I'm new to rotarys...I have a 04 Mazda RX-8, automatic.. I have noticed when I go through a drive thru sitting in drive or stop at a stop sign, and my car is in drive (or reverse).. I notice a noise- seems to follow a "rhythm" of like ticking....I put the car in neutral or park and it goes away.... When I drive the car, I don't notice the noise, tranny shifts great and car has lots of power. Any thoughts? I took it to the dealer and they didn't seem really worried. This noise is new, but, I got the car last winter, and obviously didn't have the windows down. Every little noise I worry....lol!

Thanks!

 

Could be a bad engine mount. Having owned two '05 RX8's. Both AT. I have found that the engine mounts are a weak point. They make a chirping/ticking type sound when next to a wall. If you shift between 1st and 2nd at a stop next to a wall, you should hear a change in the noise.
More than likely Bad engine mounts. Right side.

 

I think i may be having the same problem as daisy, mines an MT, would doing what you said above still be a good way to test this?

 

^For MT, if you only hear the noise in idle, push your clutch in. If the noise goes away with your clutch in, then it's probably the throw out bearing. Dun Dun Dun.

 

if the noise goes away with the clutch pedal pushed in then its NOT the throw out bearing. you have it backwards endowdly.

 

You sure? If you push the pedal in, you are really disengaging the transmission from the engine... you push the throwout bearing IN, which then pushes the fingers out and off of the clutch plate to separate it from the tranny... right?

If that is true, then when the clutch pedal is out, the clutch is engaged with the tranny, so the throwout bearing is free to spin with the clutch. If it's not lubricated, it'll squeak as it spins. Which is why I thought the chirping would stop when you engaged the bearing?

Or DO I have it completely ***-wards up the backend of a donkey?????

 

alright so I'm having this problem... and I don't always hear it but sometimes it is there, and it goes away when I put the clutch in. Any ideas what it may be if it isn't the throwout bearing?

edit: 2005 MT 55XXX miles

 

1/2 in 1/2 out

release bearing is not rotating when clutch is out .

 

bump

 

...at least I'm not a complete idiot.

Cf does it happen when the car is warm, cold, or what?

 

warm haven't heard it when the car is cold

edit: just went to check I hear it when cold also

 

Normal for manual to have whirring noise when clutch is "up", just gear rollover.

 

I'm not sure if I'm having the same issue or not, but I am VERY certain that the noise I have coming from my engine bay is not clutch related in my case (had the BHR fly/pp/clutch etc. put in and still getting the noise).

The knocking noise is very pronounced at idle but while over 1K rpm, I really don't hear it. While driving I don't hear it at all. I did some hunting around the engine bay while my car was idling and it seems to be coming from the passenger side near the firewall. I can hear it much better there and, strangely enough, from the passenger side wheel well. I have been trying to track this noise down for a LONG time now and I haven't a clue as to what it could be. ... and the noise has been steadily getting worse.

Could it be the engine mounts???

 

Since I bought my car, I've had a tick at idle to about 1200 rpm, but only with the engine warm. Never figured it out. Replaced coils, plugs, and wires, and none of that helped.

 

I'm not sure what it would be if cold too. Maybe your engine mounts?

And this is not a gear whirring. It's a chirping maybe twice a second or fast?

 

just did what Easy_E1 said and I got no change in sound from the ticking/knocking noise. My 8 makes the noise below 1K. At about 1200, I can't really hear it.

... just remembered something.

I talked to Charles Hill about a WHILE ago about it (sorry Charles, but I have been under a rock all this time while my 8 has been under another). Off the top of his head, he told me to check the exhaust manifold to check for signs of exhaust leaks. I'm going to check this tomorrow.

 

Weird - but that is the same place my sound is coming from. But I checked for exhaust leaks and found none. Did you resolve yours?