Noise from belts/pulleys?

[omalak]

I started the car this morning and noticed the car was a little too loud, i could hear a kind of high pitched sound from my passenger side air vent..

So i opened up the hood and it seemed like the belts/pulleys were making alot of noise. I cant understand why, it's happened for a few days now.. but after i start driving the noise tends to dissappear.. I can still hear it faintly but it is much less than it was on start up


problem number 2 which i have heard for atleast 3 weeks has been whenever i push the gas pedal i can hear a sort of muffled sound coming from the passenger air vent.. it sounds a bit like a fair faint muffler sound.. thats the best way i can explain it.. when i stop at a light and hit the gas i can hear it as well..

I know it cant be the muffler as the sound comes from the passenger air vent side..


Ideas? I'm going to head to the dealer early next week and get it checked.

[howes]

I have the same belt noise, it seems to happen when the air is damp and only upon initial start up. I have an 09 gt with 11000km's.

[omalak]

I'm almost at 21000km on my 2008.5.. good to know i;m not the only one..

i'll pay attention to it with the changing weather...

still not sure what that muffled sound from the air vents is

[Thrizzl3]

i only hear it when im driving and my engine goes below 2k RPM's

[omalak]

i only hear it when im driving and my engine goes below 2k RPM's

the belts? or the muffled sound..


even if you hear it under 2k RPM we shouldnt be hearing it at all...

I'm ust afraid it will turn into that screetching sound that some of the chrysler minivans make (same issue, belts)

[Thrizzl3]

ohhh lol well i dont hear a muffled sound..just the high pitched sounds of the belt like i have a electric supercharger or something

[Donutz]

It's extremely common. Happens to me on rainy / humid days when my car has been parked all night, usually when the temp is between -5 C and +10 C. It goes away after 10 minutes or so. For me is a hissing or shhhh noise. If you search M3F you will find hundreds of posts about this. One guy on m3f posted a vid that captures the noise. There is much speculation as to what the actual cause is, but no one has reported any issues, other than having a ghetto noise coming from the engine for 10 minutes.

[omalak]

lol thanks Jason, yeah its annoying as hell...

Chrysler minivans have the same issue (my dads van 96) man they are insanely loud.. again with them it haopens on rainy/humid days.. all the mechanic does is put in some lubrication and/or puts in a tool that like grinds the belt down a bit..

muffled sound during acceleration is still odd though i'll have to see the dealer for that

[Donutz]

Here's a good one: http://www.mazda3forums.com/index.php?topic=131179.0

[Flagrum_3]

It's extremely common. Happens to me on rainy / humid days when my car has been parked all night, usually when the temp is between -5 C and +10 C. It goes away after 10 minutes or so. For me is a hissing or shhhh noise. If you search M3F you will find hundreds of posts about this. One guy on m3f posted a vid that captures the noise. There is much speculation as to what the actual cause is, but no one has reported any issues, other than having a ghetto noise coming from the engine for 10 minutes.

No speculation; it's the belt tensioner.I had the same symptoms and had the tensioner, and belts changed (Yes I said belts, they must change both), done under warranty and TSB. The hissing sound has disappeared.


_3

[chinsterr]

So I have had this sound for the past couple of months but now its really starting to get to me. If there is a TSB for this , can I get this work done for free even though my car is out of its warranty period?

[victor_t]

the belt squealing when you start the motor is something that happens often with all cars.
it's caused by the belts slipping. it happens more in winter because belts are colt and stiff, and it happens when the belts are worn and tension is not properly maintained.

so for that you need to basically check the belts and tighten them or change them if they are old, and 90% of the time the noise will go away.


for your second problem, I have the same thing. under very specific conditions I hear a faint sound coming from the engine bay from the passenger side. the sound is almost like the belt squealing sound, but very faint.
the conditions to get this sound, for me, are when I'm accelerating and the car doesn't have much power. for example I'm going uphill in fourth gear at let's say 50 km per hour or less and I try to accelerate. at this moment the car doesn't accelerate because I'm in the wrong gear and there's little power (should be in 3rd or second) and then I get this sound. it also happens when I accelerate in 3rd and should be in second and so on (basically acceleration at low speed in a high gear)

[chinsterr]

for your second problem, I have the same thing. under very specific conditions I hear a faint sound coming from the engine bay from the passenger side. the sound is almost like the belt squealing sound, but very faint.
the conditions to get this sound, for me, are when I'm accelerating and the car doesn't have much power. for example I'm going uphill in fourth gear at let's say 50 km per hour or less and I try to accelerate. at this moment the car doesn't accelerate because I'm in the wrong gear and there's little power (should be in 3rd or second) and then I get this sound. it also happens when I accelerate in 3rd and should be in second and so on (basically acceleration at low speed in a high gear)


That's the problem I'm talking about. It sounds like hissing/fluttering ... almost sounds like an exhaust leak. Again, this only happens at low rpms with slight gas.

