ErixHvn

Anyone know what's causing the buzzing noise in the instrument cluster when I accelerate? Seems every time I accelerate hard there a noise in either the Tach or speedo. I've replaced my cluster once before for the same thing but it didn't go away. Replaced speedo cable too.
Is this common? It's just irritating to have a noisy dashboard above the usual squeaks and creaks of my 20 year old baby. Any solution to this?

Icemark

is it a real buzzer or just a vibration that you are hearing?

ErixHvn

Not a buzzer but I get a buzzing noise and may very well be vibrating also. Only under hard acceleration though which is just about all the time when I'm behind the wheel. Not while in neutral, revving or regular driving. The buzz seems to increase with the rpms/speed.

HAILERS

Make sure it's not the Warning Light Cluster instead. Make it do its *thing* at night and see if the Warning Lights aren't blinking real fast.

Ask yourself, "is the voltmeter; needle jittery?".

These are clues. Not an answer.

ErixHvn

Hey Hailers, Was hoping this might catch your eye. If you mean the idiot cluster I'd have to say it's not. It's most definitely from behind the Speedo/Tach cluster. Dont hear any rattle when I hit any bumps either but buzzing increases intensity when I get on the gas in gear. Anything in the cluster that may need to be lubed or something? BTW, Voltmeter needle holds steady.

Goofy

Loose speedo cable, maybe.

HAILERS

Nope, can't think of what it might be. Speedo cable except that would happen any time while driving. Maybe press a finger on the guage cluster when it happens and try to feel what side of the cluster it's coming from.

Do you have the stock alternator that comes with your car or an upgrade to a S5????S6????

CrypticApathy

You say you do it under hard accleration, does it kick in around 6kRPMS? If so its your redline buzzer.

ErixHvn

Nope, not the redline buzzer(I wish). Way too familiar a sound for it to be mistaken for something else. Is the Speedo mechanical or electro mechanical? Wonder if there's any kind of clutch-like mechanism that needs adjusting. Anyone ever take one apart? Wish there was some way to test it off the vehicle. Might actually try a drill on the other end of the speedo cable if nothing else just to find out. Any ideas how to test the tach?

Everything works. Other than the speedo needle twitching at low speeds (started after I replaced a broken speedo cable) but had the buzzing even before that. It's just this odd buzz that gets on my nerves. Takes away from the sweet sound of the engine winding up. The other rattles, squeaks and creaks I can live with.

Right now it's still got the S4 alt. Will actually be upgraded to the FD alt since the stock alt(140k) is on it's way out. Why do you ask, Hailers? I've seen how analytical you are in previous post. You have something in mind about what's causing this? I'm almost desperate... it's driving me nuts.

ErixHvn

Sounds like it's in sync with the tach. Any way to test this off the car or without the engine running?

HAILERS

I'd revisit the speed cable installaation.

If you go to the engine bay and look for where the cable enters the cabin, you'll see that you can take what slack there is in the cable outside the cabin, and shove it into the cabin. That will make the connection to the gauge cluster a lot easier. There will be more room for your hand behind the gauges to get the speed cable locked on.

boost_its_what_for_dinner

actually dont forget about the coolant light and buzzer the bulb in the idiot light might be bad ......?

ErixHvn

Took instrument cluster out today, All kinds of plastic crap cracked underneath. Looks like a job for a crazy glue commercial. Everything's brittle and falling apart. I wonder if Mazda engineers ever expected these cars to be around for this long. The kind of plastic used in some of the areas that get hot under the sun just doesn't hold up at all.

Anyway took apart the instrument cluster to check for whatever is causing the buzzing noise. Aside form a rattle of the speedo gauge itself there just wasn't any indication of what might be causing the buzz. Lubed the speedo from the back where the cable goes in and the rattle seems to have gone away when I shake it. We'll see tomorrow if that fixed the noise.

powrdby13B

If it sounds like the tach, maybe check the tach cable. I once had a car with a speedo that would only vibrate at ~95-100+ MPH. Perhaps you have a tach needle that only vibrates at high RPMs?