Car makes a Twitching sounding noise. Please help.

[SubCompactor]

I have the touring 5-speed mode.l I hear a noise that the best way I can describe sounds like a twitching, creaking/pinging sound. It seems to happen just after start up coming from the front of the car (dash/firewall area). After start up it immediately goes away. It is subtle but noticeable and like I said it is not at all continuous because it goes away immediately. I only have 1100 miles on the car and it has been doing since day one and I figured it was part of the car. Hopefully I have provided a decent description of the sound. It is like nothing I have heard before. Hard to put it in words but it is almost like the sound a guitar string would make if tightened almost to the point of breaking. I really don't think its major and just a sound the car makes. I just wanted to pass this along with this group first before I do anything. The last thing I want is the dealership creating a potential other problem by tearing into things when this is a typical Mazda 2 thing. Thanks so much for your replies.

 

[joshb003]

I have a clicking sound sometimes when the car just starts, and then it goes away after it warms up. Does it increase in speed as you accelerate?

 

[SubCompactor]

No, I do not notice in increase in the sound in acceleration. If fact it goes away so quickly that I haven't had the opportunity to try that. It is as you say, when the car is started. Also, seems to be when moving forward. I think.
Ya know, maybe I need to go to the dealership seeing all this views on this post but only 1 reply so far. Maybe that is telling.

 

[XCLR8TN]

I have the same noise. I think it's something with the ABS/DSC/traction control testing itself right on take off.

I'm assuming yours doesn't do it just when sitting, right? Mine does it as soon as the car moves a few feet. It is a weird noise.

 

[SubCompactor]

I have the same noise. I think it's something with the ABS/DSC/traction control testing itself right on take off.

I'm assuming yours doesn't do it just when sitting, right? Mine does it as soon as the car moves a few feet. It is a weird noise.

Yes. Precisely. Not when sitting but advancing forward. A VERY hard sound to describe. I want to thank you for replying. I ended up going into a few other postings and read about other models making similar sounds and kept mentioning the ABS/DSC in each. I feel a little more at ease. Just seeing the View/Reply ratio I wondered if we had a bigger problem because certainly everyone is dealing with this sound. Unless it is only in the 5-speeds. But I doubt it.

 

[XCLR8TN]

Not sure. I might try turning the traction control off tomorrow morning before I take off to see if that stops it from happening. But I have a feeling it won't haha

 

[arcxer]

Haven't heard - maybe that's one of those ultrahigh-pitch sounds which children and young people hear, but older folks don't?

I personally sometimes hear some odd single creaks or knocks coming somewhere from dash direction (random - no way to predict when it could happen). But I'd guess it's not what OP meant.

 

[XCLR8TN]

Haven't heard - maybe that's one of those ultrahigh-pitch sounds which children and young people hear, but older folks don't?

I personally sometimes hear some odd single creaks or knocks coming somewhere from dash direction (random - no way to predict when it could happen). But I'd guess it's not what OP meant.

My dad and other "older" people have heard it I've had a few squeaks/creaks coming from the headliner by the dome light and seatbelt area. Oh well... I just turn the radio up

 

[XCLR8TN]

For what it's worth, when the DSC kicks in on a hard corner, it's the same exact noise. And I also notice (while driving around with no radio on), that it seems like its not just that first takeoff when it makes the noise. Mine made it a few times when I took off from a light.

 

[MazdaTwo]

I'm not a tech, and I've got no authority to make the following statements. That being said: The noise you hear is definitely the DSC "calibrating itself." Mine has been doing it for the year and 3 months that I've had it. There are also one or two old threads from this time last year-ish where this is pretty much the general consensus.

Here's another fun fact: I've noticed that sometimes you can trick the ECU if you start your drive with a significant backup, and it makes the DSC wig out on your first substantial corner. Here's what I mean: At work, I park in the back lot by the loading docks. Most of the time I can back up like it's a regular parking space (ie, back up like 10 feet while turning the wheel), and when I take off forward, I hear the calibration. But sometimes there's a tractor trailer parked on both sides of me. In that case I start by backing up about 50+ feet; then when I launch forward I never hear the calibration. The first turn I make at speed is about a quarter mile into my drive and it's the highway entrance ramp. More that a couple of times over the last year, the DSC unit grinds like I'm in a power slide the whole way around the cloverleaf. Once I hit the straight for a couple hundred feet, I hear the clicking and I'm good for the rest of the drive. (COOL STORY, BRO!)

 

[XCLR8TN]

Does the light come on when it makes the grinding noise? I know exactly which noise you are talking about haha.

 

[MazdaTwo]

Does the light come on when it makes the grinding noise? I know exactly which noise you are talking about haha.

Yes, ma'am. Sure does.

 

[SubCompactor]

Page 5-21 of the Owner's Manual makes a statement (italicized) at the middle right of the page. It talks about the DSC self checking itself and a clicking sound behind the dashboard. After reading that and seeing some good posts here, I am confident everything is working as it should. Since starting this thread, I have narrowed it down that sound is consistently made between 8 and 10 mph.