[M3Zum]

FYI people, some things I've found out first hand about my M3 H/B... if you're interested in finding annoying noises..listen up...

1) Look under the car. Had mine on a lift at work, found out that small rocks can get trapped in the 2 small plastic shields near the rear control arms. also trapped in between the chrome exhaust tip and the pipe itself.

2) Very thin aluminum shielding under the vehicle. rattles big time if not exactly bent the way it should be. you can correct this by carefully tweaking the shielding outwards. careful, its sharp.

3) if you have a rattle that sounds like metal on glass over steady-bumpy roads.. check at the bottom of all 4 doors. on the VERY bottom you'll see 3 or 4 plastic clips. mine was rattling bigtime. (Does anyone know the purpose of these clips anyway???) Removed the rattling ones, noise is gone...

4) Pulled door panels.. very poorly insulated. screws were loose. the mesh-material on the panels dont go to well with plastic in the noise dept...

5) check your rear light housings.. mines were loose, not to mention the rear spoiler..

6) check the trunk panels near and opposite the spare tire jack. where the panels bend, they make contact with the plastic.. rattles..

more to come.. i am determined to fix this crappy build on this car.. i thought that being made in japan it would be more quality-effort, but i am suprised at all these things that im finding on my 3 vs the WRX/Civics I've had in the past... FYI peeps. just htought it might help anyone looking for rattles out... :lol:

 

[funkyfreshmonke]

hahhaa crappy build...i have no single rattle on mine....i guess yours was just built crappy =X....but good lookin out on how to fix the rattles!!!

 

[DJ Spencer]

You calling my car crappy, or just yours??

 

[USCMazda3]

You calling my car crappy, or just yours??

I think we can all agree that the Mazda3 is a just a crappy car in general. :lol: :wink:

 

[rpc180]

I got just one that I'm trying to target, sounds like its coming from the trim near/around the radio/climate controls. It might be the cold weather, nothing else is making noise though!

 

[M3-GT]

It looks like you probably ended up with the car on which they tested their assembly quality control personnel :shock: :lol:

I have 0, nada rattles.

 

[chickmod]

I have no rattles in my 6-tons of people complain about them. I wonder if it's because I keep my radio turned up enough that I can't hear the rattles ?

 

[dinu01]

Thanks for your "How To" guide.

Much appreciated.

 

[factrzero]

Hmm

No real noticeable rattles here. But I do have a gurgling sound now when accelerating after washing the undercarriage..cool!

 

[SBTanMan]

No rattles so far, but my (driver's seat) seatbelt assembly buzzes when I'm driving at a certain speed on slightly (not very bumpy, not smooth) roads. Is this just the resonance frequency of the assembly, or something I should make Mazda fix? Also, my brakes squeak when in reverse, but not going forward (yes, I know this isn't under the right category, but it seems like most of you know the quick answer on this one), is this something Mazda should fix, or just cold brakes? I just want to know, because I have my first service in a month, and I'm making a list before I go in, so they can do all the warranty work at the same time as the oil change.

 

[USCMazda3]

It looks like you probably ended up with the car on which they tested their assembly quality control personnel :shock: :lol:

I have 0, nada rattles.

I think it would be very difficult for QC to catch rattles. Hopefully these are just early build problem which will be resolved within the next few months. Or at least I hope they're resolved by then, 'cause that's when I'll be ordering my 3.

 

[cowtown]

It is also not unusual for a new car to loosen up a bit here and there after it's been driven for a while. It is in particular why you should ALWAYS take your car to your dealership for it's first service so they can tighten when they typically do and you can mention those other elements at the same time.

 

[Titanium Dragon]

No rattles so far. And I'm about 75 miles shy of my first 1000 miles. At that point, it's going in for it's 1st oil change.

Thanks for the info, though. If I do experience any rattles within the 1st year of owning this car, at least I'll know where to look first before taking the car to the dealer.

 

[cowtown]

Titanium, absolutely no need to do an oil change at 1000 miles, you're just throwing your money away. Stick to the guide in the manual and you'll be just fine, this has been confirmed by many a Mazda dealership already.

 

[rpc180]

I found the creak in my trim. Turns out that the glove compartment door was being pulled down cause the manual was in the tray and it was heavy. The plastic latch on the left side "wiggles" a bit and that's what makes the noise. I moved the manual and its quiet now.

 

[smitty]

NO RATTLES in mine 1050 miles, the glove compartment will only close when i hold the latch up..no biggy
all in all ..i love the car
build date 10-2003
95 rx7 modified
98 civic modified

 

[funkyfreshmonke]

i still want to see a picture of your car smitty lol...all those mods yet no pics!! you're depriving us..

 

[mytiggr]

Aha, me too! I was driving along at about 70mph and occasionally I'd hear a tap sound, which I thought was a pebble hitting my hood, and then I thought this sound came from the radio/climate control area. Finally, the only thing I could think of was that maybe... the plastic engine cover (which has only 3 points of attachement to the engine) was rattling?

So do you guys think this engine cover could be making noise too?

I got just one that I'm trying to target, sounds like its coming from the trim near/around the radio/climate controls. It might be the cold weather, nothing else is making noise though!

 

[cowtown]

Highly unlikely that the engine trim would make a tapping noise loud enough to hear inside the cab. It's hard to chase this stuff in the winter because there are so many causes for it and it's worsened by the fact that 90% of it disappears in warmer weather. :|

 

[CharlieDigital]

Titanium, absolutely no need to do an oil change at 1000 miles, you're just throwing your money away. Stick to the guide in the manual and you'll be just fine, this has been confirmed by many a Mazda dealership already.

I disagree:

1) It never hurts to get your oil changed often.

2) I noticed a huge improvement in acceleration and engine smoothness after my gf (6i) had her first oil change. I mean, it was like a totally different car.

Just my take. Oil change is what, $20 with the coupon from the dealer? Not a big deal to get it changed early IMO and if it gives you peace of mind knowing that you're doing your best to maintain your vehicle, then it's well worth it.