Hi all,

I've been looking for a 2005 RX-8 for a while, finally found a good candidate with 25K miles on it at a local dealership. Drove it today, and it was a blast (as expected), but I have one question for the group. I could hear some mechanical sound from the interior of the car while shifting, and wasn't sure if that was normal? For example, I could hear the synchros during shifts, but not in a loud "getting ready to go" way, and my wife did not notice at all. I'm pretty attentive to mechanical noises, and I've always had FWD cars with cable or linkage actuated gear selection, with the transmission next to the engine, so you really can't hear the sounds coming from them. My question for those of you who have had FWD and an RX-8: do you hear transmission "sounds" - I wouldn't even call them noises - from inside the cabin? I had the radio off, windows up, etc., trying to listen pretty hard. Not sure if this is normal based on the location of the trans with respect to the cabin, or something to worry about.

Thanks for any feedback, and thanks to those whose posts I've been reading for six months in my "search" for an RX-8...

 

Welcome to the forum!
You should hear the transmission noise with the AFE short shifter installed....
Seriously, the RX8 does produce some interesting noises from the engine and transmission. What you're describing sounds normal.

 

Ja, I would say you are hearing the normal tranny noise.

It's not quite like other cars.

You can always test drive another one to compare.

 

The type of tyre tread and the road surface type you're driving on may also contribute to those sounds as well....