Important All 2.0l Read
 

I wanted to get an idea of how many people here on this board have the engine rattle we have been talking about. Also, I have noticed that I have never seen a person with a mp3 complain about any rattle.

It's a little hard to describe, its the same noise that people call the heatshield problem, but it actually doesn't have to do with any harmonic resonance. Mine rattles around 2700rpms and when cold it just doesn't sound very healthy from 2000-3000rpms. Go to the maintance board and look on the page called engine rattle, I think it is described in there.

Dustin

I posted nothing at all... I'm assuming that we're excluding normal engine noise here, although it *is* a little misleading.

If you hear nothin' at all, you've got a more serious problem than engine rattle when it's cold :D

haha good point:laugh:

We'll need Duratec HE from next gen. Mazda3/Pro to finally get rid off this awful cold engine sound.
Once my neighbor asked me, "what to heck is wrong with your P5? Why it sounds like a tractor or WWI bomber?"
I had to say that this not normal rattle and noise is normal on this engine.
Now I really drive it slow with out rev-ups until it warms-up.
I hate it as well.

For me, it might be because it never gets "cold" here--how cold is cold in this case?

Yeah that shit defintely happens to me and pisses me off. GODDAMN RATTLE!!!!!

The cold just makes it worse. However I remember a couple days ago it was like 50 or so, and in the morning when I started her up, behold, the mighty rattle. I had an 86 volvo before this which was given to me and worth nothing that sounded better in the morning. It worries me more and more every time I hear it and the more people I discover that have the same problem. I will try to record the sound (will be hard to do) so people who don't know what I am talking about can hear it.

Dustin

I am recording a sound clip tomorrow morning. It should turn out pretty decent. I will have it posted by mid afternoon.

Dustin

Everyone with a 2L engine (2001-2002 ES, 2002 P5) should check out the thread on the MAINTANCE/PROBLEMS forum about the engine rattle at cold startup. Its a timing issue when cold which Mazda admits to but still has not released a fix in 6 months. We should all write to Mazda USA and out the pressure on them.

My $.02

Im from freeze your ass of alot of the year Saskatchewan, this morning its -15 Cel (which beleive it or not is kinda balmy as of late) dead cold engine, the needle as low as it can go and nothing.

Hopefully that keeps up :-)

Same here, -35 C and no rattles other than the normal horrible growning sounds all engines make in the brutal cold.

I'm just wondering... maybe that's the problem.

Someone pointed out in one of the other 'engine rattle' threads that it seemed that we here in Canada didn't 'get' the rattle. Maybe it's just that we're USED to all our cars sounding like sh*t when they start, because it's so bloody cold in the mornings, that we accept the noise we're getting, while those in slightly warmer climes are now noticing something they'd never heard before in any other car.

Just a thought.

ok...i noticed it this morning..:( ..it only lasted about two seconds

I think you hit the nail on the head man! I'm in Canada too, and with this last little cold snap we had here in edmonton i didn't notice anything out of the ordinary as far as cold starting an engine goes!

Damn yankees whining as soon as the temperature dips a bit... Come stay in Alberta for a week!!! :p

I wouldn't call what everyone is hearing normal for cold weather. It happens pretty much whenever the needle is at the bottom.

the noise i hear sound more like a tranny rattle- only when its cold- it happens the first 2-3 minutes after startup every time i release the clutch in 2nd or 3rd.

Dusto,

Dusto,

I'm not saying that what you're hearing is necessarily 'normal'
for a cold engine. What I'm saying is that, in very cold weather, engines normally sound really rough on start-up. So perhaps even if we are hearing the same noise, we perhaps aren't thinking immediately 'oh, a problem with the engine', but rather, 'oh, it's friggin' freezing again this morning... hmm, my engine sounds like kife... what else is new?' :rolleyes:

Maybe by june, when temperatures get up to somewhat liveable, and we still hear the noise (if we do), then we may realize... 'hey, what's that goddamn noise? maybe those yanks DID have a point.' ;)

Well recording the sound proved to be harder than I thought, but I will try again.

MP3 owner... Have the rattle when its cold.... Usually between 2500-3500 rpm's. On the Protege MP3 board others have complained about the rattle. Sound like a tin vibration against metal when the engine is rev'd. Or maybe this is a whole new rattle...

I live in Toronto Canada.

Lateley we've been having warm weather for the winter. anything from -5 to 10 Celcius (20 to 50 F)

My engine rattles between 2000-3000rpm. And it also feels sluggish between those rpms. when I go above 3000 it suddenly lurches forward like it just gained 30hp.

This has been happening for the past 2 months.

I've never experienced a car with such a noisy engine. Even in the dead of winter.

I'm not pleased:rant:

HA I WIN! -50 over here in ALASKA! and no rattle!

I don't really have a rattle noise, but I do notice on cold mornings, my car sputters in first gear. Like it can't decide if it wants to be in first gear or in neutral. It almost seems like there are air bubbles in the fuel line from the cold and when I start to drive, the air is pushed out causing the sputtoring. It stops after the engine warms up.

I was watching a tv show on this a lonnngggg time ago, before I knew anything about cars (I still know very little). They said that it's normal since the engine isn't warmed up yet, and some things inside the engine haven't expanded yet. The expansion isn't great, but it makes up for this small rattle, so it's normal......

im amazed that your car even started LOL

i don't get that rattle either.....i had a block heater installed on my car, so when sthe temp goes past -15 i plug her in at night, when i start her up in the morning no problems!

talkin in Celsius here??? :eek:

So, according to someone over at Edmunds, this rattle on startup in the cold is a "known problem" and can be solved by reprogramming the ECU. Here are the details (I'm quoting from an Edmunds post):

According to Mazda the problem (and I quote from the technical bulletin), is "the result of the timing between VTCS plates 'opening' and the ignition spark advance command". It's my understanding that the reprogram will simply adjust the timing during warm-up.

I recorded a sound clip and converted it to an mp3 file so everyone should be able to play it. I recorded it this morning, it was about 30 Degrees Far. and I popped the hood and reved the engine to about 3000rpms 4 or 5 times. Here is a link, let me know if it does not work for anyone.


http://briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/dustob...dir=/Car+Stuff

Dustin

Engine Rattle 'o Fun
 

I took mine to the dealership and complained during its last service. The service people did not know why it happened and would only say that it was normal for this car. I get nervous taking people in my ride because it sounds like a piece of crap until the needle gets in the middle range of the thermostat. Wake up Mazda! This is unacceptable.

Mazda Knows!
 

I called Mazda today and complained now that I know other people are hacked off too. They said they know about and are working on a fix. A TSB (technical service bulletin) will go out to the dealerships once they have the fix and we will all be eligible to have it fixed under warranty. Lets hope they hurry up!

I have an MP3 with over 6000 miles on it, and I have noticed a little bit of a noise coming from the cowl area during acceleration on cold mornings between 2500 and 3000 rpm's.
It's not near as bad as the one you have recorded but there is a little something there.

Its funny, cuz I've been reading these threads regarding the engine rattle and so forth, but mainly coming from you 2.0l owners.

I personally own a '99, and it didn't hit me till now. I actually had this problem some time ago. It only happened every now and then, and not all the time. It was more than a engine rattle, and the entire car would rattle (is this the same as you guys?!).

Anyways, after taking it to Mazda twice, they finally fixed it, and I haven't had the problem for over a year. Sorry to say, at the time I don't FULLY remember what they exactly did, but I know they added some new stuff to my engine. I'll get some pictures, and find the work order sheet, and explain what they did.