Rough metal on metal scraping sound, passenger side tire area

[Wittinator]

Hi there,

I have a 2004 Mazda 3 manual transmission with 175k on it.

Since I bought the car last year she's been consistently making what sounds to me like a metal on metal scraping sound coming from the right front area. It sounds like a randomly generated scraping noise, by that I mean there's not a constant scraping sound as I drive and nor is there any sort of consistent interval between scrapes. The noise just kinda comes and goes randomly and lasts for random lengths of time. It hasn't gotten any worse since I bought her, and over the year I've noticed some patterns that will hopefully help with the diagnosis of what's going on here.

- The sound ALWAYS disappears completely when I hit the clutch.

- The sound is most audible in the lower gears. 1st, 2nd and 3rd, it is very audible but once I get up to highway speeds, you can hear it, but barely.

- There doesn't seem to be any pattern in terms of turning left or right, accelerating, decelerating. It's pretty consistent unless I hit the clutch, then it's gone completely.

- You can REALLY hear it, and feel it, when downshifting and letting off the clutch. If I downshift from 2nd to 1st or 3rd to 2nd, as soon as I'm off the clutch and the revs increase, there's a very audible *scrapppeeee* sound. You can also feel the vibrations on the clutch petal when it's scraping.

- There have been times when I've started the car and driven to work and I do not hear this sound at all. It's pretty rare this happens but it has happened. Again, it seems random to me. It doesn't matter if it's a cold start or not. Sometimes I'll hear it as I drive to work and sometimes I don't.

To clarify, this isn't a high pitched squealing sound. I guess it kind of sounds like rubbing two pieces of sandpaper together, just more metallic. Very rough, course scraping.

Anyway if anyone has any ideas what this may be I'd greatly appreciate any advice given. I have taken the car into a few shops before and nobody seems to know what's up. I know I have a broken #3 motor mount that I'll be replacing next week when the part arrives. Maybe that's the source? Not sure, but any help is appreciated.

Cheers,

[Flagrum_3]

Hi there,

I have a 2004 Mazda 3 manual transmission with 175k on it.

Since I bought the car last year she's been consistently making what sounds to me like a metal on metal scraping sound coming from the right front area. It sounds like a randomly generated scraping noise, by that I mean there's not a constant scraping sound as I drive and nor is there any sort of consistent interval between scrapes. The noise just kinda comes and goes randomly and lasts for random lengths of time. It hasn't gotten any worse since I bought her, and over the year I've noticed some patterns that will hopefully help with the diagnosis of what's going on here.

- The sound ALWAYS disappears completely when I hit the clutch.

- The sound is most audible in the lower gears. 1st, 2nd and 3rd, it is very audible but once I get up to highway speeds, you can hear it, but barely.

- There doesn't seem to be any pattern in terms of turning left or right, accelerating, decelerating. It's pretty consistent unless I hit the clutch, then it's gone completely.

- You can REALLY hear it, and feel it, when downshifting and letting off the clutch. If I downshift from 2nd to 1st or 3rd to 2nd, as soon as I'm off the clutch and the revs increase, there's a very audible *scrapppeeee* sound. You can also feel the vibrations on the clutch petal when it's scraping.

- There have been times when I've started the car and driven to work and I do not hear this sound at all. It's pretty rare this happens but it has happened. Again, it seems random to me. It doesn't matter if it's a cold start or not. Sometimes I'll hear it as I drive to work and sometimes I don't.

To clarify, this isn't a high pitched squealing sound. I guess it kind of sounds like rubbing two pieces of sandpaper together, just more metallic. Very rough, course scraping.

Anyway if anyone has any ideas what this may be I'd greatly appreciate any advice given. I have taken the car into a few shops before and nobody seems to know what's up. I know I have a broken #3 motor mount that I'll be replacing next week when the part arrives. Maybe that's the source? Not sure, but any help is appreciated.

Cheers,

I'm surprised those few shops would not have "Known what was up", or atleast considered the fact the sound disappears once you depress the clutch. I would suspect either your throw-out bearing or pilot bearing is shot...Something with the clutch.


_3

[m_bisson]

If it was the throw out bearing, wouldn't it be silent until he hit the clutch?

[Flagrum_3]

If it was the throw out bearing, wouldn't it be silent until he hit the clutch?

Yeah I think I mixed it up. So in reviewing clutch problems ;) ...There's three bearings associated with the clutch. It states if the clutch is engaged (foot completely off the pedal), any noise, most likely would be the Transmission front bearing. If you press on the clutch pedal just enough to clear the free play, not depressing any further, any noise like grinding would be due too the Throw-out bearing. Having the clutch pedal pressed completely, foot to the floor basically, any noise would likely be due too the Pilot bearing.

So reading the OPs description of when the noise occurs again, one would have to conclude its the transmission bearing, which in any case, and at his mileage, a new clutch is in his future, along possibly with some tranny work (to replace the transmission front bearing), ...unfortunately.


_3

[kingkhan]

Yea it might be the throwout bearing. I had a grinding noise like that when i had an RX-8. Noise would instantly disappear once i pressed the clutch.