two noises, possibly related?

[klspeed3]

so for a few days, I've been hearing a sort of flapping/clunking noise coming from the rear of the car when i slow to a stop. I've been trying to figure out what is causing it for days and finally came across a few posts online reporting similar noises - it sounds like one of my calipers could be sticking.

Now, I may be a little overly paranoid listening for noises, but I've started to notice a whining noise when accelerating. I notice it mostly in first under 3 or 4k rpm, but i can still hear it faintly in second. A bunch of posts I have read attribute whining noises to a possible transmission problem (which i'm really hoping is not the case) but i was wondering if a sticking caliper could also lead to a whining noise at lower speeds?

Honestly this may just be a wild theory to distract me from possible tranny problems...just find it weird that I started noticing both noises within a day or so of each other.

oh and ps, the car is manual (08 ms3)

[McGuyver_3]

The previous gen 3's are very durable when it comes to the transmission. I can truly prove this from my 05 i had. I think more so the automatics are the whining and hard shifting ones. I could be wrong though. The clunking I would look at the spring clips on the calipers, since that is what you have read about. Have you had brakes done recently? If not those, check the rear stab links. Generally those would clunk more so when going over bumps and stuff. May be a weak leaking shock but again that would more so be noticeable on bumps.

[klspeed3]

The previous gen 3's are very durable when it comes to the transmission. I can truly prove this from my 05 speed. I think more so the automatics are the whining and hard shifting ones. I could be wrong though. The clunking I would look at the spring clips on the calipers, since that is what you have read about. Have you had brakes done recently? If not those, check the rear stab links. Generally those would clunk more so when going over bumps and stuff. May be a weak leaking shock but again that would more so be noticeable on bumps.

Thanks for the reply

I only hear the clunking noise when I am slowing to a stop (nothing when hitting a bump or at any other time), and it sounds like more of a flap, flap, flap quite honestly (almost like a flat tire would sound). I just purchased the car a week ago from a used dealer and he claimed to have changed the brake pads so I'm thinking they may have done something wrong.

As for the whining noise, it sounds very similar to the whine you would expect when in reverse. I'm 95% sure it wasn't present for the first few days I had the car as I did drive a few times with no music on and would have noticed something like that.

[McGuyver_3]

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a190/bmw_racing/Mz3s_RBrrotors_sm_01.jpg

check if those spring clips are present that i highlighted. their will be 1 on each side

[klspeed3]

check if those spring clips are present that i highlighted. their will be 1 on each side

yea clips are present on both back calipers.

[klspeed3]

just as an update, I'm 90% sure that the clunking/flapping issue is that the back left caliper is sticking. I only hear the sound when slowing to a stop, and if I let go of the brakes momentarily, it stops. As soon as I apply the brakes again I can hear it from the back left. Anyone have any idea how serious of an issue this is? I have my next service appt coming up in 1000km so is it possible to just wait until then to have mazda fix it?

also, since this only seems to happen when braking, any other ideas on the cause of the whining noise when accelerating in first and second?

[klspeed3]

another update:

I'm now noticing that I only hear the whining in 1st gear sometimes (haven't yet figured out if there's any environmental factor at play i.e. colder vs warmer mornings), but I also noticed that when i do hear it, my rpm in neutral is sitting below 1k...

any ideas as to what could be causing me to idle at such a low rpm + cause a whining in 1st ?

[TheMAN]

some gear noise is normal in the low gears... just the way it is

[klspeed3]

mmm I would agree if i heard it every time i drove, but i don't :sad


some gear noise is normal in the low gears... just the way it is

[BlackIce]

another update:

I'm now noticing that I only hear the whining in 1st gear sometimes (haven't yet figured out if there's any environmental factor at play i.e. colder vs warmer mornings), but I also noticed that when i do hear it, my rpm in neutral is sitting below 1k...

any ideas as to what could be causing me to idle at such a low rpm + cause a whining in 1st ?

Thats normal, mine usually sits at around 800 RPM. My golf sat at 600-700 RPM. This car has a small engine, the smaller the engine the lower the RPMs when idling. These cars tend to idle at more then 1000 RPMs when they are cold, after about 5-10 min it'll be back down to 800.

Is the whining sound as loud as the R gear? Also are you AT or MT? If you MT, could be a sign that the transmission was abused if the first few gears whine as loud as the R gear. R gear has straight cut gears so if the first 2 gears sound like R then I'm sure you can get an idea of what the gears would look like. My first 2 gears whine as well but no where nears as loud as the R gear. First 2 gears are generally the smaller then the rest so in a way it rotates even faster then the next one, (or is it the other way around?) that is why the 2nd one wouldnt be as loud as the first. All in all, the first 2 gears do whine a little but if its as loud as the R gear then get it looked at, if not, dont worry about it.