I have searched the internet endlessly and this forum site for the answer to this.

I'm hoping someone can help me out.

I have a 2004 Mazda 3 Sport 2.3 liter with 4spd AT

When I drive the car it makes a ticking sort of sound but only when I put my foot on the accelerator. There is like a sweet spot with the pedal where it makes the sound. If I go past a certain spot, it stops making the noise. Similarly if I let go of the gas pedal the sound goes away. It does it in every gear as long as I have the pedal at the sweet spot. It's very annoying since the sweet spot happens to be when I'm applying the gas just enough to cruise or maintain my speed.

If I have the car sitting at idle in neutral and I keep tapping the gas (going in and out of the sweet spot) the sound is there just not as noticeable as when it's driving in gear.

Is this a motor mount? Intake manifold valve? spun bearing? engine knock?

From what I understand it can't be an engine knock as it goes away during moderate to heavy acceleration and is only present during cruising speed (when the pedal is applied enough to maintain a constant speed). For example, when I'm cruising down the highway in 4th gear it makes the ticking sound. It is a constant tick that does seem to speed up or slow down depending on rpm's.


Please someone help me........

 

how many miles... it could be a worn timing chain that's slapping around. Since you say it can be reproduced at idle (albeit quieter), you could have someone else rev it and see if you can figure out where it's coming from by ear.
As a note, using a small hose to your ear is a cheap way to pin down a particular noise source.

 

I'm at 217,000km which would be 134,000miles.

Yeah I'd be trying to pinpoint the sound if it weren't snowing outside.

I asked the dealer if it was the tensioner and he said if it were that it would be making the sound at idle.

It only makes the sound when I slightly press the accelerator. And as I said this is when I'm in gear. When I'm stopped and in park or neutral I have to keep tapping/revving the engine up and down for the sound to appear.

It almost sounds like what I heard on a previous car which was the exhaust manifold heat shield.

I wish I could fix this as it is driving me bonkers not knowing if its a major problem.

 

well under load the adjustable cam timing may come into play. I do remember seeing a recall for earlier 3's with the cam bolts or something needing to be replaced. Doing a quick search there was a recall on the V6's in the tribute and CX7, but I couldn't find much on the 3...

Then look here too, sound about right - though only when you're accelerating?
http://www.mazda3forums.com/index.php?topic=119888.0

 

Yeah like I said the sound is only when I have the gas pressed slightly. If I take my foot off the gas, the sound is non-existent.

And at idle when in park or neutral I have to keep tapping the gas for it to show itself. It is constant and the loudest when I have the car in gear and I press the gas pedal slightly.

For example cruising down the highway at 100km/hr (60mph) in 4th gear and maintaining my speed the sound is there the whole time.

 

Hi 5spokes...I'm having the exact same issue with my 2005 Mazda 3. Couldn't have explained it better myself. Have you had any luck pin pointing the problem?
Please let me know if you wouldn't mind...and thanks in advance!

 

I've had this same problem! My car is a 2004 2.3L with Manual Transmission. At first I thought it was the transmission because it was only under load. It started out only when going up a hill. Now the noise is constant at just above idle. I discovered it wasn't the transmission when it got loud enough I could produce the noise revving the engine in Neutral. It is hard to make the noise in Neutral however.

Any luck figuring it out?

 

Hi guys I have a 2004, 3 2.3l manual and my car is doing the same exact thing! Mine is giving me a rattle at around 3 thousand rpm and in every gear. I took mine to the dealer and they told me the exact opposite from the first post, they told me that my tensioner would need to be replaced! If anyone has heard any difference please inform me, thank you!

 

My 05 mazda 3 hatch is doing the exact same noice when i accelerate just to a certain point. Once i go past that point it goes away and its driving me crazy! I've heard so many different things from blown lifters to bad spark plugs. The last person i asked said its in the motor probably caused by running my car low on oil. Does anyone know what making this noise or how to fix it? Any idea of the cost to fix it? Im taking my car to the shop next week but im so afraid this is gunna cost me an arm and a leg to fix! I just cant take the irritating noice anymore...i love my mazda i want it to sound like it did before...not ticking. Sorry I know my post isnt any help, i was just relieved that im not the only one with this problem.

 

I'm interested in this as well. My car is doing the same thing -- I think. I also get the sound for a brief moment at startup. Then I get the sound anytime I'm on the gas lightly at ~2500 and above in any gear. If I accelerate even moderately, no sound. I can produce the sound in by revving up to ~3000 with the car out of gear. I'm a little uneasy because I can't really afford any costly repairs

 

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but my car finally took a dump on me. I was on the freeway taking the car to the dealer and it threw the number 1 rod straight through the block. Oil was everywhere and the car would not start... Got it towed (less than one mile away from the dealer when it crapped out) to the dealer and a whopping 5 thousand dollars later I had a new motor in the 3. Well needless to say the car started making the same exact noise so I took it to the dealer and traded the bitch in. I no longer have a Mazda anything and I don't mean to knock the brand but I will never buy another Mazda anything...

 

If I had that experience i'd do the same thing. Same reason why I wouldn't buy chrystler - a neighbor had a rod thrown on their minivan, though that was loudly ticking all the time for months before the failure too.

Out of curiosity and knowledge for the forum... How long had yours been ticking, and I assume it was all the time, or just under acceleration? What was the mileage of the failure?

 

The car only did it when it was acclerating. When idle it would run like a brand new car, but as soon as you got up to 3 thousand rpm it would sound like an aluminum can was being drug underneath the car. I took the car to three different mechanics, the first one told me it was my tensioner, the second one told me it was coming from inside the motor( he turned out to be right), and the third one thought it was the heat shield underneath the car being rattled by the vibrations of the car. When I bought the car it ran really good but about three months after I bought it the rattle started, and three months after that it died on me. I never abused the car or beat on it because of the mileage and the fact that I wanted to tune the car. When I bought it the od read 129 k... But I only paid 3 thousand for it soooo.

 

The previous owner could have beaten it, but at that mileage the timing belt/chain would have needed to be replaced too - which may have been overlooked by them and they said it was done or something.
Anyhow, thanks for the additional information - it'll be a good thing for future post readers

 

Hi 5spokes

Did u figure out what the problem was? I have the exact same sweet spot problem at just below 4000rpm. Makes the car sound diesel .
Freeway driving same problem as you

Plz leme know what was solution or what's the problem causing this noise

Thanx