mc2

I was wondering if anybody could tell me if this is normal.. i have a 2003 with 11,500 miles on it. When i'm at a traffic light or something and the clutch is out (engaged) i hear this type of mechanical/whirring sound which is quite prominent. The moment i put the clutch in the sound goes away. It leads me to suspect the throwout bearing... but with only 11,500 miles??

Does anybody else experience this?

xviper

That's because when you have the clutch engaged in neutral, you are spinning a mechanical device that naturally makes a whirring sound due it having all sorts of cogs and gears meshing with each other - your transmission.

Slows2k

It's the throw-out bearing, and normal.

My Car has done it since PDI(3 miles) and continued to do so after the the clutch and throwout bearing was replaced at 10K with a ACT clutch.

Race Miata

I'll go with xviper on this one. TO bearing is noisy when clutch is disengaged and the noise will not go away when the clutch is in.

BlownAP

its the tranny as Xviper said, the tranmission on s2k's are loud.

if it were the TO you would hear a louder noise when the clutch pedal is depressed......

newspeed

very informative... i also noticed this noise and thought it was a case of a TO bearing going bad... Good to hear nothing is wrong, bad to hear nothing can be done about the noise...

Race Miata

The normal whirling noise happens to other FR cars (or even FF cars) as well with not too much sound deadening. My ex-miata ('90) did that as well.

The noise gets worse when the tranny fluid gets thin due to whatever reason. Last week when i lined up across the border (45-min wait) after a track day, I found that the tranny tunnel was getting pretty hot even at a low-50ish nite. Remember that the trichoid fluid pump in the tranny only works when the car is moving. When the car is stopped at extended idle period, only 1st and 2nd gears are spinning in the fluid bath. The bearings on the stationary 3rd to 6th gears are working on the rotating mainshaft without tranny fluid pumped over them. (Compare to my miata, ALL gears are spinning whenever input shaft is spinning with the engine).

Anyways, the whirling noise was getting pretty worse in that extended idling time period. That triggered me to decide to change the fluid (GMSMFM, ~10k plus 5 track days). However, the drive next day (before the change) the whirling noise got back to normal level. When I drained the fluid, it was still as clear/viscous as brand new. My guess is that the fluid could've stayed there for at least another 5k and another track day easy.

xviper

Cars are mechanical devices. They just naturally make noise. Some manufacturers go to unGodly lengths to sound proof a car so the driver don't hear anything that would hint that the owner is sitting inside a "car". They want the owner to think that they are being pushed down the road on a Barcalounger with wheels. The S2000 isn't one of those.
If you want something closer to a Barcalounger, try a Lexus.

Jasonoff

Start to worry if it gets quiet.

SpitfireS

These are your Best Friend

When I park my car top down in my garage box... I hear it making a LOT of mechanical noise.
Once the roof started to resonate!
(because of the exhaust I think)