Start your engine.
Leave it in neutral.
Push the clutch in.
Any change in noise from the gearbox?
I notice a reduction in noise when the clutch is depressed.
If it had been an old car I would have said it was similar in sound to the thrust bearing failing.
But it really sounds like as though there is part of the gearbox shaft system spinning when in neutral and the clutch not depressed.
I know that part of the gearbox would be spinning in this situation.
Not annoying just wondering!
Anybody else noticed this?

Even in neutral, pushing the clutch in will change the gearbox note.

If the problem is noise coming from the clutch system, a simple test can identify the source of the noise before you tear into the system. There are two potential bearing-noise makers in the clutch system-the release bearing and the pilot bearing. To determine which one, if either, is making the noise follow these steps:

Step 1 With the engine running and the transmission in neutral, if the noise occurs it is in the transmission, most likely the front bearing supporting the input shaft.

Step 2 If that is not the problem, place your foot on the clutch pedal and begin to depress the pedal. If you begin to hear the noise at this point, the problem is the clutch release bearing. If not, proceed to the next step.

Step 3 Push the clutch pedal all the way to the floor. If you hear the noise at this point it is the pilot bearing or bushing. If you do not hear any noise during this test, the problem is not in the clutch system. Identifying these conditions early before removing and replacing the components goes a long way toward preventing a recurrence of the problem.

I get a kind of rattly noise when in neutral and the engine running too.

Just been outside and started mine.

When you leave it in neutral the clutch makes a white noise sound and when you depress the clutch pedal the sounds goes completely.

Ok two other things noticed tonight.

1) There is a locking type sound when you drive above 3mph

2) The seat belt warning alarm kicks in at 5mph and above.

Geek!

Originally posted by Contigo
Even in neutral, pushing the clutch in will change the gearbox note.

If the problem is noise coming from the clutch system, a simple test can identify the source of the noise before you tear into the system. There are two potential bearing-noise makers in the clutch system-the release bearing and the pilot bearing. To determine which one, if either, is making the noise follow these steps:

Step 1 With the engine running and the transmission in neutral, if the noise occurs it is in the transmission, most likely the front bearing supporting the input shaft.




After step one I push the clutch in and the little spinning shaft type noise disappears.
ANy ideas?

Presume the locking type sound will be the ABS initialising. I get this on my current car too (since I dont have an RX8 yet *sniff*)

Originally posted by Contigo
Just been outside and started mine.

When you leave it in neutral the clutch makes a white noise sound and when you depress the clutch pedal the sounds goes completely.

Thats the one Contigo!
Cool... more than one notices it.
Looks like it could be a trait?
Lets watch the responses and see.........

No it's simply that when you have the car in Neutral, the plates are making contact, as our clutches are so new, the plates will have alot of contact. As soon as you depress the pedal the plates seperate and as such you hear no noise.

This is for the same reason that when you pull up at traffic lights you put more wear on the clutch, if you take it out of first and into neutral.

Only thing I noticed was a fair amount of vibration through the gear stick in neutral

Cheers
Oilman

Both noises are normal

The clutch noise has been discussed a fair bit on elsewhere on the forum a fair bit. Most of the talk was about the throwout bearing. Mine made this noise when I first got it anytime it was in neutral, now after 3000kms it only makes the noise when cold.

The clunk noise as you take off is the ABS self test.

Congrats on getting your cars... watching those of you who are lucky enough to have picked yours up is like reliving the first couple of weeks of having mine. Enjoy.

I get all those noises. Not in the least bit worried about the clutch noise, but thanks for putting my mind at ease about the ABS 'clonk' when moving off - I was wondering if the brakes were binding. I also noticed a lot of vibration from the stick in neutral.
I have however also noticed a spine-tingling howl when revving the engine up above 8,000 rpm. Anyone else get this? And also the sound of people on the street and in car parks saying "nice car" when I drive past. Anyone else get this?

Not getting the nice cars cos everyone down south is jealous and won't comment.

heheh - well I don't get the noise from the gearbox either, but I do hear the clunk (although its not that noisy - clunk makes it sound more serious!).

the howl above 8000 rpm will be the engine saying "let me bed in - read the manual about not going above 7000 rpm" hehehe

I got a bloke come out from the petrol station (dead busy tescos express one) as I was filling my car, and I thought uh oh, what have I done as he looked serious. "excuse me sir" he said. I was worried even more. Then "Can you tell me what car that is" - hahahaha. He's seen it on the auto plate detector thing and was dead curious!

hahahhhahahah

484 miles on the clock------who's done more?

I also have the noise in neutral. It is significantly louder when the car is cold. I was going to take it to the dealer but since I'm not the only one who hears this I guess it's not a big deal at least not yet.

I'm over 600m now and I havent heard it lately, so could be a feature of being brand new.
By the way, because its now run in, had 9000 rpm today and couldnt hear any buzzer - maybe its really quiet, but I did have the window open and I was less interested in electronic noises and more interested in the mechanical ones
:D
JH

...bizarrely, now I'm starting the car with the cluth depressed, the sound is happening to me now when then the re-depress the clutch. It only seems to happen when the car is cold though...

I cant hear the buzzer either. I dropped by the dealer yesterday to pick up the 1 litre of oil (in its bag with some disposable plastic gloves for nancys that dont like getting their hands dirty) and I mentioned this.

He didn't need any more excuse to get in the demonstrator and take me for a blast down the road (luckily slowing just before the police car went by in the other direction), and I couldn't hear it in his either.

May be all that night club action in the '80s and '90s has taken their toll on my hearing. :(

Cheers
---Dave

thank god i searched for this post. i was getting kinda worried about the clutch noise

I noticed a whine from my dealer whenever I ask where my car is, but I'm not too worried about that yet...

Originally posted by Jon H
I get all those noises. Not in the least bit worried about the clutch noise, but thanks for putting my mind at ease about the ABS 'clonk' when moving off - I was wondering if the brakes were binding. I also noticed a lot of vibration from the stick in neutral.
I have however also noticed a spine-tingling howl when revving the engine up above 8,000 rpm. Anyone else get this? And also the sound of people on the street and in car parks saying "nice car" when I drive past. Anyone else get this?

I actually commented to my dealer how quiet the buzzer was on my test drive... I bet there's some useless buzzer that's deafening too...

Originally posted by druck
I cant hear the buzzer either. I dropped by the dealer yesterday to pick up the 1 litre of oil (in its bag with some disposable plastic gloves for nancys that dont like getting their hands dirty) and I mentioned this.

He didn't need any more excuse to get in the demonstrator and take me for a blast down the road (luckily slowing just before the police car went by in the other direction), and I couldn't hear it in his either.

May be all that night club action in the '80s and '90s has taken their toll on my hearing. :(

Cheers
---Dave

I think the manual does say the the clutch should be depressed before you start the engine.......this may be the reason for this?!?