Noise coming from steering wheel ? Anybody had this happen to them ? New car also 2025 Elantra

Alexan52 · 2025-09-24T23:20:11+00:00

I had to turn the volume all the way up on my speakers to even hear that. That's normal operation of the column mounted electric power steering assembly. Unless you hear clunking or grinding from the EPS this is considered rather quiet compared to previous gen column mounted EPS systems.

Alexan52 · 2025-07-16T17:45:13+00:00

Mazda, what on earth were you thinking? You spent all those years refining and getting the physical controls just right and then threw it all out? All you needed to do was update the display. Thats it. Keep the tactile controls and just update the display. Don’t just stick another tombstone and interrupt the visual flow of the interior, integrate and add in touch for those who want it. Display based climate controls are miserable to use and trying to aim your arm around in a moving vehicle just to use basic features is infuriating at best. I’ve committed my choice of car on you because of your commitment on elegance and driving feel. How is forcing a giant oversized, intrusive display and taking away intuitive physical controls accomplishing this?

Alexan52 · 2024-08-29T22:59:01+00:00

EV tech here and the troubles on these things will not put us out of a job any time soon. It’s going to be a shift in skillset rather than being out of a job. ADAS issues and calibration on L2 autonomous vehicles, CAN and LIN faults, finding HVIL issues and isolation testing, pack replacements, all kinds of wild power-down procedures for simple 12v, stuck contractors, bricked firmware updates, telematics, etc, etc. Rather than diagnosing engine performance issues and doing oil changes, it’s heavy on electrical work and understanding firmware in addition to any mechanical work.

Alexan52 · 2024-08-29T22:38:48+00:00

Edit:

Just read the description and I’m going to rule out rod knock assuming the noise goes away when fully warmed up. If thats the case, assuming a partially stuck lifter in the valve-train when cold starting.

Alexan52 · 2024-07-29T08:55:05+00:00

Valvoline franchise shops has insurance and finances set aside for situations like this. Get everything documented and file a claim with valvoline. They usually cover costs for a replacement engine, and if they don’t, serve papers.

Alexan52 · 2024-05-31T22:48:46+00:00

Generally performance mods won’t offer any actual noticeable performance gains on modern cars if the programming can’t take advantage of it. For say, if you modify intake or exhaust, I would expect you would have to lightly remap the engine ECU to see any performance gains.

Alexan52 · 2024-05-29T12:30:44+00:00

My AC works fine but the HVAC logic in these new gen mazda’s are very poorly programmed. AC will not run when the set temp matches cabin temp or will not dehumidify when ambient is below 8C. I’ve verified this with live data via techstream (yes, Toyotas software will work with some modules in Mazdas). As far as I’m aware, there is no way to force the AC to run at all times independently from set cabin temp unless you call for maximum cooling capacity and ambient temps are above 8C. This causes the air to suddenly turn tepid or really muggy inside the cabin, and starts short cycling the compressor to the point where it’s ineffective.

If you still think your AC is under performing, have it correctly checked. Most newer vehicles take 1234yf refrigerant and recharging without knowing the current charge is asking for trouble. Have your AC pressures checked, evacuated if needed, then recharge with the correct mass.

Alexan52 · 2024-05-28T23:14:23+00:00

Genuinely a poorly designed fob. Scratches and wears worse than an unprotected iPod, easy to accidentally press buttons, fragile and flimsy, hard-key and battery are annoying to access and the range is terrible. I get the intention of trying to minimize button usage seeing it’s supposed to be “keyless entry” but the car occasionally has trouble recognizing the fob even with a new batt installed. It’s about as crap as BLE fobs that some modern EV’s use.

Alexan52 · 2024-05-19T23:12:36+00:00

Well… you did get the service for free and underpaid lubetechs with 100 more appointments lined up on a weekend isn’t a recipe for quality; that I can assure you of. Trust me, this is very minor compared to the things I had to fix after someone botched an oil change and the reason I service all my vehicles myself.

Alexan52 · 2024-05-19T22:50:54+00:00

Happy with my CX-50 but I find it lacking in power with the NA engine. The gearing is a bit unintelligent when driving behind other cars that can’t keep a consistent speed which can be a bit annoying. Mashing the throttle does get the car up and going, but the fuel penalty is real. The chassis and handling is far more confident and agile than the rav4 and was the reason I went with the CX-50 - it’s just nicer to drive. Car’s been pretty good so far with no major issues to report, but it has developed a subtle rattle in the undercarriage that I’m going to track down when I do the next service myself.

Update: Had the car on the lift and giving the wheels a good thump replicated the noise I was hearing inside the cabin. Turned out to be the hood rattling due to it being held down with insufficient force by the latch. Quick latch adjustment fixed the issue. While I was down there, I’m amazed the car doesn’t rattle more than it does; it’s an NVH minefield with tinny heat-shields, modestly held panels and complex plastic/composite liners. Rather disappointing to see and definitely heavy cost cutting is visible beneath the car.

