MINI Cooper Crank Pulley Failure

By August 12, 2014 June 2nd, 2015 Blog, Education & Tips

Crank pulley failure is a common issue on MINI Coopers built between 2002 and 2006 and with a mileage above 75,000.

Crank pulley failure refers to the pulley connected to the crankshaft that drives the belt responsible for the alternator, A/C compressor, water pump, and supercharger (on “S” models).

Below is an example of a broken pulley. The design of the weighted dampened pulley is to minimize harmonics and vibrations made by the engine. This is done by a ring of hard rubber, one side of which is connected to the weighted portion of the pulley. The other side of the rubber is connected to the belt portion of the pulley.

This works very well until…

MINI Crank Pulley FailureAs you can see from the picture (left), the hard rubber has sheered off where is connects to the weighted portion which results in the belt portion not being driven properly.

This caused the belt to be damaged and the engine to lose power as well as the “Service Engine Soon” light to come on.

We have even seen cases where the belt side of the pulley rubs against the aluminum timing case cover and wears through it, which can be a very costly repair. However, when identified early (before it looks like the picture) it can be a fairly quick repair.

MINI Cooper crank pulley failure is yet another reason why it is important to regularly visit Coast Motor Werk – MINI Cooper Specialists. The replacement pulley has been improved in design since 2006 and should give you many years of excellent service.

MINI owners should also be aware of other common issues that need fixing, for which we give thorough inspections, accurate diagnostics, and repairs done right, such as:

  • window not going down
  • A/C not working well when stopped
  • power steering issues
  • clutch too hard
  • clunking noise when driving

 

  • soft brake pedal
  • weird noises
  • steering wheel shimmy
  • creaky sound when turning
  • fuel injection issues

Read more about all these issues here.

And call CMW right away if you think you’re experiencing any of these. We’ll inspect your MINI regardless of its warranty status, and always give you an honest and thorough answer to all your questions. We look forward to serving you!

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