New ECU Flash Removes R56 Coopers S Burbles and pops???

[Burple]

Shamelessly "Yoinked" from our chums at NorthernMini... :eek::eek::eek::eek:
(Apologies if you've seen this before..)



Burbles, pops and bangs gone from exhaust note

I recently posted on another forum that after an ECU flash in october, my exhaust note had changed significantly.

Several other people I have spoken to have had the same issue

Sent my letter of to MINI UK last week regarding the loss of burbles, pops and bangs and here is the reply I received today

and I quote

'Thank you for your letter which we received on 15th November 2010. I am sorry to hear of your concerns regarding the October ECU flash.

I can advise you that the exhaust pops and burble noises were removed using the ECU flash software changes, due to overwhelming customer opinion that it was not liked. I appreciate that you would like to have kept them, however, as the latest software has made the relevant change, regrettably, it cannot be reversed. This change has, however, made no difference whatsoever to the fuel efficiency and so we have no explanation as to why you should have experienced a difference in your fuel economy

I am sorry to hear that you received incorrect information from Williams Liverpool. I can advise you that I have informed them of the effects of the ECU flash and forwarded your comments to Mr **********, Service Manager, who will use this feedback as part of the dealer training programme. I would like to thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.' http://forums.northernmini.co.uk/images/smilies/tongue0020.gif

If every member on here send a letter to Heather Bamforth, Customer Service Executive, BMW UK, Ellesfield Avenue, Bracknell, Berks, RG12 8TA or email customer.service@mini.co.uk stating that they would like the burbles and bangs replaced (even if you haven't had the recent flash) we may be able to get them replaced in the next ECU flash.

I'm sure that those of us unfortunate enough to have had the flash would appreciate it.http://forums.northernmini.co.uk/images/smilies/thumbup.gif

I certainly didn't get asked if I liked the pops and bangshttp://forums.northernmini.co.uk/images/smilies/confused0006.gifOriginal posting from Total Mini here! (http://www.totalmini.com/forum/51-2006-current-2nd-generation/13852-exhaust-burble-popping-gone-8.html#post384487)

Petition to sign.... HERE!!!! (http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/r56burble/)

[N16SHP]

So with my R56 S going in for a service in the next couple of weeks, I should tell them that I do not want the new ECU flash?

[Craig]

So with my R56 S going in for a service in the next couple of weeks, I should tell them that I do not want the new ECU flash?

I don't think you'll get an option Neil as they will always plug your car into the machine for "updates" and to read fault codes .... You can ask tho... They will prob say they have to do it under health and safety :rolleyes:


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[stoney]

ha ha unlucky my R53 still pops and bangs nicely :lol:

i bet your's dose as well craig :thumbs up:

[Fartin Martin]

and mine..:D but not as must as yours :(..for now......

[stoney]

see the skiny mini RULES :lol:

[Mon the fish]

So what does the R56 have as a soundtrack!? No whine, and now no pops and bangs either!

[Delboy]

If that's true then :moonie:.

Mine was in DP Hillington the other week and was hooked up to their machine (service indicator was on but it didn't need anything so they reset it) but I'm sure the car is still popping - I certainly heard it driving home tonight :smilewinkgrin:. Will do some more careful listening tomorrow....

[KenL]

Could the mods please remove the childish "my MINI is better than your's" posts?

They add nothing of value to this thread :frown:

[KenL]

My car was in for the full fix for the cold start rattle last week. They said everything was done (I posted on MINI2 & TM), the job sheet did not mention any software update but I am not sure if this was done or not.

The noises are still evident on my car.

[Fartin Martin]

Could the mods please remove the childish "my MINI is better than your's" posts?

They add nothing of value to this thread :frown:

don't think anyones getting offended by it mate..it's all jovial banter! :D

..or maybe its just me..

[Fartin Martin]

Leanne (T5 LLC)..has just informed me its happened to her!! oh she's no a happy chappy!!

[KenL]

don't think anyones getting offended by it mate..it's all jovial banter! :D

..or maybe its just me..

I'm not offended, but I do think that real information on this site can get lost in the noise. Surely the banter section is where this stuff belongs, not on a serious thread?

Sorry that this is also off-topic, feel free to delete it.

[Neil and Lorna]

Bugger I'd read on Motoring file some time ago that MINI were reintruducing a programme into the ECU that made the car pop and burble a bit more, because they had a lot of peeps asking for it. strange. Will try and find the article when I've got time.

