"MARC" our blue cooper s,has gone to the dealer today,so that the cold start/rattle noise can be looked at again,they are going to have the car for a week to see if they can get to the bottom of it,its now took over 6 months to get this far,so hopefully they can get it sorted,fingers crossed,the first time we took the car they told us"it was nothing" "my imagination" and " part of the character of the car ",,then we took the car elsewhere,where they bled the gasket,but the noise returned,in the end had to write to BMW.

Hi there this is a common problem on the R56 S. I've had a complete new timing system on my car plus other bits and bobs. There is a big thread on MINI2 about this. Cooper chelmsford are now saying they'll replace the complete timing system as a matter of course when this noise occurs. Mines better but still makes rthe noise occasionally

http://www.mini2.com/forum/2nd-gen-f...when-cold.html

The dealer in norwich has just rang up,and they have said that the timing chain needs a modification,is that what you had done ?
they have not got the part,so they are going to bring the car back,and then have the car back again next week or the week after.
I have tried to register the complaint in R56-MCS web site,but cant get logged on for some un-known reason,so in the end i wrote to BMW direct

Hi there

I had the same problem and the dealer came to the same conclusion in that they thought the rattle was down to the timing chain tensioner. I had one fitted last week and so far so good; the engine is sounding better and the drive feels better as well.. fingers crossed it stays this way!

I am still waiting for the part to come in,hopefully next week

hopefully the cold start rattle in the clue cooper s will be sorted tomorrow,fingers crossed xxx

I think it will do the trick as I have had my car back a month now since the part/s were replaced and still sounding and feeling much healthier!

new timing chain fitted to " mark mini" yesterday+ guilds and sprockets whatever that is.
car seems loads quieter,also i could hear a gushing water sound on start up,apparently we had a air lock in the cooling systems,so thats been bled,so fingers crossed,job done,hopefully.