[omalak]

That's the problem I'm talking about. It sounds like hissing/fluttering ... almost sounds like an exhaust leak. Again, this only happens at low rpms with slight gas.

yep fluttering is the best way to describe it.. or a busted exhaust type sound, it is faint.. i think it comes up even when you give slight gas at high speeds, it's just that you cant hear it due to all the other noise from the road/engine..

still ahve to go to scarboro mazda they said a tech could ride with me and check it out..

just have to get there.. wehn i do i'll post my results

[chinsterr]

yep fluttering is the best way to describe it.. or a busted exhaust type sound, it is faint.. i think it comes up even when you give slight gas at high speeds, it's just that you cant hear it due to all the other noise from the road/engine..

still ahve to go to scarboro mazda they said a tech could ride with me and check it out..

just have to get there.. wehn i do i'll post my results

Cool! If its covered under warrantly then I'll be at the dealership next week. If not , I hope my mechanic can fix it

[omalak]

I just got back from Scarboro Mazda, one of the techs went for a drive with me.. and to my luck the sound was not happening when i went to the dealer ( im sure it has something to do with the weather)

Anyhow, the did not hear the sound but still took my car into the shop and checked all belts and pulleys.. all were in good working condition. The work order remains open and the guys told me if i hear the sound again bring the car right back to them and they will have a look..

Met with Alan from Scarboro Mazda as well and checked out the race cars.. He spent an hour with me and showed me around the dealership.

Great overall experience.. too bad the sound didnt rear it's ugly ass:bang

If anyone else goes to the dealer for this issue please let me know what you find :)

[Fester]

I've been experiencing the same kind of issue with my 07 Mazda3 for about 8 months now.

Before the winter, when it started, it was situational and seemed to only happen when it was moist out, or raining. At this point I didn't hear any problems when the car was in park, but I did hear it consistently around 1.5k RPM, regardless of the gear I was in. It was most noticeable when going up hill in 4th gear, or even 3rd gear, hovering around 1.5K RPM.

It continued to get worse into the first month or two of winter. Once the temperatures started to get around -10 and below, the noise started to go away for the most part.

Now that it has warmed up a bit, the noise is back, and it is MUCH worse then before. I now notice loud sounds (mentioned previously) while in park after starting the car. When accelerating, whether it is moist out or not, I hear squeaking sounds that are consistent with rotary motions. It now happens anywhere between 1.2K RPM and 1.8K RPM, regardless of the weather. It doesn't really seem to matter if the engine is cold or not, as the noise will continue at 1.5K RPM even after driving for a while.

So as of right now, it happens every day, leaving for work, and coming home from work, at different times of the day, different temperatures etc.

I have an appointment tomorrow morning at the dealer, and I will be leaving the car there overnight. Hopefully they will come to some conclusion.

I'll post back here once I get the car back to write about what they found/did.

[Fester]

So I dropped the car off Wednesday morning. Got a call later Wednesday saying they found the source of the noise, and that it was the A/C compressor and that they were going to order a new one.

Thursday they call me and say they installed the new A/C compressor, but it seems to be pressurizing the line too much, so they suspect there is a problem with the extender valve. They can't get a valve in until Monday morning, so they advised me that I could pick up the car for the weekend, but the A/C would not be operational.

I go in Friday evening to pick up the car, drive it out of the lot and it's still making the same squeaking sounds around 1.5K RPM. So I bring it back and he tells me they will check it out again Monday when I come back for the valve.

I drive around for about 10 minutes, and start hearing loud grinding noises, and the internal sound of the engine sounds like I have no muffler on it.. two minutes later driving 70 km/h, the engine stalls. At this point I can't crank it over again. Wait a few minutes, try to crank it over and the engine starts. Drove the remaining 5 minutes back to the dealer and had 3 more stalls, keep in mind this is an automatic.

Get it back to the dealer, and they say the A/C compressor they put it shouldn't have been on, and it was, and that it's fried now, causing these other problems to occur.

So as it stands, 3 days later, my car is still at the dealer, and I have a rental G5 (boo).

[mzkaye729]

Before the winter, when it started, it was situational and seemed to only happen when it was moist out, or raining. At this point I didn't hear any problems when the car was in park, but I did hear it consistently around 1.5k RPM, regardless of the gear I was in. It was most noticeable when going up hill in 4th gear, or even 3rd gear, hovering around 1.5K RPM.

It continued to get worse into the first month or two of winter. Once the temperatures started to get around -10 and below, the noise started to go away for the most part.

