Squeak problems with Mazda3
#1
Here I am with another car question (don't worry, I'm still model railroading!) … Since the beginning of October, our 2011 Mazda3 (with 200,000 km) has been making a squeaking/creaking noise when travelling straight at low speeds. This noise is intermittent and seems to be worse after we’ve used the car for 30-60 minutes. 

It also seems to disappear once the cold weather arrives. Just recently, winter has suddenly hit us and the temps have dropped to around freezing or well below freezing. So now the car is not squeaking much if at all.

When the noise does happen, however, it's so annoying, that it’s stressful and distracting. Sounds like the car is going to fall apart.

So far, I’ve taken it to 4 different garages and all say all of the suspension elements are fine:
• local garage (whom I know & trust) — couldn’t find anything wrong, assured me it was OK.
• Midas — same as above.
• Mazda Dealer — also couldn’t find anything obvious, but said that an engine mount and a tranny mount needed replacing. I had the engine mount replaced at my local garage (cost $174). Squeak is a little better but still there.
• Muffler Shop (whom I trust) — also couldn’t find anything wrong but they suggested replacing the muffler (they said, once the muffler gets hot after use, it shifts around).

I think my best course of action is to go back to my local garage and get them to replace the failing transmission mount. 

Open to feedback & ideas!
Thanks in advance.
Rob
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#2
Robert, the transmission mount could be the cause and if it is bad it should be replaced before damage occurs from the shifting around the engine assembly could do if it completely fails. It could also be as simple as a fan belt.  Intermittent noises are expensive and hard to find. 
Charlie
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#3
first of can you locate where its coming from front read right side left side?
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#4
My Mazda is considerably older than yours, but quite a few years ago, I took it in to mechanic that I knew.  He had it for several days, and while he heard the noise, couldn't trace it.  They finally put the car on the hoist and with the engine running and the mechanic revving it, a helper, watching from below, discovered that the rear engine-mount had broken...it was in a position that was viewable from above, with the hood open, but from that viewpoint, the fact that it had broken was not evident. They immediately contacted Mazda and were credited with finding that glitch, resulting in a world-wide recall of those 2004 models.
Because of that recall, and the fact that your Mazda is newer than mine, it's unlikely to be the cause of the noise in yours, but it wouldn't hurt to mention it to your mechanic.

Wayne
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#5
(11-19-2022, 04:47 PM)RobertInOntario Wrote: Here I am with another car question (don't worry, I'm still model railroading!) … Since the beginning of October, our 2011 Mazda3 (with 200,000 km) has been making a squeaking/creaking noise when travelling straight at low speeds. This noise is intermittent and seems to be worse after we’ve used the car for 30-60 minutes. 

It also seems to disappear once the cold weather arrives. Just recently, winter has suddenly hit us and the temps have dropped to around freezing or well below freezing. So now the car is not squeaking much if at all.

When the noise does happen, however, it's so annoying, that it’s stressful and distracting. Sounds like the car is going to fall apart.

So far, I’ve taken it to 4 different garages and all say all of the suspension elements are fine:
• local garage (whom I know & trust) — couldn’t find anything wrong, assured me it was OK.
• Midas — same as above.
• Mazda Dealer — also couldn’t find anything obvious, but said that an engine mount and a tranny mount needed replacing. I had the engine mount replaced at my local garage (cost $174). Squeak is a little better but still there.
• Muffler Shop (whom I trust) — also couldn’t find anything wrong but they suggested replacing the muffler (they said, once the muffler gets hot after use, it shifts around).

I think my best course of action is to go back to my local garage and get them to replace the failing transmission mount. 

Open to feedback & ideas!
Thanks in advance.

(11-19-2022, 05:46 PM)Charlie B Wrote: Robert, the transmission mount could be the cause and if it is bad it should be replaced before damage occurs from the shifting around the engine assembly could do if it completely fails. It could also be as simple as a fan belt.  Intermittent noises are expensive and hard to find. 
Charlie

Thanks, Charlie! It's booked in for early December (at my local garage) which is the earliest appointment they had.
Rob
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#6
(11-19-2022, 08:42 PM)jim currie Wrote: first of can you locate where its coming from front read right side left side?

Seems to be the front middle, actually, pretty much where the transmission is.  Thanks...
Rob
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#7
(11-20-2022, 11:47 AM)doctorwayne Wrote: My Mazda is considerably older than yours, but quite a few years ago, I took it in to mechanic that I knew.  He had it for several days, and while he heard the noise, couldn't trace it.  They finally put the car on the hoist and with the engine running and the mechanic revving it, a helper, watching from below, discovered that the rear engine-mount had broken...it was in a position that was viewable from above, with the hood open, but from that viewpoint, the fact that it had broken was not evident. They immediately contacted Mazda and were credited with finding that glitch, resulting in a world-wide recall of those 2004 models.
Because of that recall, and the fact that your Mazda is newer than mine, it's unlikely to be the cause of the noise in yours, but it wouldn't hurt to mention it to your mechanic.

Wayne

OK, thanks, Wayne. But this does make me think that it might be a mount issue, especially if a failing mount (in the past) created a similar noise in your car that's hard to trace. So if the Mazda dealer diagnosed a bad transmission mount, I'm thinking it only makes sense to get it fixed. It's booked to go into the garage for Dec. 6.
Rob
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#8
How did you make out with the inspection of your Mazda, Robert?  Did they find the source of the noise and fix it, or is it still an on-going mystery?

Wayne
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