Growl Noise?

[mazdachris]

Done the search. Only brings a/m mufflers and such.

The noise in question is like a growling noise. grrrrr!

This only happens at a certain part of the accleration process. Or if I hold the acc pedel at a certain spot or speed.

Seems to come from the passenger side front of the car. (Like the cowl)

Damn weird. Wondering if anyone else has heard this?

Thanks in advance.

BTW: I don't think it's the cowl rattle. But with my ears.......who knows.

[Nova 3 GT]

Does the sound happen when you're in 5th gear and at about 60kph? If so, maybe it's the tensioner that needs replacing

[ZoomZoom09]

You have gremlins in your engine.

[Go_Habs_Go]

You have gremlins in your engine.

lol! them effing gremlins always find their way in your car one way or another

[Zoom Zoom Boy]

Growling noise??? Maybe your little MZ3 thinks it's really a Mazdaspeed 3. :chuckle

[condor888000]

Did you happen to run over a dog recently?

[MikeyGT]

Does the sound happen when you're in 5th gear and at about 60kph? If so, maybe it's the tensioner that needs replacing

Cool Thanks. That's what i have. its more apparent when i'm going up hill. I thought i was just me going crazy every time I went up hill around that speed.

I'll do it on my next oil change. Doesn't bother me that much to do it asap.

[CanSpeed 3]

Its just the way they sound when cold in low rpms. My car does it, sounds nice.

[Go_Habs_Go]

Does the sound happen when you're in 5th gear and at about 60kph? If so, maybe it's the tensioner that needs replacing


Cool Thanks. That's what i have. its more apparent when i'm going up hill. I thought i was just me going crazy every time I went up hill around that speed.

I'll do it on my next oil change. Doesn't bother me that much to do it asap.


Just curious, but are you really driving in 5th gear at 60km/h??? Isn't that just asking for your car to stall?

And there's no way you can be driving up a hill in 5th gear and at 60km/h. I think these numbers are a bit off...

[Axelarate]

Just curious, but are you really driving in 5th gear at 60km/h??? Isn't that just asking for your car to stall?

And there's no way you can be driving up a hill in 5th gear and at 60km/h. I think these numbers are a bit off...

+1 I was wondering the same thing. I never drive on 5th gear doing 60kph. The lowest I'd go with 5th is 70kph and that's driving on a flat road not going uphill. I keep it in 4th everytime I'm in a 60 zone.

[McGuyver_3]

check your engine cover as they sometimes like to warp and cause a vibration hitting the intake manifold. It doesnt sound like a rattle as i heard it yesterday on one of my customers cars haha

[Nova 3 GT]

Just curious, but are you really driving in 5th gear at 60km/h??? Isn't that just asking for your car to stall?

And there's no way you can be driving up a hill in 5th gear and at 60km/h. I think these numbers are a bit off...

I'm not making this up. Maybe I forgot to mention that I have a 5spd automatic.:blush When I hit 60kph, the tranny goes into 5th automatically. Maybe mazdachris has a manual tranny...

[mazdas3sporte]

Just curious, but are you really driving in 5th gear at 60km/h??? Isn't that just asking for your car to stall?

And there's no way you can be driving up a hill in 5th gear and at 60km/h. I think these numbers are a bit off...


I drive in 5th at 60 all the time... no stall at all, i change gears at 2 k when iam the only one in the car and at 2.5 k when i got passengers

[Go_Habs_Go]

I'm not making this up. Maybe I forgot to mention that I have a 5spd automatic.:blush When I hit 60kph, the tranny goes into 5th automatically. Maybe mazdachris has a manual tranny...

Hey no sweat, I don't drive an automatic so I have no idea at what point the automatic transmission shifts into 5th gear. :)


I drive in 5th at 60 all the time... no stall at all, i change gears at 2 k when iam the only one in the car and at 2.5 k when i got passengers

Really? I can't imagine you doing that up a hill though...? And wouldn't that actually strain your transmission if you're going up a hill in a high gear and at a low speed?

[thanu31]

let the snow melt and see if noise still presists.

[Slipstream]

no after market exhaust? cause i got a meannnnn growl sound with my borla installed usually just when the car is at a standstill

[mazdachris]

Seems to have all started after the dealer changed the cabin filter. Could be a loose glove box door. Could be a loose clip at the heater. Could be window chatter. Who knows. Going in for service tomorrow. Will have them check it out. It is more noticable now. Could be the cold too.

[Go_Habs_Go]

Seems to have all started after the dealer changed the cabin filter. Could be a loose glove box door. Could be a loose clip at the heater. Could be window chatter. Who knows. Going in for service tomorrow. Will have them check it out. It is more noticable now. Could be the cold too.

Did you go in for the service yet? How did it go?

[mazdachris]

Did you go in for the service yet? How did it go?


:bana2 Yep. Had the 48 k service done. Noise has been fixed. The tech tried a couple of things. Then talk to some other techs. This problem turned out to be a loose shifter cable linkage or something to that effect. I drive an autobox. Nevertheless. Kudos to my dealer and their techs. Noise is gone.
Plus, feels good to have my normal rims/tires back on. Switch over cause I am driving to Flordia next week. Did not want to burn out my Blizzaks.

[Go_Habs_Go]

Cool, glad to hear it all worked out for ya!

[DreamM3]

Done the search. Only brings a/m mufflers and such.

The noise in question is like a growling noise. grrrrr!

This only happens at a certain part of the accleration process. Or if I hold the acc pedel at a certain spot or speed.

Seems to come from the passenger side front of the car. (Like the cowl)

Damn weird. Wondering if anyone else has heard this?

Thanks in advance.

