MajesticBlueNTO
12-12-2006, 11:33 AM
I've been having this annoying clicking sound while driving for a few weeks now - as described in this thread here (http://www.mazda3forums.com/index.php?topic=19811.0;all). After being pleased with the service at MoT for the spin-on oil filter conversion, and being displeased with an earlier encounter with the Service Manager at Avante, I decided to take it into MoT to have them take a look at it.
I had actually contacted Joe via email with the link to m3f and we setup a day that he'd be in to help check on things. So i took my car into MoT and outlined to Vincent the clicking sound while driving and also mentioned to check the driveshafts after reading that link. I left confident that things would go well.
When I came back, Vincent said the tech had noted that the 'tires were noisy and feathered'. I told joe that "it ain't the tires man, i know how noisy winter tires sound and this ain't that sound"...Joe wasn't in when my car was being looked at, so he agreed to go for a ride in the car with me where i replicated the sound (granted he didn't hear it, but an owner is more in tune with their car than someone stepping in fresh, as Joe agreed)....when we came back after the drive, since MoT service was approaching closing time, Joe had mentioned that when i bring it in for the 96k service, he'll personally have a look underneath the car....which was good enough for me as you're in good hands with Joe.
Now this is where things go sour, and it has nothing to do with Joe....
here's my findings:
1) the tires aren't feathered, in fact, they're perfectly level straight across the tread
2) did the "tech" even listen for the sound? when i took Joe for the drive, when I turned the ignition on, the radio was ON FM and SET to 103.5
a) i don't listen to FM (satellite only which, if the stereo was turned on, it should have stated TAPE PLAY)
b) i turned OFF the stereo before taking the car in
c) i had disconnected the -ve battery cable a few days before and never set the presets again (meaning the "tech" - here's the kicker - took the time to tune into 103.5!)
and, to top it all off
3) I was told by Vincent that, since my car is under extended MAP warranty, the techs "don't take the time to diagnose the car properly since they can't bill their time to the factory warranty code" ...I wasn't charged anything for the 'diagnosis', which was a goodwill gesture, but I would've gladly paid for the 30 minutes it would've taken to hoist the car up and take a look for anything loose.
so, seeing as how I had some time this past Saturday, I jacked up the car and started shaking the driveshaft...took me all of 10 minutes... 15 if you include going to go grab the camera and take the following video of the driveshafts:
Loose Driver Side Driveshaft (http://media.putfile.com/Mazda3-Loose-Driver-Side-Driveshaft)...listen for the clicking sound
Passenger Side Driveshaft (http://media.putfile.com/Mazda3-Solid-Passenger-Side-Driveshaft)...no clicking sound
Like I said, if the 'tech' at MoT had taken the less than 15 minutes to hoist up the car and poke around maybe he would've found the same thing i did.
Even still, I was going to setup an appointment for the 96k service at MoT (reassured that Joe would look at the driveshafts and other related components) but, after hearing how Vincent treated a friend's sister like absolute garbage, I decided otherwise ..... so, I took the car into Avante yesterday mentioning the driveshaft clicking as shown in the video.
After a few hours, I decided to call Anthony and was told that it was an issue with the wheel bearing...which explains the clicking and the humming sound i would hear while turning and driving (probably the same humming sound that the 'tech' at MoT mistook for 'noisy tires')....AND, that it would be covered under the extended warranty!
After all is said and done, the clicking is gone, the 'noisy tires' aren't noisy and the car feels solid again.
I had actually contacted Joe via email with the link to m3f and we setup a day that he'd be in to help check on things. So i took my car into MoT and outlined to Vincent the clicking sound while driving and also mentioned to check the driveshafts after reading that link. I left confident that things would go well.
When I came back, Vincent said the tech had noted that the 'tires were noisy and feathered'. I told joe that "it ain't the tires man, i know how noisy winter tires sound and this ain't that sound"...Joe wasn't in when my car was being looked at, so he agreed to go for a ride in the car with me where i replicated the sound (granted he didn't hear it, but an owner is more in tune with their car than someone stepping in fresh, as Joe agreed)....when we came back after the drive, since MoT service was approaching closing time, Joe had mentioned that when i bring it in for the 96k service, he'll personally have a look underneath the car....which was good enough for me as you're in good hands with Joe.
Now this is where things go sour, and it has nothing to do with Joe....
here's my findings:
1) the tires aren't feathered, in fact, they're perfectly level straight across the tread
2) did the "tech" even listen for the sound? when i took Joe for the drive, when I turned the ignition on, the radio was ON FM and SET to 103.5
a) i don't listen to FM (satellite only which, if the stereo was turned on, it should have stated TAPE PLAY)
b) i turned OFF the stereo before taking the car in
c) i had disconnected the -ve battery cable a few days before and never set the presets again (meaning the "tech" - here's the kicker - took the time to tune into 103.5!)
and, to top it all off
3) I was told by Vincent that, since my car is under extended MAP warranty, the techs "don't take the time to diagnose the car properly since they can't bill their time to the factory warranty code" ...I wasn't charged anything for the 'diagnosis', which was a goodwill gesture, but I would've gladly paid for the 30 minutes it would've taken to hoist the car up and take a look for anything loose.
so, seeing as how I had some time this past Saturday, I jacked up the car and started shaking the driveshaft...took me all of 10 minutes... 15 if you include going to go grab the camera and take the following video of the driveshafts:
Loose Driver Side Driveshaft (http://media.putfile.com/Mazda3-Loose-Driver-Side-Driveshaft)...listen for the clicking sound
Passenger Side Driveshaft (http://media.putfile.com/Mazda3-Solid-Passenger-Side-Driveshaft)...no clicking sound
Like I said, if the 'tech' at MoT had taken the less than 15 minutes to hoist up the car and poke around maybe he would've found the same thing i did.
Even still, I was going to setup an appointment for the 96k service at MoT (reassured that Joe would look at the driveshafts and other related components) but, after hearing how Vincent treated a friend's sister like absolute garbage, I decided otherwise ..... so, I took the car into Avante yesterday mentioning the driveshaft clicking as shown in the video.
After a few hours, I decided to call Anthony and was told that it was an issue with the wheel bearing...which explains the clicking and the humming sound i would hear while turning and driving (probably the same humming sound that the 'tech' at MoT mistook for 'noisy tires')....AND, that it would be covered under the extended warranty!
After all is said and done, the clicking is gone, the 'noisy tires' aren't noisy and the car feels solid again.