Found one article relating to the new ecu for 2011

http://www.motoringfile.com/2010/08/17/mf-review-2011-mini-cooper-s-refresh/

[Stewart]

That’s rather sad to read and it crosses a line I think as it changes the character of the car and it is after all your property not BMW. :frown:

If they can get a fix to get it back and have it as an option then fine!.

[Scottie]

I think the pops and burbles are a bit chav really.
>
,
>
,
>
,
>
,
I'm kidding. :hand:

[Bazthemod]

Mines has been in and out frequently over past few months and still has same pops and bangs thankfully!

[ianking]

My car was in a couple months ago to get recoded as one of the windows wasnt dropping down properly.
It sill pops, bangs and farts as it has always done. I wish it would do it even more to be honest

[Fartin Martin]

could it possibly be that cos yous are JCW's?

[MungoUSA]

MINI did bring back the pops and burble for the 2011 Cooper S when the sport button is on. I don't know if the UK spec cars have a resonator, but I removed mine with a straight section of pipe and it made the exhaust note louder and added pop and burble to our 2007 R56.

[Mon the fish]

^^^ This works on the JCW exhaust on the R53 also

[MINI William]

Think this is only for Cooper S and not JCW

[KenL]

Think this is only for Cooper S and not JCW

What, removing the pops?

Think people on other forums are reporting this is also affecting JCW, nto just the normal S.

[MINI William]

What, removing the pops?

Think people on other forums are reporting this is also affecting JCW, nto just the normal S.

What else would it be Ken? This thread is about the removing of pops and bangs.
My new JCW pops and bangs and thats from just starting it up and getting moved to another part of the compound

[KenL]

What else would it be Ken? This thread is about the removing of pops and bangs.
My new JCW pops and bangs and thats from just starting it up and getting moved to another part of the compound

Is that a snippy reply :hand:

I've just read through the long thread on TotalMINI, it appears it is only the S, not the JCW.

[ELFMAN]

Just noticed this thread - Gobsmacked. All the R56 S needs - an even softer image.

Anybody who doesn't think the pops and bangs are a GOOD THING :cool::thumbs up: should be automatically banned from MINI ownership forever and banished to the automotive wilderness. Who ARE these people? I think we should be told, so we can go round to their houses and give them a Poppin' Bangin' and yes, if needs be, Fartin' Symphony :D:shut up: Who the **** buys a COOPER S and complains that it sounds TOO SPORTY? AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGHHHHHH :argh: If this kind of thing goes on unchallenged, it'll kill the MINI as a serious performance car and they'll neuter it till it becomes a New Beetle!

If anybody DARES try to make my car QUIETER I will remove important parts of their anatomy* :blush:, tie them to a frisbee and fling them out to sea. :ragin:

* With a SPOON - 'cos it'll hurt more...

[N16SHP]

Just noticed this thread - Gobsmacked. All the R56 S needs - an even softer image.

Anybody who doesn't think the pops and bangs are a GOOD THING :cool::thumbs up: should be automatically banned from MINI ownership forever and banished to the automotive wilderness. Who ARE these people? I think we should be told, so we can go round to their houses and give them a Poppin' Bangin' and yes, if needs be, Fartin' Symphony :D:shut up: Who the **** buys a COOPER S and complains that it sounds TOO SPORTY? AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGHHHHHH :argh: If this kind of thing goes on unchallenged, it'll kill the MINI as a serious performance car and they'll neuter it till it becomes a New Beetle!

If anybody DARES try to make my car QUIETER I will remove important parts of their anatomy* :blush:, tie them to a frisbee and fling them out to sea. :ragin:

* With a SPOON - 'cos it'll hurt more...

My car is going in for a service just into the new year, and I am going to print this off and take it with me Euan and say "This will be you if you do this to my car...got it?"

Does anyone know if there is a way around this yet? i.e. this has been putting me off getting my car serviced!

[GCA3N]

My car is going in for a service just into the new year, and I am going to print this off and take it with me Euan and say "This will be you if you do this to my car...got it?"

Does anyone know if there is a way around this yet? i.e. this has been putting me off getting my car serviced!


On TM there have been varying reports of this not occuring after re-flash. I think you should be asking the dealership prior to service though Neil.

[N16SHP]

On TM there have been varying reports of this not occuring after re-flash. I think you should be asking the dealership prior to service though Neil.

