[Fuller_goals]

my mazda has recently started making a very loud vibrating noise from front passenger side. It sounds like it's below dash board,at first i kept checking glove compartment. if driving on new or smooth surface its ok but the rougher the road surface the worse the vibration gets. Ive been monitoring this for a couple of weeks now and its definatley getting worse, but twice in the last week we've had heavy rain during night and noise didn't occur untill roads began to dry up ??
i was thinking it's a wheel or suspension issue, but then i'm no mechanic ??

Now, tonight when driving home my air bag/front seat belt pretensioner system warning light came on and stayed on, could this be linked ???

 

[Zoomba]

Windshield Rattle Fix:
http://www.mazda3forums.com/index.php?topic=130922.0

EDIT: Are you talking about the light to the left of the cig lighter? That should always be on unless someone with enough weight is sitting there.

 

[chaos]

[quote author=Zoomba link=topic=134138.msg2883785#msg2883785 date=1232669498]
EDIT: Are you talking about the light to the left of the cig lighter? That should always be on unless someone with enough weight is sitting there.
[/quote]

Not true. It only comes on if there's a certain (but negligible) amount of weight on the passenger seat. If you set, say, a heavy backpack on there or something, that light comes on to warn you that it detects weight on the seat, but the airbag is not turned on. The airbag is only activated upon it recognizing a certain (substantial) weight level, as to prevent unnecessary deployment, and to theoretically prevent idiots from strapping their 6 month old in the front passenger seat and thinking "they're safe" because of the airbags.

However, if there's nothing (or nobody) on the seat, or if there's enough weight on the seat, that light should never be on.

 

[Zoomba]

Oops, Chaos is right. As a matter of fact I almost always have my book bag on the passenger seat which led me to believe that the light was always supposed to be on.

 

[Infatuas]

Oh man, So excited to see the windshield rattle link. I am going to do this next weekend, can't freaking wait. It only started to happen to me when they replaced my AC dials, they took the dash apart, then instant rattle.

 

[KAZPER073]

I have a noise coming from my passenger side but only when I go over SOME bumps.. it's kind of a vibration but at the same time it's like there's something hitting up against each other.. dunno lol .. I know I can't figure it out though

 

[Zoomba]

[quote author=KAZPER073 link=topic=134138.msg2890686#msg2890686 date=1232956989]
I have a noise coming from my passenger side but only when I go over SOME bumps.. it's kind of a vibration but at the same time it's like there's something hitting up against each other.. dunno lol .. I know I can't figure it out though
[/quote]

Sounds like suspension-check your endlinks on the sway bars.

For me this happened twice, first time it was the ballast for my HIDs which fell off from where I mounted it--it was just hanging in the engine bay and whenever I went over a bump it would swing around and hit stuff. The second time it was some plastic part between the plastic of the wheel well and the plastic undercarriage (which was already missing). Eventually one of the two screws holding it in fell out so it would just swing around on another screw. Both of these incidents were really my own fault and not Mazda's.

 

[KAZPER073]

Yeah I thought it was suspension but I checked everything and it seemed ok.... maybe it's just something "hidden" lol .. doesn't sound like anything major so

 

[scooterjockey]

Years ago that happened to me but it was the loose left front lug nuts. Today...it could be the loose air filter/housing...dash...i guess ya just have to be there! :lol:

 

[burnout524]

I've got a wierd rattle like that too. I haven't tried the windshield rattle fix yet, but I'll definatelly look into it! I can't hear the video (I'm at school right now) so i'm not sure if thats the same noise I have.

Mine almost sounds like the trim that goes around the radio display is flexing or rubbing against something. Took it to Mazda and they said they took it apart and tightened some screws, but to no avail.