Mazda - Protege :: 2002 - Mystery Noise Sounds Like A Creaking Or Bumping In Front End
Jun 6, 2012
I drive a 2002 Protege5 with about 125K miles. The suspension (struts and mounts) and brakes have been recently replaced and, with the arising of the Mystery Noise, checked by a mechanic as of last week. The noise sounds like a creaking or bumping in the front end of the vehicle, and comes primarily when slowing to a stop, when the brakes are applied or not. The pace slows as you stop. And it is not always predictable: the mechanic could not recreate the noise, but my wife and I hear it all the time.
I'm just speculating, but should we be looking at the bearings, axles, CV joints... or is this going to get even more expensive? What should I ask the mechanic to look at on this thing?
View 4 Replies
Advertisement
I have a 2002 Mazda Protege5 and recently it will make a grinding noise at 3,200 rpm (in every gear). It sounds like you touched the side of a rotating drill on a piece of metal or something like that. The mechanic said it was my clutch but my clutch isn't showing any of the tail tail signs of it needing to be replaced and frankly I don't trust the guy. Will replacing the clutch fix this noise? Could it be something completely unrelated to my clutch?
View 2 Replies
I drive a 2002 Mazda Protege and it's been great to me until this past weekend. I had a 4.5-5 hour trip ahead of me and Google Maps told me a more direct route (i.e. not using the interstates) would save time. It must have erroneously assumed that the highway comprising basically the entire trip would be speed limit 55-65 the entire way. Instead, I found myself slowing down to stoplights and stop signs in small villages between 15-minute sprints. At some point, the interior heat stops - the air being pulled in from outside is not being warmed at all, no matter what settings I fiddle with. Not long thereafter I notice a rattling noise behind the dash. From inside the car it sounds almost like an animal skittering around in the chassis - irregular, short and clipped. With the hood up and an ear to the engine, it sounds like a piece of plastic fluttering in the wind, but with a faint electric "crackling" quality. Soon thereafter the check-engine light illuminates.
Before long the engine overheats and I pull over to the side of the road. Nothing appears to be leaking, and the crackling sound is the only thing noticable. Being in the middle of nowhere, I jumped back in and proceeded to drive at about 35-40, which was warm on the engine but enough to get me to a small town. At this point I checked the coolant reservoir and it was empty. Bought some from Wal-mart, poured it in, and headed out. Things looked fine at first since the engine had sat cold while I was running errands, but pretty soon it was overheating again at speeds as low as 30mph. After getting it towed to my destination, I took it to a garage the next morning. They couldn't find anything wrong with it, and indeed when I drove it back to the hotel that morning the engine behaved normally, the check-engine light was off, and the interior heating was functioning properly.
The next morning, when it was time to depart (but again after an entire night of sitting in the cold), a 20 minute drive to breakfast was smooth as before. Thinking that the mechanic had either waved a magic wand or I'd gotten extremely lucky, I hit the highway and did 65 for a good 20 minutes until the engine began to overheat again. Slowing down to 45 bought a few more minutes to find an exit, but eventually I had to pull over. Popping the hood, I notice the coolant in the reservoir is bubbling to the top! Thinking the mechanic might have added more and overfilled it, I cursed him in absentia. After a good fifteen minutes of cooling off, the coolant settled and in fact drained the reservoir entirely; I refilled it to the line and, again being in rural snowtopia with few options, decided to hit the road again. Not wanting to tempt fate, I stuck to 55mph and the car ran fine for an hour and a half (with the interior heat blasting, per a friend's advice). I stopped once to check the coolant and all was as it should have been - just below the line I'd filled it to earlier. Closer to a city, I decided to experiment again and took the speed up to 60mph.
This was great for 20-30 minutes but eventually the engine began overheating ever-so-slowly and I had to pull over, let it cool off, and replace another full reservoir's worth of coolant that had disappeared before I kept going. I drove the rest of the way home going no faster than 55mph and stopping on occasion to check the coolant. It overheated once even while doing 55mph, but a 15 minute break + coolant refill bought it the rest of the trip. In summary: Although not 100% correlated, going faster than 55mph seems to trigger the engine overheating, at which point the rattling noise appears and the coolant begins to bubble its way back up the reservoir (like it's boiling?!). I'm not sure how the coolant is disappearing because I'm unable to find any leak, nor is there any extra exhaust that would suggest it's burning.
