I just got back from a 1000 mile road trip to Atlanta. While up there I did some very spirited driving on route 60 in the Chatahoochee National Forest. When driving back (windows down because the temp was so nice outside), I started hearing a ticking noise when I was taking right-hander corners. If the window is closed, you can't hear it. I had two other people in the car and both of them could hear it as well. The noise doesn't occur when going into a left-hander corner. At first it only sounded when cornering hard, but now you can hear it even during a moderate corner. It almost sounds like a wire or something is swinging out from within the front wheel well and hitting the back of the wheel as it is turning (I didn't see anything, but this describes what the sound is like). Also, there are no rocks/nails/etc. stuck in my tire to be causing the noise (that was my first guess). As you straighten the wheel, the sound goes away. I will be taking it into the dealership on Friday to have them take a look. Just wondering if anyone else had this problem and knew what it might be. I'm putting out a hesitant guess that it might be the wheel bearing.....and wondering if it might have anything to do with the electric steering assist. Once I get an answer from the dealer, I'll share my findings.

First, check your lug nuts. Second, do a search for "clicking" and "turning" and you'll find several others have also reported this same phenomenon.

I drove my 8 from Dallas to Austin last weekend and after a while I noticed a clicking or tapping sound at around 70-80 mph. I seemed to be coming from the passenger front wheel well. After stopping a couple of times to check it out, I finally determined that it was the plastic liner of the wheel well that was vibrating (snapping) at those highway speeds. I ducked into a local WalMart for, you guessed it, duct tape, and taped it down. No more noise. I will take it to the dealer and have them tighten it down or replace. You might check out the same on yours.

I went out and read the other posts....sounds like exactly what I'm experiencing. I'll try re-torquing the lug nuts and see what happens. If that doesn't help, then off to the dealer I go. New cars with improper lug nut torque???? Usually they are torqued so tight you have to use a breaker bar to loosen them the first time!

Originally posted by o_town_racer
I just got back from a 1000 mile road trip to Atlanta. While up there I did some very spirited driving on route 60 in the Chatahoochee National Forest. When driving back (windows down because the temp was so nice outside), I started hearing a ticking noise when I was taking right-hander corners. If the window is closed, you can't hear it. I had two other people in the car and both of them could hear it as well. The noise doesn't occur when going into a left-hander corner. At first it only sounded when cornering hard, but now you can hear it even during a moderate corner. It almost sounds like a wire or something is swinging out from within the front wheel well and hitting the back of the wheel as it is turning (I didn't see anything, but this describes what the sound is like). Also, there are no rocks/nails/etc. stuck in my tire to be causing the noise (that was my first guess). As you straighten the wheel, the sound goes away. I will be taking it into the dealership on Friday to have them take a look. Just wondering if anyone else had this problem and knew what it might be. I'm putting out a hesitant guess that it might be the wheel bearing.....and wondering if it might have anything to do with the electric steering assist. Once I get an answer from the dealer, I'll share my findings.



I had this same problem, only the sound came from the right side of the car when turning left.

Brought it to the dealer twice. They think it was the backing plate. (The metalic plate right behind the front of the rim).


They said that they bent the plate by hand?! I don't know if this is what they are suppose to do, but the noise is gone now.

I'm guessing that's your DSC kicking in. It will apply the brakes to one of the wheels when you are cornering rather sharply as a means to give you more control and take your turns more sharply. It will sound similar to ABS brakes

If it's ticking on the right when you are cornering left, then that sounds like DSC to me!

I just noticed a few days ago that when I turn right, the left, driver's side front wheel clicks. This happens even when I'm going only 5 mph.. just a "slower" click. I just tightened the left side lug bolts, but haven't tried it.

Very strange.

Originally posted by o_town_racer
I went out and read the other posts....sounds like exactly what I'm experiencing. I'll try re-torquing the lug nuts and see what happens. If that doesn't help, then off to the dealer I go. New cars with improper lug nut torque???? Usually they are torqued so tight you have to use a breaker bar to loosen them the first time!

Actually the first time I took mine off, you could probably have removed them with a 6" ratchet. I used an 18" breaker bar as I usually use to loosen the lugs before jacking, and they removed like butter.

On other cars, I usually torque to 85lb-ft on 5 lugs, and it usually meets a decent amount of resistance to get them off, even if I take the wheel off right after torquing the lugs.

Worth a shot for sure, and I found some interesting info about rattling noises while going over freeway turtles:

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13410

Originally posted by RXGr8
If it's ticking on the right when you are cornering left, then that sounds like DSC to me!

