Strange whirring/whining noise stock 08.5 MS3

[davidm_86]

Alright, I know it's a pain describing noises through text because everyone interprets the words differently, but here we go...

I have a bone-stock 08.5 MS3, other than some 16" steelies and winter tires.

I've been starting to hear odd noises coming from the front left of the car though it's hard to pinpoint while I'm driving. I sounds like it's from the intake area, maybe a little lower... The noise is like a raspy whiny whirring sound. It's almost like the sound my idler pulley made on my old Exploder when the bearings were wearing out (and eventually seized resulting in the pully being cut clean off and me getting towed...) though it's not as bad.

This sound is not constant. I usually start to hear it when I hit about 60km/h in 3rd or 4th gear. The whirring sound increases in pitch (like a turbo wine under acceleration, increasing in pitch as the revs increase) as I accelerate. If I'm very gentle on the throttle, I don't hear it. After I hit about 1/4 throttle I start to hear the noise come on very strong. As soon as I let off the gas, the sound goes away.

If I put the car in neutral and rev the engine, I don't hear this whirring. Also, the pitch of this whirring sound only changes with the speed of the car during acceleration, not the revs of the engine. For example, the pitch is the exact same when I step on the gas from 80km/h in either 5th or 6th gear, even though I may be at say 3 grand in 5th and 2.5 grand in 6th, the pitch is the exact same from 80km/h.


I don't hear this sound every time I drive, either. I will start to hear it, make the same gentle pulls a few times and sometimes the sound will go away. Sometimes it keeps making the same sounds the whole night.


Also, not sure if this may be related. I was in the parking lot the other day and started hearing a terrible screeching sound as soon as the tires started moving. I ended up stopping and cranking the wheels over all the way. I got out and looked on the inside of the wheel and saw huge amounts of ice sitting on the axle. I pulled all the ice out of there and the screeching sound went away. However I still get the strange whirring sound on occasion.

Little under 10,000 km, stock 08.5 MS3. Makes these sounds when the engine is hot and cold. Switched to full synthetic oil and that made no difference either (though I didn't expect it to.)


Well, thanks for reading my confusing wall of text... Does anyone have any ideas what this may be? If you need more info or a better description, let me know. I don't really have anything that can record the sound, though if I had to I may be able to get a friend with a digital camcorder to sit in the car and try to record it.



Thanks

 

[Sport6]

Are you positive the steelies clear the calipers? Mine did not but it was very close, they would clear when I put them on and when i took it for a test drive and stepped on the brake, thats when they would rub.

Would be a good to take off the wheel to see if the caliper is marked up, or to swap the front wheels for a test drive to see if it still makes the noise.


Also if it still makes the noise with the stock wheels then take it in, still with the stock wheels on there (just so they can't be dicks about anything), and have them take a look at it.

 

[davidm_86]

That's a good idea. I tried to look through the little holes in the steelies and didn't see any marks on the calipers... However since this weekend is supposed to be nice, I'll see if I can give that a shot. Maybe it's rubbing somewhere further inside the rim where I can't see yet.

Thanks for the input

 

[Sport6]

Mine were a two piece steel wheel, they fit fine on my 2003 6S but when I put them on my speed3 they didn't. There was a bead of welds that held the two pieces together and that's what rubbed on my caliper.

 

[MikeHTally]

"Sounds" like you're on the right track. One good thing -- if that's what it is, a whine is better than heavy impacts.

 

[mzdaspd3]

Alright, I know it's a pain describing noises through text because everyone interprets the words differently, but here we go...

I have a bone-stock 08.5 MS3, other than some 16" steelies and winter tires.

I've been starting to hear odd noises coming from the front left of the car though it's hard to pinpoint while I'm driving. I sounds like it's from the intake area, maybe a little lower... The noise is like a raspy whiny whirring sound. It's almost like the sound my idler pulley made on my old Exploder when the bearings were wearing out (and eventually seized resulting in the pully being cut clean off and me getting towed...) though it's not as bad.