View 10 Replies
About a month ago my 2006 Mazda3 (35,000 mi) started making loud creaking sounds everytime I turned and went over a bump. I took it into two mechanic shops and they both said the struts in the front were leaking fluid and needed to be replaced, in addition to the mounts and the swaybar link. I had all of this done, but when I got my car back it was making a new, very loud, clunking sound that I could also feel on one side when I drove over bumps. The sound was similar to the noise your car makes when the undercarriage hits the ground over a bump. I immediately took it back in, and the mechanic told me that the set of struts he had installed were "bad" and that he would put in new ones. This was done this weekend, but now my car is making the original creaking and groaning sound it did before, except much more audibly now. My car groans and creaks even if I turn the wheel while motionless.
I've heard that cars need time to "settle" into new struts. Does my car just need time to adjust?
View 5 Replies
Have 2002 mazda protege 5 . During acceleration at 3000 rpm the engine hesitates. Computer said o2 sensor, replaced it but that wasn't it. Drilled out both catalytic, that wasn't it. Found hole in mass air flow tube, figured that is it. I haven't replaced that yet, however I used gorilla tape thinking it would be a temporary fix but that didn't work. I know I need to replace that tube, but think that it may now be a fuel pump issue??
View 5 Replies
I own a automatic 2002 Mazda Protege with about 167,000 miles on it. The other day I was at a stop light and when I accelerated it felt like the car was taking longer than normal to get into gear. I am scared that it may be a transmission problem.
View 2 Replies
I have a 2002 Mazda Protege with 74K miles. For the last month the battery light has been flashing on and off, more on lately. When I first noticed the battery light flash on, I took the car to my mechanic and he couldn't find anything wrong with it. Soon after my car wouldn't start after I had it parked for about 10 minutes. It wouldn't hold a jump, so I had it towed to a nearby auto mechanic and had the battery changed. Since the battery change the battery light has still been flashing on and off. Yesterday, after my car had been parked for about 1.5 hours, it wouldn't start again. It made a click-click-click sound but would not start. My car was able to hold a jump this time and I drove it to my mechanic. Once again he was unable to find anything wrong with the car. What might be wrong with my car?
View 2 Replies
2000 Mazda Protege ES 1.8L
What's a good way to find whats the cause of all the rattling and knocking in the front end of my car when going over uneven terrain? It seems that noise appears only if one of the wheels is lifted up a little bit. I am attaching a picture describing the "motion" here:
Steering wheel doesn't shake when driving at high speeds and is fairly stiff, but it does pull to the right a bit, maybe because I didn't perform a front end alignment (I know this is not good) after I had most of the stuff in the suspension of the replaced; all 4 struts + boots + mounting blocks, ball joints, control arms...
Now the only part, I didn't replace was the sway bar link on the passenger side and it's being knocking for 3 years. The one on the driver side was replaced at the time the struts were replaced but I didn't have enough money to pay for the other one.
Another mechanic told me when I was quoting that sway bar links aren't really necessary as a safety feature, and a google search showed me that there are people that just take the sway bar off the car, so I left it there and just tried to live with the noise. now I am noticing the driver side is knocking as well, and I am wondering if it has to do with because I didn't replace the one in the passenger side?
I just want to rule out the possibility of another component being the cause of the noise because I am prioritizing safety over ride comfort in my attempts to save some money.
View 5 Replies
I have a 2002 Mazda Protege DX. I recently had a flat on the front passenger side. The tire was worn and the shop replaced both front tires, rotated them to the back and the ones that were in the rear to the front. So the new tires are on the rear and the the old tires are in the front. When we got the car back it started pulling pretty drastically to the right and on the highway has a tendency to dart (it was not like this when we brought it in). We took it back and they said that it was due to uneven ware on the front and bad bushings. Is this true? And, why would it be fine one evening and start to pull so drastically the next day?
View 9 Replies
I have a 2002 Mazda Protege' which recently started losing power periodically. At the same time, the check engine light would blink and then stay solid. The dealer diagnosed a random engine misfire and replaced the spark plugs, wires, and coil packs. It cost $500.00. After 3000 miles, the problem has returned worse than before. This weekend it lost and regained power repeatedly in short spans of time, and lurched back and forth as it happened. The check engine light returned as well.
My first question: what do you think this is? My neighbor suspects a clogged fuel filter or fuel regulator.My second question: what, if anything, does the dealer owe me financially?
View 2 Replies
1996 Mazda Protégé, 128,821 miles, in town driving 5000 miles per year in recent years.
I hit the frame of my garage door about 6 months or more ago which partially pulled off the front bumper area and knocked the right turn signal lens and headlight out of whack. My handyman fixed it up, by using good quality baling wire so the turn signal and headlight etc worked.
Then, I did the same thing a couple of weeks ago. (I was trying to avoid hitting my bicycle which I had just had reconditioned for an ungodly amount of money) My handyman is unavailable to fix it again. I have gotten stopped once by the police for the malfunctioning turn signal so it was time to get it fixed.
