I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: identyfing a weird gearbox/clutch noise
Hello all!
Just earlier today I noticed a new sound coming from my car’s gearbox or clutch (I reckon it’s the garbox since you can only hear it in neutral with clutch fully released). It’s a clear audible “whine/noise” (sort of like a muted noise of an old starter motor) whenever the car is neutral with released clutch. Goes away every time I fully press the clutch. No issues with changing gears etc. I included a video where you can clearly hear the noise. The sound seems to be a bit muted there, I’ll try recording it in better quality with my external mic but please believe me it is very noticable when standing next to the car.
So far I’ve covered 13k miles in the car. I’d say the gearbox always made it’s own quiet noises with clutch released but nothing crazy. This is defnitely new, louder and straight up annoying.
Anyone came accross a similar issue with their car?
Mine does exactly this.
I actually got the dealership to look at it back in '20, and said it’s normal.
A few other posters on here have mentioned the same over the years. There was also a TSB for something similar (the same?) for the NC, too, which basically said it’s ‘normal’.
I sat in an almost new one and that did it, and at the time, when I was paranoid, I even got some people in supermarket car parks to demonstrate to me (after I’d seen an ND parked up and waited for them to come back lol), and they had it. Two even let me try it in their cars for myself, so I must have a trust worthy face and it was the same. (Saying that, one person with a '16 Sport Recaro didn’t have it).
4 years plus on, mine is still the same, no ‘worse’, and I’ve noticed nothing untoward with the gearbox in general. Gearbox oil and diff oil changes, still the same.
There’s quite a lot on the internet if you read around it, of course you’ll have the sky’s falling it stuff too
This was the one which mentioned the NC TSB (I know we’re on about the ND here, but they’re (and the TSB) is on about the same thing) :
‘Andrew5’, last but one post, describes the TSB wording) ^^
(Not connected, but my ND’s also always had that slight ‘rumbly sound’ when doing slow/crawling pace turns, on/off the driveway sort of maneuvers with a bit of wheel turn etc. Which many have said it’s just the diff doing it’s thang. Diff oil change, new tyres. The same. Me paranoid again, checked others and the same)
Yes mine still has a whirring noise in neutral, 2006 1.8, hasn’t changed at all and hasn’t got any louder and gear change quality is fine, changing gear oil made no difference to the sound either, it does always sound worse in a garage or beside a wall , have heard other cars with the same whirring noise.
Sounds like the release bearing. Nothing to worry about. If the noise increases or changes in pitch (eg starts sounding like a squeel), you should start considering a clutch replacement. This includes new release bearing which would resolve that particular issue.
Mine makes the same sound (2019 16k miles) just not as loudly, but definitely audible. I have had other cars that had much more audible release bearings, never had a failure on one.
Edit:
The reason the noise stops when you press the clutch is because the bearing is compressed at that point and the noise gets dampened/spread over to the pressure plate. Googling release bearing noise should get you an idea of good and bad sounding ones.
If it is that. You read about 500 different reasons for this from 500 different people over the internet. They, and dealers, can’t all be correct. Even Mazda’s TSB says it’s something different.
and it was the same. (Saying that, one person with a '16 Sport Recaro didn’t have it).