Woman Asks TikTok What’s Wrong With Her Mini Cooper. Then a Mechanic in the Comments Figures It Out Just by Listening to a Sound

"Bruh, that was so bad."

Photo by: andrea_aleaaa & James Lee

By: Mike Hayden

Aug 4, 2025 at 2:02pm ET

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In the age of TikTok, your car troubles can go viral. One woman recently posted a short video asking viewers to help diagnose a crunchy-sounding noise coming from her Mini Cooper. Commentators there seemed to feel quite convinced that they solved her problem.

“TikTok, name what’s wrong with my car,” Andrea (@andrea_aleaaa) says in the clip. “I just gassed up.”

Her hand reaches out and pushes the ignition, and an arrhythmic clicking sound chases the purr of the engine.

“Bruh, that was so bad, that was so bad!” she adds.

Obviously, there’s very little to the video, but it appeared to gain traction—not because of what Andrea said, but because mechanics in the comments went to work trying to fix her problem.

What Is a Purge Valve, and Why Does it Matter?

A woman going by Natalie wrote that Andrea should check her purge valve.

“Experienced mechanic here, check your purge valve,” she wrote.

It’s possible that the average driver might not even know what a purge valve is. It’s not part of a car that generates much discussion.

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The purge valve controls the flow of haze from the charcoal canister, which is there in part to limit pollution. If the valve gets stuck open or closed, or starts malfunctioning, it can cause poor fuel economy, idling, or in the case of Andrea’s Mini Cooper, an arhythmic clicking sound.

Depending on your location, the vehicle research website Kelley Blue Book estimates that replacing one can cost between $300 and $400.

While some commenters agreed with the purge valve diagnosis, others told Andrea to check the gas cap.

“This gonna sound lame but try replacing the gas cap before you take it in. Bad cap can cause weird evap system issues,” TikTok user “Alluhhandro” said.

Another user advised her to take a DIY approach.

“Either purge valve or gas cap. They’re inexpensive and easy to replace. Use a [YouTube] vid for guidance. Takes 30 mins at most,” a user going by Christopher Peña said.

A few users who claimed to be Mini Cooper owners poked fun at the brand’s perceived reliability. The most liked comment came from a TikTok user going by “Briayan” who wrote, “It’s cause it’s a Mini Cooper.” Another user described the car as suffering from “Mini Cooper Owneritis.”

Motor1 attempted to reach Andrea for a comment but did not immediately receive a response.