Terrible Engine Noise

[prote5]

I know I've posted this at least 3 times but haven't gotten much response in the past so.... does ANYONES Protege5's make a horrible tapping noise, so loud it sounds like a diesel??? I'm not positive if its a tapping, knocking, whatever but it just sounds like s***.... I park in a car port with a wall like 3 feet to my left and the noise it bounces off the wall you can easily hear like 15 feet away.... Even when in open areas, while sitting in the car you can hear the "knock knock knock" just knocking away.... I dont race it a WHOLE lot but she does like to run.... and on top of that, it seems when I push her real hard, afterwards it sounds even worse... Could be my imagination, but regardless the noise is there loud and clear..... If ANYONE else has this problem please respond, especially people who have taken there cars to the dealership for the same kind of problem..... I'm not sure.... and don't hold this against me...... I think our engines just kind of.................................................suck

 

[FSRbikr98]

i had sort of the same problem with my civic, is it louder if the clutch up and the shifter is in neutral, cause if it is u might have a faulty "throttle release bearing" as my dealer called it. the dealer had to replace my transmission

 

[prote5]

FSRbikr98

Just tried it and the same horrible noise........ it's not the tranny its the engine....... you can easily tell...... all you hear is a horrible knock................ thanks tho

 

[1sty]

I hear the fast ass loud clicking of the valves but it has always made that noise. Did this just start or was it there even when you test drove the car?

 

[prote5]

The first like, 8,000 miles it sounded great, but after that the noise started, and got worse, and worse..... If you heard it..... you would say that it doesn't sound right..... it just pisses me off...... the car only has 16000 on it and it sounds like it has 200000...... only problem with the the car is the engine..... and sometimes tranny but that doesn't concern me as much as this damn knocking noise.....

 

[1sty]

What did the dealer tell you?

 

[melicha8]

Are you sure this isn't the cold rattle? If it only happens when the engine hasn't warmed up look under the hood on the left side of the intake mani and have a friend rev the engine. If you see the source of the rattle that will explain your problem and you will have nothing to worry about since it is designed to be like that.

 

[prote5]

Made 2 appointments, haven't seen them yet..... first time was my fault and second time was theres.... just e-mailed them to schedule another.... Mazda ppl (service) suck.......

 

[prote5]

Melicha8

Warm or cold..... it does it all the time.....

 

[prote5]

Geez guys, thanks for all the info.......

 

[igdrasil]

Check your oil level.
Maybe valve clearances?

Anyone suggests something?

 

[seatown.P5]

This is at idle right? Mine is a bit loud at idle (louder than most other Japanese small cars), but not a diesel sound. However, I do get a bit of "dieseling" if I upshift below ~2700 RPM. Only lasts for a second though, disappears when I get the revs up.

 

[p5s_letsroll]

SAME here...

I can drive in quiet neighborhood and hear it boucing off of things.. Easily noticeable.. sounds like s***, makes me embarrased to be driving such a tight looking car that sounds like s***..

Mazda said "it's normal"

I say my aching hemi ass it's normal, let's go see what a new protege sounds like.. hmmm, doesn't sound like mine.. Well there is nothing we can do for it.. They have a loud top end, because of the DOHC.. Well other motors with DOHC are not this loud..

mazda service kinda blows if you ask me..

 

[snowman4us]

what do u have done to ur car PROTE5?

 

[p5s_letsroll]

disregard my post.. Sorry

 

[Glhboy]

I don't know if it's normal for Mazda, but on my new Spec-V I heard it all the time against buildings or what not. I don't hear it at all on my Protege 5 with 13,000 miles.

On the Spec-V Nissan said it was normal, and quite truthfully it is. I worked for Nissan for 4 years and it is normal on most of their cars. Not sure why. Hope I don't hear it on my Mazda.

 

[blahmonster]

There is a small sensor in your head just above the exhaust cam gear. It's held in place by one bolt, you might want to try and take it out, put a couple washers between the bracket and the head. That might be what it is. My buddy and I just replaced his cam gears, and it was knocking that sensor, it sounds a lot like what you're describing. Also, while you have it out, check and see if it's worn a little bit. If it is, it'd be a good idea to take the head off and clean off your gears and timing belt so that dust doesn't get in there and make your belt slip. Just my $.02

 

[Edison_Chen]

the ticking is driving me nuts sometimes...
even with the exhaust and the stereo on.. the ticking is still there....

 

[prote5]

Well I went to the dealership yesterday and the "mechanic" (i think he was a detailer, he was the same age as me and wore the same clothes as the other detailers) said its my fuel injectors making the noise................??????? Fuel injectors tapping like crazy?? At first I heard him say to the service lady it was the intake making the noise and then he drove it around, 5 miles to be exact, and came back and said "I don't think it's a big deal, nothings wrong with it"..... Well, actually at first he said what kind of oil do you use, Mobil 1 10-30, what kind of gas do you use, Shell 89, do you run the car real hard, not really, maybe you should put some heavier oil in but I dont hear the lifters making noise I think its your fuel injectors.....................!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Does that make any sense what-so-ever????????? He asks me about my oil just to say its the fuel injectors..... ******* moron.... I then took it to Autozone for there free testing thing and it came back normal, but I doubt the tap would show up on the test...... I'll just have to find another Mazda place in Little Rock...... oh yeah, on top of that Mazda was going to charge me for the kid to drive my car around, whom I may add, liked driving around the parking lot in 1st gear..........

 

[blahmonster]

Yeah, that's pretty friggin stupid....fuel injectors....whatever. Did you take out that sensor and look at it? If that's fine and everything's normal, just run your engine, pop your hood and see if you can hear where it's coming from. If you still can't tell, have a friend rev it at 500 rpm increments up to 3500, that might narrow it down for you. Oh yeah BTW, most dealerships will only charge you if they actually do anything to your car, isn't that covered by your warrantee anyway?