done to prevent this?
My wife and both own 09 Minis and I am getting nervous about getting this done before it becomes a very expensive bill does anyone know if this can be a DIY task for the replacement of the chain and guide or are there specialty things required. What is a expected cost for this service before there is a failure? We do have a highly recommended European specialty shop near by and he has been helpful so far. May plan to get both done soon.
Thanks for any feedback.
2009 cooper s 42 000km had to change timming chain and tensioner , they said everything ok , but now knocking noise !! have to go back to mini , will see wath they say , i m lucky it still under waranty .
I own a Mini Cooper S 2007. The car has only 30,000 miles. Immaculate inside and out. Very noisy rattling engine. Stalling and noisy idle. I was told that these engines run noisy so did not suspect anything especially as the car had been for it’s TLC service and has full service history with dealer. Am hoping not too much damage has been caused as a timing chain problem is suspected though no warning light has appeared. Am appalled after reading on a few forums that this is a known problem BMW will not take responsibilty for. I have already spent
i work in an engine rebuild centre . we are seeing more & more of these coming in every day now … burning oil & timing chain problems … new one is top guide wearing causing metal fillings into engine ” not what you want ” last one causing vanos unit (variable camshaft) to cause a fault code 287d to stop working as relies on oil pressure… not the best from bmw i must say …..
MCS 08 .. I bought this cooper s for my wife having already owned 2myself one supercharged & a early turbo model …. Well where to start !
At 6months old the car was up to 7,000miles & running as sweet as a nut but getting very very hot to the point where it had warped the bonnet scoop !
Common problem I was told – BMW won’t replace under warranty because there was a broken clip & BMW quoted (could of happened while being cleaned or lent on -Stupid man)
Next fuel pump – replaced (warranty)
Next window sensor failed and they would open on there own ? (Replaced warranty )
Next pitted alloy wheel due to salt & dirt getting in under the lacquer (BMW won’t replace because they say it was caused by a strong wheel cleaning agent ? Other 3 wheels are fine ? )
Then the big one … Driving the car one Sunday & could smell oil so pulled over to roadside & lifted the bonnet to find oil all over the engine called BMW warranty assist got the car recovered back to sytners & was told a car would be delivered to our address within 2hrs from hertz rental .. 2days later get a call to say it’s going into workshop. Next day a call from the dealer to say they have stripped the engine down and found that the -Turbo had failed sucked all the oil through and flooded the exhaust cat & both would need replacing – under warranty should have it back in 4days waiting for parts.
3days later get a call they have fitted new turbo & cat but engine still not
running right ? Need to do a compression test on the 3rd cylinder ..
Next day a call to say they need to strip the engine again as no compression in 3rd cylinder ?
2days later a call to say a broken piston had scored the inside of 3rd cylinder & now would require a new engine !!!! But we can’t do anything until we have spoken to mini UK
2days later get a call to say mini UK reserve the right to void the warranty due to the car being fitted with a miltek downpipe not an original mini part
It’s now going to cost you
I enjoy what you guys are usually up too. This type of clever work and exposure!
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These are really wonderful ideas in about blogging.
You have touched some nice points here. Any way keep up wrinting.
This just happened to me. 68k on my 2009 S. Was running perfectly, never noticed a rattle or anything, but blam, dead car. It’s in the shop right now but it’s definitely looking like the timing chain. This is ridiculous, and something really should be done. :-/
This happened to me at 79,000 miles. I had the death rattle and rough running. Took it to the dealer – and replaced chain and all related parts. $2100.00. OUCH! The car has run great since then . Now at 115,000. The car has always used 1 liter of oil every 2000 miles. Seems a little high to me. My old Escort ZX2 only used a liter every 5000 miles. And that car has 240,000 miles on it now.
That is a really good tip particularly to those fresh to the
blogosphere. Simple but very precise information
We have a end 2010 MCS LCi(N18) and the car currently has 12,000km. About two months ago we started experiencing this rattle at the engine, difference being it is softer on cold start.
The dealer first changed the tensioner which reduced the noise however did not resolve problem. The current plan is to change the timing chain.
The BMW engineer for AsiaPac viewed the car last week and has no immediate recommendation as apparently there are no records of N18 facing this rattling.
’09 Mini Cooper 2.
Sporadic oil leaks which were diagnosed as tensioner arm backing out. When I arrived at the dealership, there was a 5 foot in diameter pool of oil under the car as it sat in the service bay – car had 26k miles on it.
Fast forward a few months, rattling on cold starts so I take it in for service. End result, timing chain replacement exactly as described in earlier posts. Thankfully, due to a friends issues on his ’06 Mini, I had purchased the extended warranty and everything is covered. However, when I asked the service department why a car with only 29k miles would need a timing chain replaced, they said that its becoming more and more common with the S models…never once mentioning the service bulletin or the real issue.
bought a 2007 used MINI cooper S . 6 months later @ about 45000 miles . the engine blew .. guess what the chain tensioner caused it .. now my car is @ the mechanic – Precisision auto works – Covina Ca. needs a engine rebuilt.
Dose anyone know if the 2012 cooper S engines have the same problems, I thought about buying one but may rethink after reading these blogs.
As far as we know, the 2010 and later engines do NOT have this same issue, the tensioner has been upgraded w the current production part.
It’s awesome in favor of me to have a site, which is valuable in support of my experience. thanks admin
I have just been through the same issue with my Mini R56 (late 2007). Bought the car 2 months ago and the cold start rattling gradually got worse so I googled and came across this site (amongst others). Luckily, I bought the car with a 3rd party 3 month warranty, so no cost to me – but I’m glad I came across this information now, and didn’t leave the problem to get worse! I’m picking the car up later today, so hopefully will get an explanation from Mini as to what fix was applied, and if this will put an end to the rattle for good!
I can’t believe i’m finding this now. I purchased a used 2007 r56 turbo with about 30,000klms and rang BMW to ask about why it was suddenly running so rough and loud when warming up in the mornings, was advised that “it’s just how they are”, but to be sure, bring it in for a service and check etc. Took it to BMW / MINI in Southbank Melbourne city as it was still running real rough. The carried out a full service, no mention of anything out of the ordinary. For the next 4,000klms after the service the car was left to friend whilst I moved interstate, he said that it was running worse and worse to the point where he did not want to drive it anymore and started driving another car. A month or so later I asked him to try and take it to an independent mechanic, the battery was low, so he charged it overnight and tried the next morning. The next morning the car went “Bang”. The car was then towed to an independent mechanic who confirmed the engine was seized. I’ve been so busy with my new child and work that the car is currently sitting there and I feel this is some how not my fault. I can understand if my friend was a hoon and thrashed the car etc, but was is certainly not the case, and the car failed whilst being turned over, not even being driven, not to mention everything i’ve read above sounds scarily familiar. BMW / MINI Australia can’t deny they don’t know about it because as it would be, my new neighbour who just moved in was a BMW technician and confirmed the issue. I’m going to try and resolve this with BMW the best way I can and will post the resolution if I ever get one.