Hi everyone I’m new to this club so please be patient with me on this subject , i have read several stories about what i think is going on with my car{2013 2.0 manual 6speed with only 11,000 on the clock } i have only recently bought this after owning a 2006 mx5 with 5 speed box 2.0 but that only had the similar noise in second gear only this new one has it in 1,2,3,4, when the gearbox is hot  when pulling fairly gently, worse if i try to accelerate  i am not labouring the engine in any way , just driving normally!. I presume the oil in the box is factory , will putting high quality fully synthetic in make a big difference ? at the moment i/m feeling quite down and dispondent ! I really love the car but this noise is spoiling  my enjoyment . Please can someone help with some useful helpful advice ThanksÂ
You seem confused about the gearbox oil.
Mazda like any other manufacturer use a high quality oil in the gearbox and unless the oil in your gearbox has been from a bad batch of oil then changing the oil from one high quality oil to an other high quality will make no difference.
As your car is under warranty your first port of call is a Mazda dealer to get a repair under the warranty.
Sorry no one here can diagnose the problem without seeing the car.
Get it to a Mazda dealer or if you bought it from a non Mazda dealer take it to them to repair it.
Mine’s a 2012 2.0 Sportech (standard 6 speed box). There’s been a backlash type noise when the transmission’s hot from day one (I bought the car new). Like a rattle when I change gear. It was looked at soon after purchase by my dealer & they found nothing wrong. I looked on various forums & found that this seems to be a common issue on the 6 speed NC & nothing to worry about.
There’s also always been a slight whine from the gearbox in 1st, 2nd & 3rd - I read something about them being designed that way to “engage the driver” - part of Mazda’s “Jinba Ittai” philosophy I guess!
My car’s done 19,000 miles now with no issues - in fact, if anything, the rattling noise seems to be considerably less noticeable. I think at least part of the issue here is that there’s very little soundproofing compared with other modern cars, also you sit very close to the gearbox & back axle so any noise is much more apparent on the MX-5. I’ve had seven cars over 32 years some of which have made odd noises & I think I’m quite mechanically clued up but from experience I’m sure that the noise on my MX-5 is nothing to be concerned about.
I did have the gearbox oil & the diff oil changed at the 3 year service - not because of the noise but good engineering practice - which made no difference to the sound.
It’s probably nothing to worry about although I’d suggest, if you’re still concerned, maybe you could pop in to a MX-5 specialist for their opinion? There are quite a few around the country - don’t know where you are but I can certainly recommend Roddisons in Sheffield, they’re just off J34 of the M1.
Thanks for the reply , in reply to andy1964 you say yours does it when changing gear… mine makes the same noise continuously until speed has been picked around 2,500 rpm ish more noticeable if on a slight gradient or want to pull quickly. Is this still what you have? Hard to describe the sound but I’m sure if i was walking on the  pavement  and someone in my car drove by i would here what i might thought was a worn gearbox!
Hmm… mine does sometimes do it when changing gear & that includes the noise continuing as the revs pick up in the new ratio but only for 2 or 3 seconds so it isn’t continuous. Your noise then does sound to be a bit different. Worn gearboxes (from experience!) generally whine very loudly or growl. Mine’s more of a light “chatter” rattle-type noise (plus the light whine - which I quite like - from the gearbox which disappears as the revs increase).
As yours is a continuous noise at low revs then seems to go away as the revs rise, are you sure that it’s the transmission? I know you said it’s hard to describe but is it a whine or a rattle? Maybe - just maybe - if it’s a rattle type noise then it could perhaps be something to do with the exhaust, the source of car noises can sometimes be quite deceptive.
Thanks Andy , you have made me feel a little better , your right when you say it only lasts for a second or two , I think in my mind i got a bit carried away [prone to exaggerate] Cheers
Pleased to hear that - it does sound very similar then to the noise mine makes - I really wouldn’t worry. I understand that mechanically these are strong cars - provided they’re maintained properly of course! Due to Mazda’s engineering build quality, it’s very unlikely that there’s a problem at such a low mileage.
Enjoy your new car! Can definitely recommend a professional 4-wheel alignment, that transformed the way mine drives…
Thanks Andy for the advice , and yes i have had a 4 wheel alignment check done cos. i could feel the front toe in on right hand bends ! Everyone should have it done it truly transforms the handling . Cheers Andrew