Call me crazy (turbo whistle)

[chrismelito]

I might be losing my mind, so I wanted to get your opinion on this. For the first month after buying this car, I could not clearly hear the turbo whistle without really straining my ears (radio off, etc.). As a former audio engineer, I have really actue hearing, so I just thought it was a quiet turbo. However, last week I did get the oil changed over to synthetic, and now the whistle is much more noticeable. I should also point out that almost right after the change-over I flew to Calgary and back, and my ears did not enjoy the pressure changes coming back into Pearson. Is the synthetic oil causing this, or do I now have superhuman hearing due to wacky pressurization issues?

Thoughts? Me crazy.

[VertigoM]

I haven't really noticed turbo whistle on my car. When do you hear it, under acceleration?

[chrismelito]

Under boost, but only when I give 'er. I don't have to go WOT, or push the "gauge" to the max, so I guess it's just the mid-range of the boost.

[TheMAN]

get rid of the stock air cleaner and you'll hear it
it's just all muffled, that's why you can't hear it

[VertigoM]

Hmm... I'll try listening for the whistle on my drive home :)

[chrismelito]

It's faint in 1st, louder in 2nd, same in 3rd, and more faint again in 4th. Don't worry though, it's entirely likely that horto, tokay, or alhope, or one of the other guys will tell me that I'm crazy...which I am willing to accept.

[Tokay444]

As an audio engineer, I'm surprised you don't drive with that shit stereo off all the time. It really is what I've always thought about Bose. All marketing, no quality.

[chrismelito]

Former audio engineer, Tokay, former. :P In all seriousness, I have never cared all that much about the sound system in any of the cars I've owned. When I drive, music is basically just there to keep me company. The Bose system in the car is adequate, and will stay there until I have throw-away money to get it replaced. Given that you're never going to get studio or concert quality audio in your car, I don't even bother trying. When Rupert Neve comes out of retirement, and designs a mixing console and playback system specifically for the MS3, I'll start getting serious. At which point it'll be so damned loud and clear and perfect that I won't hear the engine itself let alone the turbo whistle.

But hey, that's just me.

[Elusivellama]

With great power comes great responsibility, Auralman to the rescue!

[alhope34]

I never really noticed the whistle stock. I managed to mangle my stock air box just enough to fit with my CPe FMIC, which let me hear the turbo a bit more. I now have a CAI again and I can hear the turbo loud and clear. =D I really missed that noise when I got rid of my first intake.

[MRT_MS3]

I bought this car only and ONLY because it has a BOSE Stereo system....

[Zoom Zoom Boy]

Hearing the turbo whistle with the Stock airbox= Coo Koo for Cocopuffs. ;)

Get an intake and you'll hear it clearly.

Assumimg you are perhaps not just insane, you may also want to make sure your turbo inlet hose is nice and tight. Many MS3 owners have complained that they come very loosely installed from the factory. This could/might, make the whistling more audible if it were loose and had any leaking. May also want to check the small plastic connector attached to the breather line and BPV for any cracks. Common item to go on the MS3. I wish I could remember what the part was called. Easy to diagnose if this were the problem, assuming you have a boost gauge installed. Otherwise, the only symptom is less boost/power feel and responsiveness in the seat of your pants.

[chrismelito]

Zoom Zoom Boy, and alhope, thanks for the details, that will help a lot. I will check the car before I get in it again (thankfully the parking garage at work is heated).

I think I'm going to assume that either there's some loose hose, or my hearing really is as acute as the people that test it always tell me it is. Either way, I think I'm going to stick with leaving the vehicle stock for now. When it's not my daily driver (in a couple/few years), I am sure I'll have a gozillion things I want to do with it.

Hey, has anyone ever thought of turning their MS3 into a 3-door? :P (off topic).

[alhope34]

I don't think it's just loose from the factory (the inlet), I think it loosens over time. I used to have the RPMC inlet with the T-clamps for the couplers and it never loosened. I put the stock inlet back in some time ago and I made sure to tighten it right up. When I took off my EGR valve recently for cleaning I had to remove the stock inlet again, and not surprisingly it just slid off the turbo with no effort.

[chrismelito]

Fiddled with hoses and whatnot. No more turbo whistle. Superhuman hearing gone :(

Thanks, all.

[Elusivellama]

It's probably for the better, don't want to end up like Daredevil, sleeping in his water-filled sound isolation chamber every night!

[horto]

http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/images/smilies/thumbsup.gif

did you still want me to call you crazy?? happy to do so... ;)

[VertigoM]

Fiddled with hoses and whatnot. No more turbo whistle. Superhuman hearing gone :(

Thanks, all.

Ok, that's good to hear. I can't hear any turbo whistle on my car either. Was a hose loose?

[chrismelito]

It must have been a loose hose, or perhaps the intake housing, which I also fiddled with a bit.

Feel free to call me crazy.

[Zoom Zoom Boy]

Crazy as my new avatar.:)

[McGuyver_3]

To OP you are NOT going crazy as I do not have an intake ATM but I can hear the spool. Its no where near as loud as I was able to hear it with my intake on it. But I had to take it off as A) i was driving like an ass just to hear it and B) it wasnt meant for the speed :chuckle

[chrismelito]

I still think I'm nuts.

[gotak]

I still think I'm nuts.

There is a nut lose on your keyboard ;)