R56 MCS - Timing Chain Tensioner
Discussion
Hi Guys,
I've been a pistonheads fan for many years but this is my first post and is a rant.
Yes, another timing chain tensioner has gone along with the majority of the oil in the engine and the main stealer has charged me £260 for the privilege or replairing the design fault.
The car is a MCS R56 '11 plate which has done less than 15,000 miles.
Of course, you only find these things are common when you start to research - my bad for not doing it earlier.
Exactly why they they didn't do a recall, I will never know (of course I know but...), it has the potential to cause serious engine damage if the oil leak is not spotted (no death rattle on this one) and all for the sake of a £50 part and an hour's labour.
Not impressed, thought I'd spread the word, and add to someone elses research.
Peace.
I've been a pistonheads fan for many years but this is my first post and is a rant.
Yes, another timing chain tensioner has gone along with the majority of the oil in the engine and the main stealer has charged me £260 for the privilege or replairing the design fault.
The car is a MCS R56 '11 plate which has done less than 15,000 miles.
Of course, you only find these things are common when you start to research - my bad for not doing it earlier.
Exactly why they they didn't do a recall, I will never know (of course I know but...), it has the potential to cause serious engine damage if the oil leak is not spotted (no death rattle on this one) and all for the sake of a £50 part and an hour's labour.
Not impressed, thought I'd spread the word, and add to someone elses research.
Peace.
Yes a known issue unfortunately, a batch of engines did not have the tensioner torqued up correctly, and the tensioner backs out and leaks oil everywhere. Then there is the design of the tensioner itself that does not tension correctly on start up, allows the chain to stretch and a death rattle occurs, plus there are other known issues, coking up inlet valves, high pressure fuel pumps that fail, I didnt know about all this either before I purchased my jcw, still love it and am happy with it, just am aware and take notice of things that happen, don't let it put you off.
rigga said:
ash73 said:
2011? Is it an N18 engine? I didn't think they had this problem.
Your right, I missed the 2011 plate part, this should indeed not be an issue for the N18. Though small chance it could be old stock registered, so indeed a N14?
Picked the car up today and the dealer relieved me of £240. 'Goodwill' meant it wasn't £340!!! The tensioner was itemised as £12 and the oil £14 so that would have been £300 labour to diagnose and fix it!
Unfortunately, I bought it second hand so goodwill was not so good... I will take it up with MINI central who have not responded to my e-mail yet.
The engine is N18 but the guy said they were seeing more of these types of issues. So I guess it isn't really fixed.
Unfortunately, I bought it second hand so goodwill was not so good... I will take it up with MINI central who have not responded to my e-mail yet.
The engine is N18 but the guy said they were seeing more of these types of issues. So I guess it isn't really fixed.
Same had just happened on my MCS N18 2010
Luckily it was caught at just a drip and has now been tightened - does something need to be replaced or should I just keep an eye on any leaks. It had been slowly dripping which is why it was spotted and fixed by my local non specialist garage
Luckily it was caught at just a drip and has now been tightened - does something need to be replaced or should I just keep an eye on any leaks. It had been slowly dripping which is why it was spotted and fixed by my local non specialist garage
Edited by Bigbox on Tuesday 16th June 12:59
Reason they leak is because its come lose, some train of thought is that there was a batch that just weren't torqued up correctly initially on build, mate of mine who's a BMW engineer at Ham's hall suggested to me its the vanos acting and inducing pressure on the tensioner through the chain, anyway it might be OK but I would have replaced the seal ring (copper)
Thanks - am not very mechanically minded but over the last few months, when the engine is cold and with start stop turned off, the car drops revs at idle then picks up again. It's still doing this after I've had the timing chain tightened. Reckon it needs seeing to by a specialist or is it normal for the R56 MCS to act in this way?
Bigbox said:
Thanks - am not very mechanically minded but over the last few months, when the engine is cold and with start stop turned off, the car drops revs at idle then picks up again. It's still doing this after I've had the timing chain tightened. Reckon it needs seeing to by a specialist or is it normal for the R56 MCS to act in this way?
High Pressure Fuel Pump on it's way out? Does it occasionally fail to start, but start ok 2nd time?
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