Yeah I sat and read the entire TM thread last night and concluded that there was no conclusion lol! I will ask JC's when I drop the car off! Prob not until January now with this weather. Kirsten's R56 just got serviced and MOT'd the day we picked it up, so i'd assume it would be up to date, and it pops and burbles away quite happily!

[ELFMAN]

Quote from MINI UK:
"I can advise you that the exhaust pops and burble noises were removed using the ECU flash software changes, due to overwhelming customer opinion that it was not liked."

If something like this was done to my S when it was being serviced, I would be extremely angry, as the sound your car makes is fundamental to its character, and to remove what I consider to be an essential element of the R56 COOPER S character would be unforgivable. It had arguably less character than the R53 from the start, so to take it further from its predecessor's essential individuality is foolishness in the extreme.

Who was the PR-Diddy at MINI UK who came out with this? 'Overwhelming Customer Opinion'? Which customers did they talk to? Not me. Not anyone in NMS or any MINI Club (I hope...). I've had worries about this 'MINI UK Mind-Set' before. Is this is a small insight into the way MINI see the COOPER S going? Are they now concentrating the 'Performance' image on the JCW and the forthcoming Coupe?. In which case, the S almost becomes redundant. In their pursuit of pleasing those who, let's face it, have bought a COOPER S for the image rather than any genuine interest in the driving experience, they're in danger of losing touch with genuine enthusiasts like us who helped make MINI successful and maintain the positive profile of MINI on the road. In fact I'd be amazed if any of those 'who expressed a preference' about the popping ever actually find out what their S is capable of.

I'd like to say to MINI UK... 'I can advise you' that if you think that sanitising your main performance model is a good idea - look at what happened to the Golf GTI in the 'Wilderness Years'... and take heed. The problem MINI will encounter is that the more they try to turn the COOPER S into a mainstream hatchback by removing all of those little MINI idiosynchrasies, the more its SHORTCOMINGS as a mainstream 'hot hatchback' will be brought to the fore (uncompromising ride, lack of rear seat access/space, tiny boot etc). If people just wanted a practical, quick, quiet everyday sporty hatch, they wouldn't buy a MINI.

Hopefully this will all be a storm in a teacup and it'll be OK, but the words 'Slippery' and 'Slope' spring to mind. The quote from MINI is worrying. The more MINI remove things like pops and burbles, the more they remove my reasons for buying their product. Take care MINI that you don't throw out the baby with the bathwater.

[GCA3N]

Excellent write up Euan as usual, as said maybe this will come to now't. For me I am glad I have gone down the JCW route as the pops and burples are just sweet. I know, or presume the JCW is not being altered but if they were to be taken away it would certainly change the whole feel of the car.

[ELFMAN]

Cheers Greig, I just remember the only thing I did to my COOPER way back in the day was to put on a Magnex exhaust - it really brought out the wee car's character and my R53 JCW's best feature was the sound it made. To think that MINI are possibly 'engineering out' elements of any MINI's soundtrack goes totally against the grain.

It makes me wonder about the type of people working at MINI that they would do such a thing. I bet our 'Godfather' John Cooper is turning in his grave at the very thought of it.

[Stewart]

Spec as follows

Laser Blue
17" Flame Spoke Alloys
Chrome line interior
Colour line Dark Grey
Front Centre Arm Rest
Front Seat Heating
Full Bluetooth with USB
HiFi Speaker system
Interior trim Piano Black
Limited Slip Diff
Park Distance Control
Multifunction S/wheel
Roof & mirror caps in White
Runflap tyres
Pops and Burble noises - £250

Mini -
Giving the customer what they want for a price! :smilewinkgrin:

[ELFMAN]

:clap::thumbs up:

[N16SHP]

Very well said Euan. If they take away my car's soundtrack, my letter of complaint and disappointment will feature pretty much exactly what you've just said.

Stuart, I'd pay £250 to keep my car sounding the way it does, that's why I bought it in the first place, and I'm sure I'm not the only person on here that would do that, but at the same time then demand a refund from Mini!

[Stewart]

I'm sure BMW could spin it.

"Do you want your Cooper S sounding sweet, racier. Do you appreciate a good exhaust note and enjoy the way a real car should sound, after all it’s got twin exhausts for a reason. Then you will enjoy the ultimate upgrade for your new car.

