Need help with a new sound my '07 is making.
 

I'm a day from putting on new parts at a friends shop, with a lift, and of course as I'm freaking driving home I notice a problem on my car.

A low grumbling/grinding sound coming from the front end. I noticed it at low speed and tried to narrow it down over the few stoplights before the house. I get it when in neutral both when applying brakes and not. I've not changed brakes on an MS3 yet but the previous owner changed them less than 10K ago.

Due to still hearing it when in neutral and coasting slowly my only guess is wheel bearing? I have no clue here. I just rolled over 76000 miles, maintenance has always been done on the car. I guess I'm looking for ideas on things to check tomorrow evening.

Any help appreciated. I'll try to record it and post the link but it may be a while before I can do that.


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Does the noise change when turning either left or right?

Put it on the lift and take it up to 70 mph, listen for noise. May or may not work depending how the wheel.bearings are.

Also in rare occasions ive seen throw out bearings make noise like that. See if the noise changes when clutch peddle is in and out, both in gear and out of gear.

Yank on the tie rods also.

I'll check both of those. Not sure about running high speed on the lift but I would think if it's a bearing I will hear it either hand cranking it or very low speed wheel turn.


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Sounds like I also need to check to see if it happens when turning and if so, on which side.


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Most bearings are hard to diag at low speeds unless they are fully gone. Hand cranking and low speeds don't put enough of a load on them such as turning while driving or high speeds.

I don't think it's the clutch, I check for that by putting it in neutral and still hearing the noise. I leave from this place shortly, more observations in a few.


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check motormounts as well, make sure none of them are blown.

Okay so I listened to it on the way back from the bar (hey don't judge me, poon over car okay.)

I can only hear it below about 12mph. Above that, nothing. According to the friend, he hears it stronger on the passenger side versus driver. However I could hear it while turning in either direction at low speed, and to me it sounded the same volume.

The plot thickens. I'll get a ride to work tomorrow and save further troubleshooting for the lift.


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If it's motor mounts that would be a first, but that's what I'm putting in tomorrow. This is drivetrain or brakes, for sure.


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think i may have the same problem...

almost somewhat of a grinding type of noise at slow speeds? i've just been ignoring it lately. subbed for findings lol.

So yes, the problem is solved, and yes I feel like a fucking idiot, but thankfully, one that isn't going to be shelling out for a repair.

With more light to see what the fuck was under there today, essentially I got bit by something many Mazda folks would have understood to check automatically but I did not.

The fucking undercarriage cover. I apparently lost a few of those damned plastic studs in it some time over the last day or two, and it angled down just at the right angle behind my wheel that I did not see it with a cursory glance from the drivers side. Today, it was crystal clear with a little more light to see the problem.

Repair parts: 3 fucking heavy duty zip ties. Fuck that piece of fucking shit.

Sorry for the false alarm, and for being stupid and not assuming this and running to get a flashlight to check it last night. With a few beers in me after the bar I wasn't worth a damn to check much anyway.