MY 8's been preforming wonderfully since I got her, (8th of last month) Was perfectly fine until about 2 miles away from home on my way home from work this morning. I stopped at a traffic light and heard a loud whining sound from somewhere. I got home and left her idle for a bit while I looked around and it seems to be coming from somewhere under the middle of the car, I tried to get down to see if anything was wrong with the cat but I couldn't see under her. I do have an audio file that you can clearly hear the whining from, I held my phone under the side of my car while it was idling.


WARNING !!!!!! MAY BE VERY LOUD!!!!!

http://www.putlocker.com/file/37916ADC7B157BF6

 

bump

 

here's a video... in case you don't trust putlocker

rx8 noise - YouTube

 

I don't know, did it sound like it was coming from the gas tank? Fuel pump going bad?

 

Yea, that's the general area :'( hopefully that's not it.

 

You can't see it in the video, but in the audio I do rev the engine, and it doesn't make and difference to the sound, it doesn't get louder or change tone. Wouldn't revving put a higher load on the fuel pump?

 

Possibly, I don't know what else under there could make noise like that. Exhaust would probably change too.

 

Where's RIWWP when you need him.

 

So I filled her up with 92, and made sure all the fluid levels were good... road her hard for a bit after she heated up, and the sound died down.... it's nearly negligible when the windows are down. When up I can still hear it pretty clearly. HOWEVER once the windows where all the way up I let go of the window buttons and the sound got louder, Pushed them back down ( the window up buttons) and it died down a little. I'm kind of at a loss.

 

Soooooo once she cools down the sound goes away, but after a trip to work ( about 25 miles) it comes back at the same volume. I'm not noticing any difference in performance, no cel codes are being thrown, and everything checks out good on "torque" with my bluetooth obd-II.

 

Bump for any more ideas.


I'm going to bring her into the mazda dealership near me on my way home.... see if I can't get a mechanics opinion before dedicating my weekend to not visiting my family... I had a 320 mile trip planned.... but idk. Shitty timing all around, either way I'm forking out cash this weekend XD.

 

It is more than likely your fuel pump. It may last for a while, it might take a dump tomorrow. You best have it looked at before it leaves you stranded. It is relatively easy to change.

 

If RIWWP was here, he'd probably tell you to stop driving the car!

I understand it's coming from the bottom of the car, but to me that sounds like a failing air pump bearing (a fairly common breakage). Have you listened with the hood open?

 

It's electrical in nature. In the video, the pitch of the whine changed when your cooling fans kicked on, and I believe you are describing something similar with the windows.

It has the general sound of a solenoid or small bearing going bad, but could be a number of things. If the sound seems to be from the area of the fuel pump, when you are hearing it, pull up the rear seat on the driver's side and see if you can confirm that the noise is coming from behind the fuel pump access panel.

If it is the fuel pump, make sure you drive gently until you get it replaced, as a sudden fuel pump failure at high load can blow your engine, and they tend to cut out easier at higher load if they are on the edge of failing anyway.

 

Does the sound change when you push i the clutch?

 

I brought it into the local mazda dealership where she's seen all her checkups since she was new, and I happened to talk to the mechanic who put the new fuel pump in (4000 miles ago)
And apparently they put in an aftermarket high performance pump, and I got the opinion of two separate mechanics stating that it sounds fine, and it's not odd for it to be that loud. I took the trip and she ran fine, got almost 22 mpg there and 20 back.

 

Interesting. Didn't you say it just got noisy recently? Do you think it's been like that and you never noticed?
I wonder if a different mechanic who didn't install
it would say the same thing?
* It would be nice if someone said their new pump sounds like that. Seems quite a few have mentioned getting new ones, but I don't recall anyone saying it was noticeably louder.
* Were the 2 separate mechanics at different shops, are did they work with the guy who installed it?
Maybe you should start a new thread like
"Does anyone have a loud aftermarket fuel pump?"

 

UPDATE::::

So the sound went away.... after the mechanic who put it in, and another mechanic (both worked at the same Mazda dealership) said , " Naw it's just an aftermarket high flow fuel pump so that noise is normal". I had decided to undertake my own transmission and differential oil change. After I changed it.... The sound is now completely gone. And THIS is what I took out of my transmission .


and the differential was even worse ( they went into the same oil pan so no picture)

But new Red-line in her and it's like a whole new car and no sound.