Groaning Noise when shifting in/out of Reverse and Drive

[banjos-n-beer]

Has anyone else noticed a groaning type noise when shifting in and out of Reverse, even when holding the brake pedal down continuously the whole time? I can't quite tell if its the tranny or brakes, but if I shift back and forth between Reverse and Drive as noted above the sound is almost always present right after the tranny has shifted.

I plan on mentioning (and demonstrating) it when I go in for the first oil change, but just wasn't sure if other folks had experienced anything similar.

thx.

 

[ALafya]

No noises for me.

 

[wlong01]

No noises for me.

Ditto for me too.

 

[B-ham Gary]

I just noticed the same groan with my 2016, noticeably annoying only when the engine is cold (i.e., first thing in the morning) when going back and forth between R and D. I only have 900 miles on it, so I'll see how it behaves in the coming weeks.

 

[andyg]

I have not heard this type of noise with my 2016 GT. 2000 miles, owned since August.

 

[banjos-n-beer]

I just noticed the same groan with my 2016, noticeably annoying only when the engine is cold (i.e., first thing in the morning) when going back and forth between R and D. I only have 900 miles on it, so I'll see how it behaves in the coming weeks.

Yes, it is definitely more prevalent when the vehicle is colder, but I think its still present once it has warmed up. I'm actually thinking its more of a brake problem/nuisance. I could have sworn I saw a thread around here regarding a problem with either rotors or pads... and how they weren't set properly or something to that affect.

I'm not too worried due to the full warranty, but I'd still like to be precautious until I know for sure. But it certainly wasn't present on my previous 2014 Mazda 3.

 

[Tom 6-6]

I have noticed brake groan at stoplights. I think the idle is a wee high. My car will move on a level surface in gear with no gas being giving. I think Mazda can fix this but I kind of like it, no lurching when you want to go just a little distance just let your foot off the brake and it gradually moves. I did notice a noise when putting the car in park and thought it was coming from the tranny but I narrowed it down to a door lock actuator that made a strange noise every so often. I have my doors lock/unlock with park. I would get on a level surface in an open parking lot and move the tranny from reverse to drive without the brake on and see if it still has the noise.

 

[banjos-n-beer]

So this morning, on the way to work while getting out of my driveway (I do a 3 point turn in my driveway), I decided to shift the tranny between P/D/R just a split second before coming to a complete stop, and releasing the brake pedal at the same time. Doing this prevented the groaning noise from appearing. For the record, I don't like rolling while shifting between D and R or R and D. So it has to be the brakes, but why they behave that way is unknown to me.

 

[craigo]

I have noticed brake groan at stoplights. I think the idle is a wee high. My car will move on a level surface in gear with no gas being giving. I think Mazda can fix this but I kind of like it, no lurching when you want to go just a little distance just let your foot off the brake and it gradually moves. I did notice a noise when putting the car in park and thought it was coming from the tranny but I narrowed it down to a door lock actuator that made a strange noise every so often. I have my doors lock/unlock with park. I would get on a level surface in an open parking lot and move the tranny from reverse to drive without the brake on and see if it still has the noise.

Is this your first automatic transmission? 'Creep', as its called, is part of the design.

 

[Tom 6-6]

Over the past 50 years I have been driving I have noticed cars vary on the amount of creep.' 64 Chevy Nova had a lot, '65 Mustang did too. My brother's '63 split window Corvette and '64 Corvette had none. My '77 Nova had some and the my '84 Caravan had none. My '02 Accord had none also. All the rest were 4, 5, or 6 speed sticks. I also read where you can have Mazda adjust the idle speed to stop the brake groan which would also affect the creep.

 

[B-ham Gary]

b-n-b, I did the same test with my foot off the brakes. It's not the transmission, so it must be the brake groan people have mentioned. I won't worry about a brake noise as much as a transmission noise...

 

[CX5-SO]

I could have sworn I saw a thread around here regarding a problem with either rotors or pads... and how they weren't set properly or something to that affect.

This one?

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123850964-Clunking-sound-from-rear-when-driving-off-first-thing

 

[banjos-n-beer]

This one?

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123850964-Clunking-sound-from-rear-when-driving-off-first-thing

Yes, that's the one. Thank you very much! Can you elaborate a bit on your comment, and how/why it remedies the problem? I can state that other than the salesman showing me the new parking brake feature, I have yet to use it myself since purchase. I'm now just past 5k miles.

"How often do you use the park brake?
If not often, while sitting in park, cycle the park brake full on/full off a few times, then drive down your street applying the brakes a few times.
Maybe repeat this whole process one more time, then see if things are better the first take off of the following day. "

 

[CX5-SO]

Common disc brake/park brake setups divide the two: pads for stopping and an internal shoe system (top hat rotor) for parking. Our system uses the pads/rotors for both and exercising the park brake can help align/re-align the pads.
It's worth a shot.

 

[banjos-n-beer]

Common disc brake/park brake setups divide the two: pads for stopping and an internal shoe system (top hat rotor) for parking. Our system uses the pads/rotors for both and exercising the park brake can help align/re-align the pads.
It's worth a shot.

Thanks again. Is this then something I might need to do every so often? Further, what do you think the dealer will tell me if its still on-going when I eventually bring it in?

 

[banjos-n-beer]

b-n-b, I did the same test with my foot off the brakes. It's not the transmission, so it must be the brake groan people have mentioned. I won't worry about a brake noise as much as a transmission noise...

Definitely not overly concerned now that I believe its not the tranny, that's for sure. But certainly something I've never experienced before either.

 

[CX5-SO]

Common disc brake/park brake setups divide the two: pads for stopping and an internal shoe system (top hat rotor) for parking. Our system uses the pads/rotors for both and exercising the park brake can help align/re-align the pads.
It's worth a shot.

Thanks again. Is this then something I might need to do every so often? Further, what do you think the dealer will tell me if its still on-going when I eventually bring it in?

From my experience of replacing the brakes on ours, the rear caliper pistons are pushed out by normal braking, but are spun out (there is a 'tit' on the outside bottom of the inner pad that acts as a stop to the turning) by the park brake actuation. So, the spinning out kind of acts like the back brake self adjusters of old. I hope that made some sense and someone please correct me if I'm way off base here.
So, having said that, maybe just go ahead and make it a habit to use the park brake all the time, except in cold wet, icy weather where the park brake levers could become frozen stuck with ice.
The wife has always used her park brake all time (except where mentioned above) in all her vehicles and never experienced ill affects.
As for your dealer, to rule out a brake issue, it would be easy enough for one of their techs to remove both rear calipers to inspect the insides of the rotors (where I suspect the noise would come from) for an abnormal wear pattern caused by a cocked or otherwise misbehaving pad.

 

[banjos-n-beer]

CX5-SO: Thanks again. Much appreciated.