This sound is not constant. I usually start to hear it when I hit about 60km/h in 3rd or 4th gear. The whirring sound increases in pitch (like a turbo wine under acceleration, increasing in pitch as the revs increase) as I accelerate. If I'm very gentle on the throttle, I don't hear it. After I hit about 1/4 throttle I start to hear the noise come on very strong. As soon as I let off the gas, the sound goes away.

If I put the car in neutral and rev the engine, I don't hear this whirring. Also, the pitch of this whirring sound only changes with the speed of the car during acceleration, not the revs of the engine. For example, the pitch is the exact same when I step on the gas from 80km/h in either 5th or 6th gear, even though I may be at say 3 grand in 5th and 2.5 grand in 6th, the pitch is the exact same from 80km/h.


I don't hear this sound every time I drive, either. I will start to hear it, make the same gentle pulls a few times and sometimes the sound will go away. Sometimes it keeps making the same sounds the whole night.


Also, not sure if this may be related. I was in the parking lot the other day and started hearing a terrible screeching sound as soon as the tires started moving. I ended up stopping and cranking the wheels over all the way. I got out and looked on the inside of the wheel and saw huge amounts of ice sitting on the axle. I pulled all the ice out of there and the screeching sound went away. However I still get the strange whirring sound on occasion.

Little under 10,000 km, stock 08.5 MS3. Makes these sounds when the engine is hot and cold. Switched to full synthetic oil and that made no difference either (though I didn't expect it to.)


Well, thanks for reading my confusing wall of text... Does anyone have any ideas what this may be? If you need more info or a better description, let me know. I don't really have anything that can record the sound, though if I had to I may be able to get a friend with a digital camcorder to sit in the car and try to record it.



Thanks

This is what i think, though i may be wrong. Now if it was the wheels thats causing that noise, it would happen anytime the wheel is spinning. So seriously doubt its that. If it has anything to do with your drive line, it would make the noise everytime parts are moving. My guess, you actually might be hearing the turbo spool. Its very quiet with the stock air box in there, but it is noticeable.

Now i did say that i could be wrong. Just take a good look by the wheel and the cv axle and make sure you don't see any shiny metal (where something was or could be rubbing/ metal against metal).

Do you notice any difference in the way the car drives? Try putting the stock tires back on and seeing if it goes away. If it does, the its the steelies then. Hope this helps.

 

[Fenrir]

Also could just be snow/ice caught somewhere. Mine was doing that on the rear wheels till I got angry at the chunk stuck to my rear wheel well and knocked it off

 

[davidm_86]

So.. ahem... I was just thinking on the drive home from my girlfriends. This winter has been really cold.

When I put my winter tires on, this was the first set I've ever owned. I've never had a pair of them.

2nd, I put them on when the weather people said "OMG SNOW IS COMING!" and then it didn't show up for 3 weeks or so. Winters on dry pavement, no biggy.

Then the snow came very, very hard and fast. I haven't seen it snow this much here in a very long time, then came the weeks on end of bitter cold (-20*C and below, not counting wind chill.)

Now, there hasn't really been much of a chance until today for me to drive on plain, wet roads. It has either been covered in snow, or pure ice because of the cold.

What I'm getting at is the sound I'm hearing may just be the sound of the tires on a wet road. This would explain why it isn't constant (when it got slightly warm, only parts of the roads would be wet, not constant, hence the sound would come and go.) Also, I turned off my music, heat, everything and carefully listened on the way home. I started hearing the sound earlier, around 40km/h. I went up to about 100km/h and the sound was constant, just like I explained during acceleration about the pitch increasing with speed.
When I let off the gas and started coasting, I noticed the pitch dropped instantly and became steady. Every time I hit the brakes the sound went away...

The only thing that's really different and constant on the trip home was the very wet roads, and the 0*C temperature. Maybe I'm just crazy and just hearing the winter tires going through the water on the roads.

<sigh> I feel like an idiot. Either way if I get a chance tomorrow I will take a quick look at my fronts and make SURE nothing has been rubbing. Plus taking the tires off would give me a chance to pull out more ice, mind you we are FINALLY due for a little chinook meaning temperatures above 0. Hopefully a lot of the built-up ice will melt out of my poor car.


Anyways, I'll play around a bit tomorrow but I'm almost willing to bet money that this is all I'm hearing. Thanks for all the comments and suggestions!