Now that it has warmed up a bit, the noise is back, and it is MUCH worse then before. I now notice loud sounds (mentioned previously) while in park after starting the car. When accelerating, whether it is moist out or not, I hear squeaking sounds that are consistent with rotary motions. It now happens anywhere between 1.2K RPM and 1.8K RPM, regardless of the weather. It doesn't really seem to matter if the engine is cold or not, as the noise will continue at 1.5K RPM even after driving for a while.

So as of right now, it happens every day, leaving for work, and coming home from work, at different times of the day, different temperatures etc.


I have the same problem on my 05 mz3 as well ! That faint squeaking sound is annoying... !! I'm bringing it back to the dealership I bought it from and having them check on the belts, but since you said it was the a/c compressor on your car making the sound, I'll have the dealership check on this as well since my car's symptoms are exactly the same as yours !

Thank you for your update, btw. At least now I have an idea as to what might be causing the squeaking noises. I'm dropping the car off this coming Monday and hopefully they'll be able to fix it.

[Flagrum_3]

I've been experiencing the same kind of issue with my 07 Mazda3 for about 8 months now.

Before the winter, when it started, it was situational and seemed to only happen when it was moist out, or raining. At this point I didn't hear any problems when the car was in park, but I did hear it consistently around 1.5k RPM, regardless of the gear I was in. It was most noticeable when going up hill in 4th gear, or even 3rd gear, hovering around 1.5K RPM.

It continued to get worse into the first month or two of winter. Once the temperatures started to get around -10 and below, the noise started to go away for the most part.

Now that it has warmed up a bit, the noise is back, and it is MUCH worse then before. I now notice loud sounds (mentioned previously) while in park after starting the car. When accelerating, whether it is moist out or not, I hear squeaking sounds that are consistent with rotary motions. It now happens anywhere between 1.2K RPM and 1.8K RPM, regardless of the weather. It doesn't really seem to matter if the engine is cold or not, as the noise will continue at 1.5K RPM even after driving for a while.

So as of right now, it happens every day, leaving for work, and coming home from work, at different times of the day, different temperatures etc.

I have an appointment tomorrow morning at the dealer, and I will be leaving the car there overnight. Hopefully they will come to some conclusion.

I'll post back here once I get the car back to write about what they found/did.

Although you found the problem to your situation, which is good and also good that you posted the cause, I don't believe it's the same issue as the OP's problem.The OP's problem happens only at start-up (a hissing sound) and only for a few minutes then disappears; whilst the engine is warm or running at speed the noise is gone; those are the exact symptoms of a belt tensioner failure.


_3

[Fester]

That's true. There were some others mentioning problems that seemed more related to my issue, which is why I thought it all might be related.

Funny enough in the past couple of weeks I started getting that hissing sound, which is surprisingly loud. I'll mention that as well since it's already there.

[Gods Son]

It's extremely common. Happens to me on rainy / humid days when my car has been parked all night, usually when the temp is between -5 C and +10 C. It goes away after 10 minutes or so. For me is a hissing or shhhh noise. If you search M3F you will find hundreds of posts about this. One guy on m3f posted a vid that captures the noise. There is much speculation as to what the actual cause is, but no one has reported any issues, other than having a ghetto noise coming from the engine for 10 minutes.

I couldn't have said it any better...looks like alot of 3's have this problem whenever it rains or the temperature is really mild. At first when the noise happened to me I panicked but then after several instances of it only happening after raining I chalked It up to some sort of condensation/dew build up due to the weather lol

[Sparcas]

This same noise was coming from my '07.

Airport Mazda recommended replacing both belts to rectify the issue.
65,000KM

They gave me 15% off and a tensioner for free. The only thing is...they didn't say if my belts would fail or if there was anything wrong with them. They just wanted to fix the noise for me...

04-05 have a TSB on noisy belts, caused by a faulty tensioner i believe.

[mzkaye729]

04-05 have a TSB on noisy belts, caused by a faulty tensioner i believe.

Apparently my VIN shows that all TSBs have been covered... but I brought it in to Markham Mazda and they said I'll need a new belt/belt tensioner and charging me $284+taxes :bang

Can't I just live with the noise it makes ? Or is this something that really has to be repaired ?

[victor_t]

I brought in my mazda3 to the dealer for the engine noise, they said it was a tensioner that is replaced under warranty.

my noise didn't happen when I started the car, only when accelerating uphill.

[omalak]

I brought in my mazda3 to the dealer for the engine noise, they said it was a tensioner that is replaced under warranty.

my noise didn't happen when I started the car, only when accelerating uphill.

What year is your car?

[victor_t]

What year is your car?

2007.

after they replaced the tensioner they said the noise is half gone, but now the belt is a bit noisy, so to eliminate it completely I should change the belt too.
I'll do that later, the noise wasn't bad, but I wanted to make sure the tensioner was fixed under warranty.

[victor_t]

so in the end they replaced the idle pulley. is this the same as the tensioner? (it's the first wheel you see when looking at the engine/belt.)
the noise seems to be gone for now.

