[grendels_m3]

So my 3 has about 3800 miles on it and I just got it back from the dealer who did the first oil change and state inspection. Anyways I noticed when I went to start the car up cold the next day and also today that from underneath the hood there was a ticking sound. It didn't sound like a motor sound but maybe something else that was moving. I double checked to make sure they put enough oil in it and yes it was fine. The sound would only happen for less than 5 seconds and then go away. If memory serves there was sort of a pressure relief at the end of it. This sound would come back probably every 15 seconds and start the cycle again and again. At first I thought maybe it was the A/C compressor because I had the car at 70 degrees for the climate control even though it was like 50-60 degrees outside. So I turned the climate control to 80 degrees. The sound still occurred. So I decided when I parked the car at work after a solid drive to see if I heard the sound and there wasn't a sound. I didn't listen for too long but I would have heard it for the 30 seconds or so I listened.

So what's going on? It's possible this has always happened as you can't heard it from inside the car even when the radio is all the way down. But I would have thought I would have heard it before as I frequently back it out of the garage and let it warm up in the driveway while I wait in the house. I would have thought it would have made the sound before I made it back in the house.

 

[arathol]

The car has high pressure fuel injectors. They can be pretty noisy, clicking and clattering like a diesel sometimes.

 

[grendels_m3]

The car has high pressure fuel injectors. They can be pretty noisy, clicking and clattering like a diesel sometimes.

But that's normal like every 30 seconds or so lasting about 5 seconds? It is a clicking/ticking sound. Should it be the same noise when warm/hot as well? I'll have to verify.

 

[curvyroads28]

My 2.5 is always louder at cold start. Injectors are loud as arathol stated, but also take into account that a cold engine still has to expand as it warms up, so there may be parts in there that aren't quite heated up yet.

 

[grendels_m3]

It's not the motor. I hear it coming from passenger side front of the car. Almost as if the fan. But it's a sound of something spinning up and spinning down. Like every 30 seconds. I let the car with climate control set at 80 degrees this morning warming it up. I went inside and came out 15 minutes later, blue temp light totally off, it was still doing it. When I started it coming out of work, no sound.

 

[grendels_m3]

What this guy says may be my problem.

http://mazda3revolution.com/forums/...ormance/105378-c-like-fan-spinning-noise.html

 

[grendels_m3]

Ok I went out to the car started it in the garage and I know what's making the sound. It's coming from the passenger side condenser/radiatior fan. There are twin fans in no the car. No no idea why but every 30 seconds, probably less they turn on. The sound I hear it's the passenger side one spinning up and then spinning down. It makes no noise when running at a constant speed. It only runs for be a few seconds. The driver side does the same operation but no sound. I have no idea why this occurred right after I took it to the dealer, maybe I just never paid enough attention. Anyone else have this on their 3?

 

[grendels_m3]

Dealer finally heard the noise and confirmed the problem is the passenger side radiator fan module. They are ordering another and will install. Fortunately they don't have to take off the front end end, radiator, fan, etc.