you guys seem to know pretty much what youre talking about, so i got one for you that the dealerships couldnt even fix:

when at highway speeds, cruising at constant rpm at about 75 or so, there is a constant high pitched whine from the engine compartment. if i let off the gas, it goes away until the car reaches a constant speed at the new rpm, and if i hit the gas more, it goes away until the car reaches constant speed and rpm at the higher speed and rpm. its a very high pitched, almost whistle sound, but its kinda hard to describe. i brought the car in for service and got a loaner, and it had the same exact issue, so i dont know whether its a factory defect, or if i got the only 2 that do it. any suggestions???

by the way, it's not the roof rack whistle. thats a separate issue and sound altogether.

 

my car does the same thing, exept it is more of a vibrating rubbing high pitched noise, but yea, i only notice it over 80 mph, it sounds like something is going horribly wrong but i think it is just wind noise of some kind

 

I thought I was the only one. LoL I get the same thing when I'm at a constant speed. 70-80 Its to the point where I'm use to it and it doesn't bother me anymore.

 

You may wish to browse through the Protege FAQ if you haven't already. The transmissions on our cars can tend to whine a bit at certain speeds, that could be what you are hearing (and is described in the FAQ). Another cause for high pitched whistling could be a leak in the air intake assembly. When I had my clutch replaced for the infamous chatter (also in the FAQ), the dealer didn't quite get all the intake pices together and it whistled until I nudged it back into place. Also, the windshield wipers and windshield seal on some cars can whistle at high speeds.

Of course, it may be none of these

 

i have that sound too... only when I'm accelerating at +70mph... if the car is at constant speed I don't hear that sound.

but after getting the clutch chatter and reporgramed ECU fix at the dealer it went away.... maybe I lost some power so no more whining...

 

If it sounds like you have closed all the windows & wind is coming through, it's likely your windshield seam. My dealer placed an extra strip of foam seam around the windshield & the noise mostly disappeared. I still get them from time to time if it's windy when I'm cruising on the highway.

 

I had to have the piece across the top of my windshield replaced, because it was a whinning noise. I haven't heard it since.

later,
James

 

Is this chattering noise the one you hear from the engine bay when you're accelerating in 1st and 2nd gear, then disappears around 40 mph? I just started to notice that noise.

Thanks
HVD

 

okay it may just be my browser but i cant get the protege FAQ to load. i've tried over the past several days for i too suffer from the high pitch noise that sounds like a belt rubbing. uhhh if you guys Can access the protege faq could i ask a big favor and get someone to copy and paste it in an email for me? just the part about the noise, it would be greatly appriciated.

thank you

Droo

 

I printed out the FAQ last November when I first noticed the high pitched whine at 2200 miles, which was the first time I went over 65 MPH.

Quote:

WHINE FROM TRANS AT APPROXIMATELY 45 AND 75 MPH

0002993 Dealer Repair Information

Some customers may hear a high frequency whine that occurs at approximately 45 and 75 mph, this noise usually can only be heard with the radio and blower motor off and when the customer feathers the throttle within a very narrow RPM and MPH range.

This whine is considered normal and no repairs should be attempted.

This whine is not the result of any abnormal wear occurring within the transmission but is a result of a resonance that is generated at varying levels between the primary and secondary gears and does not affect the use, safety or value of the vehicle.

Endquote.

The noise you hear is transmission gear whine.

As for this whine being considered "normal", that's a stretch. It's poor design, really. Transmission designer are well aware that the gears will have a tendency to produce noise, and part of the design process is to reduce this noise to inaudible levels. The Mazda engineers failed to do this with the Protege transmission.

When I first heard the noise, I took it to the Mazda dealer. The tech heard the noise too, but stated: "Test drove 8 miles. Has slight sound at 70 mph and up. Sound is not in the transmission, as it can be duplicated by turning the overdrive off and driving at a lower speed. Normal ening operation at speeds of 4000 and 4500 rpm. Air intake, injector pulse, alternator, power steering and AC systems. No repair attempt made. Not an abnormal condition."

The only thing the tech got right was that the sound was at 70 mph and up. It could NOT be duplicated by turning the overdrive off and running at lower speeds. The sound is NOT coming from the alternator, AC, etc.

I raised a fuss and they made an appointment for me with the factory rep. On the appointed day the rep drove the car with me and the service manager as passengers. They claimed they could not hear the sound. By that time I had done a lot of research. I had read about transmission design, gear whine, and I had read the technical service bulliten on this problem. The rep did not mention the TSB, and neither did I - there was no point. They claimed they couldn't hear it, and the TSB says the noise is "normal" anyway. He did offer to change my transmission fluid, which I agreed to. That didn't help.

At 8000 miles, I gave the car to my girlfriend and bought a Honda Accord. The Accord was damaged in a storm last week, so I borrowed the Protege back from the GF. It has 14,700 miles on it now. The first drive I took was about 80 miles, on a cool night. I got up to 75 and above without hearing the whine! The next day, in the heat, with the AC on, going uphill, the whine came back, but not as loud as before. I'm thinking maybe as the transmission breaks in, the gear whine starts to subside?

(On a side note, the power leather seats on the Accord are more comfortable that the Protege seats, but the Protege is so much more fun to drive. Also, the quality of construction is just as good as the Accord - actually the Protege has NO rattle or squeeks, whereas my Accord at 11,000 miles on the odometer does have some annoying rattles at certain ambient temperatures. The Protege gives more value for the dollar than any car out there.)