Mechanic (same one as previous posts) said it will cost 1500 to replace the bumper area etc so the front turn signals will work. He absolutely insisted that the turn signal wires cannot be reconnected. He reattached the bumper area "temporarily". I am willing to pay to get the turn signals functioning but do I need to replace the whole bumper assembly unit?
Does this seem plausible?? I just want the turn signals to work. I do not care about how it looks. (I drove the car in the interim with a bright yellow bungie cord holding the unit together)
View 7 Replies
I read here that some tire noise can be caused by bad belts. How do you know if the tire belt is bad? My tires get loud between 20 and 40 mph. Mechanic says the tires are OK but to replace them to get rid of the noise.
View 7 Replies
My car just started making a wheezing kind of noise when accelerating. Reminds me of wind being forced through a small hole, or the sound of a balloon being aired up.
View 9 Replies
2008 Touring model. When I encounter relatively small bumps, like, sealant over cracks on asphalt pavement, expansion joints, etc. there is a bumping noise from the front, seemingly the left, which I can feel through the steering wheel. The car handles and rides fine thus I am suspicious that it is a shock/strut issue, but I take note replacement is recommended at 60K miles. Mine has almost 120K.
View 3 Replies
Lately, when first starting my car and after it’s been sitting for a while the gas pedal seems to be stuck.
When I push on it slightly it doesn’t move; but if I push a little harder it will make a noise and become free and movable. No further problems until it sits for a while or the next morning. Then the same stuck pedal. Exert a little pressure and it frees up.
I tried squirting WD40 on the linkage but it does no good. What could cause it to bind up? 2001 Mazda Protege LX 2.0 ....
View 12 Replies
ON smooth highway at varying speeds I can hear a rhythmic bumping/thumping noise from the front end of our 2008 Limited with 26,000 miles. It is speed sensitive but I can't tell if it would be a wheel bearing going bad or tire noise from the stock Michelins or maybe one out of balance though I don't feel anything as much as I hear something. I guess I can take it to dealer to see if they can diagnose
View 26 Replies
I recently noticed a humming noise coming from the passenger side on my Mazda Protege 2000 ES . I suspected it was the water pump, so I took the car to my mechanic. He inspected the coolant reservoir and it was empty. He also checked the noise and the area were the pump is, and told me that the water pump had to be replaced.
My dad told me that his 1994 Sentra had the water pump replaced but none of these things had to be done and that it was unnecessary. But then I thought, every car is different.
I was in shock with how much the repair would cost, so he then gave me another quote with just the timing belt and water pump replacement for $503, but this time he said that he will not give me any warranty for the repairs because of the tensioner.
View 19 Replies
After my 2003 Camry XLE sits overnight in sub 36 degree weather, get this random grinding and popping noise. Eventually this noise dissipates, I believe as the parts around the wheel get warmer. I have had the car in the shop a couple times now, and the mechanics are never able to figure out the noise. They are convinced that it is suspension related, but I am fairly certain it isn't. I get the same noise on smooth roads and at very slow speeds.
It feels like it is bearing related, or perhaps brakes, but I am not a mechanic. I am guessing. I do know it is related to the spin of the wheel rather than the up and down motion of the suspension.
View 1 Replies
I have a 2008 Miata that is new to me (<40K miles). When I first drive it in the morning it has a very noticeable bumping feel for the first couple of minutes then smooths out and is not noticeable for the rest of the day, even if I park it for a couple of hours. I believe the bumping is coming from the rear driver's side. I just replaced the tires (thinking they were flat spotted), but the problem persists.
View 3 Replies
I've noticed that potentially my heat shield or whatever guard that is 1 step toward the front of the car from where the inlet pipe connects to the exhaust system may be the reason for my rattle at 2k and 3k rpms. i think its a heat shield but I am not sure. the thing is it seems properly mounted, nothing is cracked/broken/or loose. But when I do try and wiggle it it does make a slight creaking noise that sounds similar to the rattle I get. So I could foresee this as being my issue.
But, is there anyway to fix this rattle w/out just taking off the part? i figure its there for a reason and it looks like its held on in 2 places. But they're not nuts they almost look like spot welds or something. 1 on each side. What to do?
Something to get you all in here:
View 17 Replies
In forward drive or reverse, I hear a rotational noise that almost sounds like the bed creaking when you're getting it on. As I go faster the noise goes faster until drowned out by road and engine noise. The noise is unaffected by applying the brakes. I jacked the truck up and spun tires as fast as I could by hand and got no noise but when I lowered it back to ground and had the truck roll the noise was back. Noise is not affected by turning wheel.
View 13 Replies