BMW introduces the noise pack! Our technicians have cunningly engineered your CPU to act the way it was intended giving you the Customer the enjoyment they deserve.

Or
“Do you want your Cooper S sounding a bit more mature, Do you appreciate fine wines, enjoy Grand Designs on the TV and doing the School run. Going to the hair dressers or M&S will never be the same again as you maturely pull up at the door. After all just because it has twin exhausts does not mean it has to sound all rough and a bit boisterous. You may beg to ask the question why buy a Cooper S in the first place but we will reassure you that this is the fashionable Mini to be seen in at the School gates and in front of the shops.

BMW introduces the whisper Pack! Our technicians have cunningly engineered your CPU to act like the saint you the Customer is, its quieter, more grown up and for a limited time only comes with potpourri in the Cup holders.


Coming to a Mini Dealer near you!

[GCA3N]

I'm sure BMW could spin it.

"Do you want your Cooper S sounding sweet, racier. Do you appreciate a good exhaust note and enjoy the way a real car should sound, after all it’s got twin exhausts for a reason. Then you will enjoy the ultimate upgrade for your new car.

BMW introduces the noise pack! Our technicians have cunningly engineered your CPU to act the way it was intended giving you the Customer the enjoyment they deserve.

Or
“Do you want your Cooper S sounding a bit more mature, Do you appreciate fine wines, enjoy Grand Designs on the TV and doing the School run. Going to the hair dressers or M&S will never be the same again as you maturely pull up at the door. After all just because it has twin exhausts does not mean it has to sound all rough and a bit boisterous. You may beg to ask the question why buy a Cooper S in the first place but we will reassure you that this is the fashionable Mini to be seen in at the School gates and in front of the shops.

BMW introduces the whisper Pack! Our technicians have cunningly engineered your CPU to act like the saint you the Customer is, its quieter, more grown up and for a limited time only comes with potpourri in the Cup holders.


Coming to a Mini Dealer near you!


:laugh::laugh::laugh::clap::clap::clap:

[Burple]

:laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:: thumbs up::thumbs up::thumbs up:

[MungoUSA]

I wonder if the 2011s having the burble when the sport button is on will change the ECU flashes for the previous R56 years?

[ELFMAN]

Stewart, Spot On! :thumbs up::clap:
Although I fear you're too close to the truth for comfort. :sad: You should copyright this or the 'MINI Marketeers' will nick it and make yet another small fortune on an extra which should come as standard. :ragin::argh: I remember the £700+ 'Sound Kit' for the COOPER... which had about the same effect as a £350 aftermarket Exhaust. 'Kerrr' and indeed 'Ching!'

So glad to see this has annoyed others as much as it has me. Real MINI enthusiasts shouldn't stand for this crap from a manufacturer who should know better.
:scotlandflag::knife:

[The Dogfather]

This, the cold start rattle and the ongoing ramping up of prices is one of the reasons my next car may not be a MINI.

http://www.autoplusdigital.com.ar/uploads/img/FIAT-500-ABARTH-SS-3.jpg

[N16SHP]

See I love the Abarth Paul, but just not the same. The Mini is a great car, but to a lot of folk, the Abarth is just too feminine :( And yes, even showing them that picture they still think it's feminine!!

[ELFMAN]

I know we're slightly :off topic: but...
Interesting and fairly unbiased review in EVO mag a while back...
www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/cargrouptests/234172/abarth_500_esseesse_v_mini_cooper_s.html

'Femininity' aside, the Abarth Esseesse seems great fun and I think it looks pretty good in the above pic, but in most areas the S seems to have it covered. This is just a bog-standard S too, whereas the 'Esseesse' version tested is the 'hopped-up' 500 Abarth. We only need ONE 'S' whereas FIAT obviously need loads! :thumbs up:

[N16SHP]

Well my car got the new flash when it was in for it's service and MOT and still pops and burbles so panic over!

[ELFMAN]

YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! :thumbs up:
Bet if it was mine it'd come back sounding like an old Morris Minor... :smilewinkgrin:

[Burple]

Well my car got the new flash when it was in for it's service and MOT and still pops and burbles so panic over!

:clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap::clap:

Good news!!

I've been putting off a visit to get the car booked in for them to look at a slightly sticky rear brake after all that snow... :thumbs up:

[Delboy]

Well my car got the new flash when it was in for it's service and MOT and still pops and burbles so panic over!

Good news :clap: :thumbs up:.