Heavy "clicking" noise from front end - fan relay/switch?

[Shipton]

Hey everyone,

Just got my first Mazda 2 weeks ago today, a manual 8.5 GS. Absolutely love the car and everything about it. Yesterday (though I have the stereo cranked usually so this may have been going on longer) I had my windows down and noticed that intermittently I would hear a heavy clicking noise, like an old-school light switch or the switch in a circuit breaker.

At first I was thinking it was a tranny problem. My old VW Jetta had damange on the 1-2 synchro so shifting into 2nd was always hard and made a "somewhat" similar noise. But then I noticed it had no correlation with shifting, acceleration, or braking - it would even happen randomly when I was at a constant speed.

Personally I think it's the engine fan, possibly the switch or relay. I've noticed that when the fan switches on or off it's always rather abrupt and a fairly harsh noise. Whether it's gotten worse or not I'm not sure, but is anyone else having this problem or has noticed this?

I think I had cool air on the lowest setting on the windshield defogger, no A/C on though. I called my dealer at Scarboro Mazda (Albert is awesome) but I'm just trying to figure out maybe what it is till I get a callback. Any suggestions?

[Flagrum_3]

Its a good idea to read thru the posts on this board before starting a new thread, this same question as been asked before!!, but since your a noob...

It sounds most likely to be your air compressor, check that your selector mode switch is not on any position from 12 o'clock to 4 o'clock that's feet only and to the right to full defrost, in any of those positions your air conditioning will be on (and no the A/C light does not come on).Keep the selector to the left of those positions.

Try that and let us know if it solved it.


_3

[McGuyver_3]

Does the sound happen when stationary or only when moving? when moving it could be your gas pedal. because i have noticed in mine (2005) that when driving at coinstant speed and the slightest fluctuation in gas pedal it clicks. I have gotten so used to it i dont hear it anymore. But everytome i went to a dealer it apparently never occured

[Shipton]

Just to belay the imminent onslaught of "omg n00b check the board!" responses which asking usually deserves, just to assure you guys, I looked around on here for about an hour and a half before asking.

And then found a post that entirely answered my question five minutes after posting this. Never fails, does it? Haha.

But yeah, it's totally the AC compressor, I had no idea that it was on in certain settings even if the AC button was off. Kind of 'tarded but I supposed that's so you're not wrestling with the AC control. Instead you just think your 2-week-old engine is on the fritz. Thanks for the time response.