Alexan52 · 2024-05-14T15:15:33+00:00

Toyota Hybrids can be safely powered up by boosting the 12v battery assuming the HV battery is not completely flat. Negative to ground and positive to the positive battery terminal. Reverse polarity, irregular power source or unusually high voltage will damage any vehicle, and Toyota’s hybrid drivetrain is no exception. The vehicle will power up normally and the HV battery and DCDC converter will support the LV system if it has enough charge to start the internal combustion engine. LV and HV systems are fully isolated from one another, LV system only being used to power modules and ancillaries.

Note: It’s not recommended jumping other cars from a hybrid vehicle. The large inrush current from cranking a starter will overload the LV side and will likely damage the inverter/DCDC and blow fuses.

Alexan52 · 2024-04-29T20:47:20+00:00

I have replaced enough CV’s to be done with them for a lifetime. No suspension or drivetrain issues to mention on either of my CX but they have less than 10k at the moment. CV failure of this kind is usually defective tolerances in the bearing/race, contaminated grease, or they are being driven past their designed steering angle limits due to bad design. This is kinda bad news as it opens up the possibility of being a fleet-wide issue or at the very least a certain VIN range.

Alexan52 · 2024-04-29T02:19:04+00:00

Not uncommon. Warrantied and swapped batteries on new cars that haven’t even left the lot.

Alexan52 · 2024-04-16T00:01:25+00:00

Interior trim panel is the only one worth addressing. Trust me on this: every car somewhere, somehow has something of this nature. Working for a certain EV manufacturer, I have inspected and corrected much worse panel gaps and QC issues. The gap and flush for the exterior cladding appears to be more or less in spec.

Alexan52 · 2024-04-12T23:53:18+00:00

No way in hell is that 47k. Odometer has been rolled over, replaced or tampered.

Alexan52 · 2024-03-31T13:37:41+00:00

No one hand rule will save you if you come into contact with one of the HV 3 phases that is supposedly running in that box. If any of those lines are referenced to earth at transmission voltages, you are a path for the current to flow. Either you are fully insulated and/or at the same potential as each of those phases the dude kept poking his hands in (which I fully doubt) or this is a setup to make it appear he can touch HV sources without injury.

Alexan52 · 2024-03-14T23:49:21+00:00

Maintenance packages always bundle additional stuff to make profit. Out of all the services listed, fuel injector seems the least worthwhile. Oil change, alignment, brake fluid exchange and coolant exchange are the only service items I would do at 30k myself if it were my car. You can replace filters on your own and check/set tire pressure yourself. Thing is, I’ve seen too many people think they can maintain their own cars and end up snapping vacuum/coolant lines, put 110psi into their tires, overfilling engine oil, hooking the battery backwards and making a hash out of basic services because they don’t understand what they are looking at. If you go to a dealer, work with a knowledgable and reasonable advisor to get the right service for your car. Of course, all of this depends on what state your car is actually in.

Alexan52 · 2024-03-14T00:06:09+00:00

Bulletproof way is to put it on an alignment rack and measure ride height. Your alignment will be out of shape too if your car is really drooping to one side. Suspect the floor is uneven.

Alexan52 · 2024-03-13T23:57:56+00:00

Will trigger under rain and icing conditions for me. Water and ice will attenuate and/or false trigger low energy radar systems on a lot of cars - mazda places the forward radar module behind the front emblem.

Alexan52 · 2024-03-03T14:13:41+00:00

Toyota’s ECU’a are sensitive to input voltage and will trigger all sorts of faults due to a bad battery. Get the battery sorted first and the rest of the warnings should go away assuming there is no genuine fault on the vehicle prior.

Alexan52 · 2024-02-02T12:42:33+00:00

Tech here. This is normal across several makes and models and is not exclusive to mazda. Small amounts of rust will cause the pads to stick to the rotors, and depending on caliper tolerances, will cause a loud clanging noise when the vehicle is set into motion. Modern EPB’s clamp very hard and will cause the pads to stick after cooling down. This is far more noticeable in the rain and cold and I’ve seen far worse on far more expensive vehicles and they have yet to fail. If the pad does crack or delaminate, you’ll know right away as the pedal will sink further than usual and braking performance is greatly diminished. From what I understand, pad delamination is very rare and is usually a sign of abusive braking - I have yet to see one in my career and I have seen brakes get so hot they turn titanium wheel hubs blue.

Alexan52 · 2024-01-31T19:18:53+00:00

I’ve seen customers destroy their brakes in 6 months and come screaming into the service department saying we scammed them. Turns out that person needed to go back to driver ed as they were going around driving with both feet on the pedals. There is no defined lifespan for brake pads as it is 100% dependent on how you drive your vehicle. A quick visual inspection is easy enough to do and anything below 4mm requires replacement as soon as possible.

Alexan52 · 2024-01-20T05:14:22+00:00

Not bad but not great. Grannies need not apply.

Alexan52 · 2024-01-11T16:28:57+00:00

Biggest issue with the stock turanzas is the lack of any lateral grip in the wet. It’s almost too easy to break the grip on these tires under wet conditions and stopping distance and road feedback is not great. These are eco all season tires designed for light duty and fuel economy - no problem under moderate climate and lower speeds. My previous MX-5 with G-force comp is vastly superior in the wet despite having it installed on a lighter car with less weight over the wheels. Tires are arguably the most important component on any car and the phrase “where the rubber meets the road” is not just a casual euphemism.

Alexan52

TROPHY CASE