[skyrocket]

My 3 just started making this sound, I just hit 19000 miles in my 2005 3i and one day I started it I got a loud sound that came from the vents, I checked the controls and they were all off. I noticed a sound that ALMOST sounds like a supercharger when I accelerate. When idling it makes the exact sounds explained in this (http://www.mazda3forums.com/index.php?topic=131179.0) topic. I'm going to call the dealership within the next week and see if they can fix it.

[Blue_Jinnee]

I have the muffled sound but only when it's cold , i put the car on D , hand brake on and little bit of gas maybe (1200 rpm) i can hear it too , you don't need to drive to hear it .

[mz514]

I have a 2009 with 10k km and hearing the same noise. When I opened the hood the ckeck it out, one of the pulley seems to be loose (1st pulley you see when open the hood) Can you guys let me know if you see them same thing. Thanks!

[Blue_Jinnee]

Mazda changed the V belt and a pulley the car now way somther and quieter.

I had a metal noise on hi speed and a harsh sound (exhausted) but only when it's cold, all went away after changing the V belt and the pulley .

[Blue_Jinnee]

I have a 2009 with 10k km and hearing the same noise. When I opened the hood the ckeck it out, one of the pulley seems to be loose (1st pulley you see when open the hood) Can you guys let me know if you see them same thing. Thanks!

mazda changed it to me ... :) no more noise

[gtloaded]

dealerships are rip offs

[Noisy Crow]

dealerships are rip offs

And that loaded statement is relavent to this thread in what way?

[stuone]

I have this same noise on my 07 sport GT
Have taken it in 3 or 4 times to Ajax Mazda and they can't hear it. One time the tech did come with me and heard the noise, but said he didn't have time that day. When I went back, nobody could hear it again. It happens every time I come out of 2nd gear and accelerate hard, especially during a turn. I've just learned to live with it.

[stuone]

just an update on my car's noise
Ajax Mazda has listened to it several times over the last year or so, and the tech line was used to try to resolve the issue. Their final decision is that the noise is "normal" for my 2007 model year car when compared to others on the lot with similar mileage. I'm not sure i agree, as something has changed/worn with the car as the noise was never there for the first 50K. I just turn the stereo up now.

[Skip]

I think I'm having the same issue, yesterday I washed my car and went to work. When I got home that night as I pulled into the garage I heard what sounded like a hose or exhaust leak at idle. It was coming from the passenger side belts under the hood...I started the car this morning and it's still there. I'm going to ride it out today and see if it was just the humid weather/carwash from yesterday.

[sfe]

I'm having the same issue with my 2008.5 Mazda 3 2.3L
it's loudest when its cold. I noticed a few weeks ago after my 32000 service

its coming from the right passenger side from one of the lowers pulley's (I think)
it sounds like a metal on metal zing zing zing zing noise.
It fades with the engine warming up but it is still present and is accompanied by a feint whining noise

I have had my car to my dealer twice with no success.
Finally the "head' mechanic came out and claimed the noise was my AC pump and he ordered a replacement
I picked my car up tonight from the dealer (unfortunately mechanical was closed)
Wouldn't you know it the noise is still there. Its not any better since the AC replacement

I'm pretty concerned since I have 3 co workers with the same model and year as my car
yet my car sounds like crap in the cold weather and their cars makes no noise at all

Any Idea's ?????

[Donutz]

There are a lot of things that can go wrong on that side of the engine, including the AC components. Your belt tensioner could quite possibly be making the 'zing zing zing zing' noise. If you hear a hissing / shhhhhhhhh'ing noise when it's cold and damp that is most likely your belts. If you are going to get the tensioner replaced I suggest spending the extra $50 - $70 for new belts as well. If you have the ability to unload the tensioner and remove the belt you can spin the tensioner pulley by hand, if the pulley is bad more than likely you will hear the zing / grinding noise, or the pulley will not spin very long.

[sfe]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NmoYrhb3J0
Here the is noise

Thanks for the heads up on the cost for the belt with the tensioner replacement. I'm heading back to my dealer today to address the issue that they haven't fixed the issue

[dadinho_nfg]

same as me...
i stopped eventually started to drive through the car was part where it shots the water from underneath quickly

[ericssonfan]

If you're talking about the loud whining noise that occurs on rainy or damp humid days, I absolutely hate it! It sounds like that busted down van across the street from me that has that crazy loud noise but the van does that while driving too!
I get it in the wintertime alot and it drives me crazy when it whines the whole while I'm cleaning snow and ice off my car..

I've actually brought it to the attention of the mazda dealership during an oil change, and they gave me the well we couldn't replicate the problem schpleel... And i said of course, I said rainy and damp days, it's sunny and beautiful outside! lol