Steering Groan

Hello.

I'm hearing a noise in my week old car, it is a groan sometimes coming from the front end of the car, specifically from the front left, this is only in certain circumstances. In daily driving, it won't show up. It will show up after I've driven quickly for a few miles.

So far I've only gone fast in my car in a small mountain pass with a few blind crests, switchbacks and mid/fast sweepers, all of wich are easy +60mph in the speed. Most of the corners are clockwise, so it doesn't really surprise me it's the front left that appears to groan. The noise appears after I've done my runs (usually I'll do 2-3 runs, each run lasting no more than 50s) and am cooling down the car(I'll drive at 60mph in 6th for aprox 2 miles before I hit a traffic light). Once I stop at the light and put in some steering to make a turn I'll hear a mild groan that dies out once I've taken out a few degrees of steering lock and/or picked up some speed. The groan will only appear when I'm going slow and put in some steering lock, and as the car continues to cool,the groan will start to fade, later appearing only with the first degrees of lock in a right turn, before dying out.

Sorry if I made it a bit long, but I wanted to give as much info as to what I was doing with the car when the groan appears, since it is not present in daily driving. Maybe its a normal noise and I'd hate to go to the dealership and cry about something they'll say it's normal.

Any help will be greatly appreciated

It could be the brake pads just slightly dragging on the rotors and that is causing the "groan" noise you describe. Mine has made the noise a few times, but only when starting from a dead stop.

I was a bit worried at first, and then noticed the same noise after washing the car and letting it sit to dry. The rotors dry with a bit of rust and when I backed out it made the same groaning noise.

Might just be pads dragging on rotors and no worry at all.

Mine also does the noise after a dead stop, but only when the car is warm after I've driven around for a while like I stated in the OP.

This could be it, because that would explain why only one wheel does it, and why only when warm.

Thanks for the help! (cool)

mine does the same thing, only seems to happen when the wheel is turned alot one way and at very low speeds. sense it only happens when my wheel is turned i just cant see how it would be the brakes. i was gonna take it to the dealer but i know it will never make the noise when they have it and they will think im crazy,LOL

nig3 said:

mine does the same thing, only seems to happen when the wheel is turned alot one way and at very low speeds. sense it only happens when my wheel is turned i just cant see how it would be the brakes. i was gonna take it to the dealer but i know it will never make the noise when they have it and they will think im crazy,LOL

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The way I see it it could be the brakes, once they have some heat in them and expand a few milimeters, just enough to touch/rub something else. Though under the same idea, it's possible it could be some other component of the driveline.

Still I'll mention this when I go to the dearlership for my first scheduled maint, though I'm shure that they'll also think I'm crazy

Mine has done this since I got it too. Mine does it only on one side while the wheel is turned at low speed. I usually notice it if I am slowing down though, not accelerating. I would say that it is the brakes too.

i just noticed the noise too, when steering until it locks. did anyone take it to the dealer?

nextcar said:

i just noticed the noise too, when steering until it locks. did anyone take it to the dealer?

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I haven't taken it to the dealer. So far as I can remember I didn't hear the noise the last time I took a quick drive, though I'll try and go drive on that road today and see if it still makes the noise.

I don't know if the others had their cars checked.

Had this problem for a while. Took it to the dealer and they said there was something up with the diff--crap in the fluid. The flushed it and the noise went away--after telling me I was crazy, and then telling me it was an axle. Dunno if it's just a red herring, but you might want to get the diff checked. After the flush, no groan.

xneverwasx said:

Had this problem for a while. Took it to the dealer and they said there was something up with the diff--crap in the fluid. The flushed it and the noise went away--after telling me I was crazy, and then telling me it was an axle. Dunno if it's just a red herring, but you might want to get the diff checked. After the flush, no groan.

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Thanks!! I appreciate all possible ideas. If I find my car still makes that noise I'll probably drop it off so they can have a look at both the brakes and the diff.

Btw. Welcome to the forum!(rockon)

Texaco said:

It could be the brake pads just slightly dragging on the rotors and that is causing the "groan" noise you describe. Mine has made the noise a few times, but only when starting from a dead stop.

I was a bit worried at first, and then noticed the same noise after washing the car and letting it sit to dry. The rotors dry with a bit of rust and when I backed out it made the same groaning noise.

Might just be pads dragging on rotors and no worry at all.

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On the money.

My mechanic told me the same thing. I only got the noise when I got on the car and did some heavy braking.

What you are hearing is the cone-type LSD that Mazda used in the Speed3. They all do this. At low speed with the steering wheel cranked over, there is significant difference in the speed of the two front wheels. You are hearing the stick-slip of the steel cones sliding inside steel cones in the LSD. You can add friction modifier to the transmission oil and the noise will stop, but your LSD will not work very well anymore and your synchros & blocker rings will not mesh your gears as well during shifting..

Just sit back and enjoy the sound, not everyone gets to hear it!
-enganear

Thanks for keeping the ideas coming!! (cool)

I'm considering all of the ideas you guy's have given here, but the thing that relaxes me is that none of them are "stop driving right now" serious.

In any event, I went and had some fun after work, and even tough I probably got a bit closer to the car's limits than before, I couldn't make the groan pop up. This sort of makes me think it isn't anything serious in my particular case, so I'm leaning on the brakes or the LSD noises. I'll still keep my guard up, and probably ask them to have a look at the diff fluids when it's time for a check up, just in case.