All that DSC/TSC can do is pulse the brakes and affect the DBW throttle position.

How would/could it make ticking noises?

Try turning off your DSC and see if it still makes the noise.
syntrix, I'm guessing it's making the ticking noises because my car makes ticking noises everytime I start the car and the ABS self test activates. When I drove my IS300 in the snow and it slipped, I would also hear a ticking sound from the brakes. It had something similar to DSC in it. This ticking, I believe is the pulsing you are talking about. It's a very quick pulse which is so quick you hear a ticking noise.

Talking about loose lug nuts. Slightly off thread.

1976, I am at Holloman AFB N.M., my wife just picked up our brand new Grand Prix in Alamogordo and drove ten miles to base to pick me up from work. On the way home we have to back track through town, and directly in front of the dealer where she picked up the car going 50 miles an hour, the driver side rear wheel shot off the car. This was on a four lane highway, rush hour, the car did two complete turns comming to rest in the middle of the road facing on comming traffic. 8 month old baby in the back, pregnant wife, everyone really scared. Everyone was OK.

Dealer had a wrecker out there within a minute. The tire shot across the medium, and hit a family on vacation in a brand new Cordova, shattering the whole front end and shorting out their electric sysyem. They were on vacation from the northeast.

$500.00 dealers prep obviously did not cover lug nut tightening. Went back to the dealer, took back my 1976 280Z 2+2, and said, deals off. Somehow they understood. I have checked every car we have bought since then, most dealers think I'm crazy.

Two months after the incident, I see the Grand Prix tooling around town. I chase the guy down and ask him if he bought it from the same dealer, he said yes. He said that the engine blew a month after he got it and the transmission went out earlier that month. I told him that if it was my car, it was in a pretty viscious wreck, with a lot of stress on the transmission and drive train. We looked underneath the drivers side back tire, and the brake drum was ground flat on one side, proving it was the same vehicle, that they didn't even fully repair. He said he had gotten a discount because of some missmatched paint he saw on the rear driverside fender well. They told him they repainted it, because it got scratched taking it off the truck.

I found some loose screw and bolts on my new RX-8, none on the wheels, thank goodness.

Originally posted by Jazzman
I just noticed a few days ago that when I turn right, the left, driver's side front wheel clicks. This happens even when I'm going only 5 mph.. just a "slower" click. I just tightened the left side lug bolts, but haven't tried it.

Very strange.

Yes, I had the same thing. The dealership (after two visits) said it was the lug nut not being tightened properly (108 ftlbs) That seemed to fix it for me.

Definitely tightening the lug bolts solved my problem.

Originally posted by Jazzman
Definitely tightening the lug bolts solved my problem.

Excellent!!!!!

I tightened my lug nuts and the noise seems to have vanished. I will continue to monitor. I also went out and got a decent torque wrench to make sure my lug nuts are adjusted correctly....before and after servicing....

This just started happening to me today. Going in for my 1st oil change at the dealer tomorrow. I will have them take a look at it.

Clicks while making looping moderate right hand turns.

Originally posted by o_town_racer
I tightened my lug nuts and the noise seems to have vanished. I will continue to monitor. I also went out and got a decent torque wrench to make sure my lug nuts are adjusted correctly....before and after servicing....

Now that's always a great idea!!!

And to recap what I said earlier... when I took off the rims and tires the first time, the lugs were barely on there. Could have taken them off with a 6" ratchet :(

dropped my 8 at the dealer this morning to have the snapping noise fixed. found out from the parts dept that they don't have and couldn't order the pearl satin fuel door for now, i'm one of those guys that need to see/feel the product first before buying so i didn't wanna order online yet.

Very good thread, lots of noise issues. Thanks everyone!

i had a ticking sound that i heard only during low speed turns...turned off DSC and it went away. is this the same thing?

Originally posted by MazdaspeedFeras
i had a ticking sound that i heard only during low speed turns...turned off DSC and it went away. is this the same thing? The issue I had eventually turned into this TSB.

http://www.finishlineperformance.com/rx8/docs/02-002-04.html

ok thanks...sigh my car is number 00017xx so there are a lot of fixes and tweaks necessary, any idea if they can do all of them at once?

This just happened to me last night, I have aluminum lugs, which need more frequent tightening checks apparently...anyways here is the correct link for the TSB (other one had been changed)

http://www.finishlineperformance.com/rx8/docs/pdf/02-002-04-1301b.pdf

3 years and almost a month.. that might be and record.. and gook job searching to dig that up...:) commitment.

beers :beer: