So to begin with, yes, I have searched... And anything that I have found, I have checked and done, but my problem persists. So please help. D=

Okay, so my 8 recently (last month and a half or so) has been making an ugly rattle type noise which seems to be coming from somewhere in the engine bay. I guess it does sound like MIAC, but the sound is bery particular with when it is made. So far, I've noticed that the only times my car makes the sound is when it has been run at or higher than 3500rpm for more than just the occasional red-line. It HAS stalled at stoplights/signs after the noise being apparent, but I CAN keep the car from stalling at a stop, but it's like a weak battery or alternator, I have to give it gas to keep it alive. On one occasion, it made the sound only AFTER having been turned off for an hour or so (if that is anyway relevant, I don't know). There has also been a significant loss of power a couple of times present with this rattling noise. NO CEL, or any others come on. Also, it is ONLY in drive/reverse. If I put it in Neutral/Park, the symptoms are still present but dramatically reduced, and I can rev like nothing, the sound is only under load.

The car is a 2004 AT and has just shy of 44,000. New coils (put in 2 days ago) and wires (put in 2 weeks ago) with plugs that're 4 months old and sealed with the grease stuff that seals out moisture. I have no mods except for a wire mesh delete in the stock airbox. I have also cleaned the MAF/IAT sensors, inspected catalytic converter by shaking and tapping. I'll add any other symptoms that come up, but somebody please help. D=

I did also notice that with the AC turned on, the loss of power was amplified, but this could just simply be from the increased load on the engine and not actually be the AC creating the problem.

HELP PLZ!!!

 

The MAF is very sensitive - your wire mesh delete could in fact screw your mixture enough to display the symptoms mentioned.

Common mistake.....

 

you say it's coming from the engine bay. Where specifically? Right/ Left/ Center?

 

^^^ I thought of this too, but I'm not so sure it would affect it THAT much... O.o You really think so? There are 2 mesh grills in there and I removed only one. But I'd be curious as to why only in the last 6-7 weeks and why not the whole 4 months or so since I removed it?

 

I forgot to mention that I have 'seafoamed' the rotor housings to try and clear any carbon buildup. Last one was on December 26.

 

sorry, was getting food... XD

It's hard to tell where exactly the sound is coming from as it's moving when it makes it. It SEEMS to come from just to the right of the center... Say you were looking at the housings from above the car and the nose of the car was 12, it seems itd be at about a 4:00

 

Is this maybe what you're referring to? (post 12)

 

OMG are you serious?!?!?! LMAO

ARE YOU SAYING I NEED TO OPEN THE COOLANT RESERVOIR?!?! lol

You know I guess it could be that, although that would be the first and only time I've heard of an air buildup... Are there any potential damaging effects to opening the reservoir? Because of the lack of pressure while it's running...

 

dont open it when hot.
open it when cold then start the engine.

 

lol ok I figured as much...

Then just do the rest from that other post, let it warm up and rev it a bit with the heater on...

I guess it doesn't hurt to try. I'll go do that now and see what happens.

Thanks all, I'll update asap

 

ok... got back from my drive just now.

Ran fine as usual for about the first 3/4 of my lap around town. Still made the noise but it wasn't nearly as prevalent. So maybe that was a contributing factor. Nonetheless, it is still there. Also, it still felt as if it were gonna die at stops towards the tail end, I kept it alive by keeping my foot down. It also took a long time to get to 3000rpm in first, but once it got there, it accelerated normally. I ran it hard just like before, hard being at/above red line for a couple of seconds in first gear up to about 4500 in 2nd for most of the way, it was maybe a couple miles drive. As long as it is above 3K in any gear it runs okay, below in any gear and it bogs... =/...

I didn't check to see if the cat was glowing, but it might have something to do with that because while it was 'bogging along', it seemed like the exhaust note dropped and sounded real low.

Any new comments? =/

 

So you seemed to now have touched on most of the common causes for the symptoms your describing - just need to finish follow ups on a few it sounds like. Only a couple other question I would ask is in regards to starting - are you getting good fire-up immediately upon cranking or does it take a handful of cranks before the engine fires up? Have you run the car wide open (100+ mph) anywhere and noticed the car was struggling to get up into that velocity range?