BTW: I don't think it's the cowl rattle. But with my ears.......who knows.

The noise is normal. It is the way they manufacture the car. My friend's '09 does it, my '04 does and my neighbors '07 does it.

[MikeyGT]

yea good to know i'm not the only one with an 07 with that sound. It doesnt really bother me though.

I also get squeeks from my back rear sometimes when i go over bumpy roads

[Zoom Zoom Boy]

I drive in 5th at 60 all the time... no stall at all, i change gears at 2 k when iam the only one in the car and at 2.5 k when i got passengers
This is so not good for the engine or your fuel consumption. You are actually 'sloughing' or 'bogging' the engine for lack of better terminology and it will actually work harder just to keep itself from stalling. You need to be at a reasonable rpm to match speed and 5th gear at 60kmph is not where the engine is happiest. You should be in 4th ideally, despite what the stupid manual that comes with the car says. Turn on your fuel consumption gauge on the dash and you will see that it uses less fuel at that speed cruising in 4th gear than it does crusing in 5th gear at 60kmph. 5th is usually best around the 75-80kmph range at minimum. This might contribute to why you have such terrible fuel economy. You are changing gears way too early and keeping in a gear where the revs are not matched well to the speed of the car.






The noise is normal. It is the way they manufacture the car. My friend's '09 does it, my '04 does and my neighbors '07 does it.
Really, I have an 05 GT Hatchback and a 08.5 speed and I've never heard these noises...

[cinder88]

"This is so not good for the engine or your fuel consumption. You are actually 'sloughing' or 'bogging' the engine for lack of better terminology and it will actually work harder just to keep itself from stalling. You need to be at a reasonable rpm to match speed and 5th gear at 60kmph is not where the engine is happiest."

What are you talking about -----bogging the car in 5th gear at 60kms????

2,000rpm is nowhere near bogging the engine.....especially if you are driving on a level surface at a constant speed.

the 2.3 engine has a lower than average torque curve, compared to many other 4cyls out there....

The engine starts to bog around 1,000rpm in 5th gear.

-------The numbers for shifting points in the owners manual were written by the designers of the engine and trans--------some how your level of knowledge seems to be higher?

Besides bogging a manual trans engine is obvious to even a monkey------the OP would know he was bogging due to noise and serious lack of acceleration.

Man I am always amazed at the amount/quality of information tossed around internet forums.---- Bogging the engine :chuckle

[cinder88]

The "Grrrrrrrrrrr" noise might just be the engine's stock harmonics......... I have noticed that the m3 is louder than most grocery getters.

[DreamM3]

Really, I have an 05 GT Hatchback and a 08.5 speed and I've never heard these noises...

Really? Well that's a first. I wonder if this is the same growl noise?! All of these Mazda's I am talking about are 5spd... so maybe its more noticable... I don't know... maybe you're just not listening carefully enough?

[bryand]

I have an 08 2.0l 5spd that makes this noise. It is not always there but seems to happen around 3k rpm between shifts. I took it to my famous Mazda dealer but they couldn't reproduce the noise. I would like to take it back but they charge me $140.00 everytime for no trouble found

[DruidB]

I have an 08 2.0l 5spd that makes this noise. It is not always there but seems to happen around 3k rpm between shifts. I took it to my famous Mazda dealer but they couldn't reproduce the noise. I would like to take it back but they charge me $140.00 everytime for no trouble found

Your getting charged to diagnose a problem on an 08?

[bryand]

Yes,

They have charge me twice. $145.00 each time. I brought it in for the growl noise and told them I had some clear fluid leaking from the rear motor mount area. They drove the vehicle 3km and couldn't reproduce the noise and the clear fluid was from the drain from the windshield wiper area. I'm positive it is from the rear motor mount as the car was dry for days.

The first time was for the clunking in the rear end, usually loose sway bar bolts. Funny thing is it's never made the noise since I got the car back from them. They couldn't reproduce that noise either.

Oh well, I just consider it "out of warranty" cuz it's never going back there.

[aberg83]

I have this exact same growl noise (fairly quiet but noticeable) coming from the passenger side of the engine compartment whenever I'm in 5th gear at around 60km/h (~1700rpm). If I accelerate, it goes away.

Has anyone else that's experienced this had it fixed?

[aberg83]

Just bumping this in hopes of someone with some experience chiming in...

[TheMAN]

"This is so not good for the engine or your fuel consumption. You are actually 'sloughing' or 'bogging' the engine for lack of better terminology and it will actually work harder just to keep itself from stalling. You need to be at a reasonable rpm to match speed and 5th gear at 60kmph is not where the engine is happiest."

What are you talking about -----bogging the car in 5th gear at 60kms????

2,000rpm is nowhere near bogging the engine.....especially if you are driving on a level surface at a constant speed.

the 2.3 engine has a lower than average torque curve, compared to many other 4cyls out there....

The engine starts to bog around 1,000rpm in 5th gear.

-------The numbers for shifting points in the owners manual were written by the designers of the engine and trans--------some how your level of knowledge seems to be higher?

Besides bogging a manual trans engine is obvious to even a monkey------the OP would know he was bogging due to noise and serious lack of acceleration.

Man I am always amazed at the amount/quality of information tossed around internet forums.---- Bogging the engine :chuckle
apparently even monkeys in china are oblivious to engine bogging... if you ever get a chance to ride a taxi there, those idiots short shift like crazy and then they don't like to down shift as they slow down then accelerate again... so imagine the poor little 1.8l or 2.0l engine moaning to be put out of its misery at 20km/h in 5th gear at 1200rpm (and you hear clattering from the engine too due in part from shitty chinese gas)