Beyond those questions, seems like finishing what you have started would be the order of the day in the following areas:
* address the screens in the airflow path to the MAF as Stealth has already discussed - it can make a difference
* drop the cat and visually inspect
* get a valid compression test done and check results against what good numbers at the given RPMs in the test results should look like

 

Might want to do some advanced searches on SSV solenoid ticking as well. It could be that as well?????
You really need to get in there and find out where the noise is exactly coming from. There are some threads on ways to do this.

 

@ VOODOO8:

Yeah eliminating variables is the best approach, if not the only... O.o lol

In response to your questions:
1. I'm only getting good/immediate fire-up about 45-50% of the time now, more frequently it is taking a second crank for about 4 seconds.

2. No, not recently (as in the last 5 months), I've been afraid that it might just cut off at high speed and I don't wanna risk any potential damage that could result.

Haven't re-installed the mesh yet. But as far as the cat goes, I did notice today after working on the car and taking it apart lol, upon warming up, I noticed a barely audible rattle from the mid area of the car. So i got off and let it warm up and looked underneath, this particular rattle is definitely coming from the cat. I'm waiting for it to cool so I can attempt to drop it, nuts are super corroded on surface so it'll be difficult.

So this, combined with the range in rpm that it bogs down in and makes noise (3700-4500), is starting to sound like a cat issue. I'm calling first thing in the morning to schedule an appointment at the dealer, one that has a rotary tech that knows what he's doing. ;D Just sucks that that particular dealership is 20 miles away. lol At least I know it won't be wasted because I can duplicate the symptoms. ;D We all know the feeling of frustration upon arriving at the dealer to fix something, only to find that they could not hear/see anything like what what was described.

@ Mazurfer:

I thought about that too, because there was an audible ticking noise, but it disappeared when I changed wires and coils so I figured it was just an arcing sound. But I have looked up diy for the ssv cleaning, and it's on the to do list, as soon as I get some seafoam, O'reilly's has it on sale for $7.99. XD
---------------------------------------------
Thanks to everyone so far for the help and suggestions, hopefully this thread comes up for anyone else that searches that has a similar problem!

 

Yeah...........probably was arcing then. Old......or bad plug wires are known to do that.
Old school way was to put on hand on the frame and run your hand down the wires while it's running...............you'll find it! Ouch!

Anyway, try and use some deep creep or something and let it sit on the bolts overnight, then see if you can loosen it at the front, then you will be able to sort of move it off to the side and peer inside with a flashlight. See if the honeycomb is intact or if it's in pieces and rattling around...and clogging! Didn't see if you are over 80k miles or not, but if not.......CAT will be free! Either that or yank it and get a mid-pipe.

 

@ Mazurfer:

lol Making yourself a lightning rod. haha, I'm good thanks.

Well I was gonna do the deep creep thing but I decided not to since I'ma go to the dealership in the morning. We'll see what they say because yes I'm under the 80K, at around 44,000.

 

Well, just got back from the dealer. Service manager said that it actually looks like I flat out need a new engine. lol I guess now that they're doing the compression test, it better fail... lol

 

GREAT NEWS!!!

Mazda deemed my car below par, and has qualified it for a new engine! Just sucks that they're on 'backorder' for the next 2-3 weeks. =/ But hey that's ok!

Dealership handled me very well!!! Set up a rental vehicle for the next 3 weeks at no cost to me!!!

If anybody here lives in the Rio Grande Valley region of South Texas, the Mazda/Kia dealership in Mission is the one to go to. ;D Awesome customer service with absolutely no hassles, hopefully once they recieve the engine they'll be just as prompt in installing it.

 

Congrats...................did you have to provide proof of oil changes and/or maintenance history of any kind?

 

@ Mazurfer:

THANKS!!! I was super excited. But yes I did have to furnish documents. But see it sucked because I've only had the car for a year, but I've done all the service myself, so it was hard to provide documentation for oil changes. So I just provided my calander of stuff that I kept up with, and fortunately, that along with receipts for coils, spark plugs, and wires was enough. XD

 

Well, after four weeks, my car as back! =D

 

Thats good to know, at least you know Mazda took good care of you.

Now you should just Put those Screen back into the Airbox/Tube.

Those are called "Air Straightener"

Just like the name, it smooths out airflow to the MAF and into the engine.

Removing 1 of them will give you the MOST 1 extra hp.

but removing any of them will mess your air flow up, the ECU will get very inconsistent readings = crappy car.