ummmmm heres an odd question......
 

for those who dont know
i have an 09 mazda 3 touring sedan
i find that when i drive my car
im constantly hearing what sounds like tiny stones and pebbles bouncing up and down against the underside (belly) of the car.
do you guys get that a lot?
i mean i understand there is dirt and pebbles and sand and stuff on streets, but i never have heard all that bounce up and down against the underbelly of any other car ive ever owned so vividly and clearly as i do with this mazda. Its very offsetting and strange.
Just thought id share.

Thanks

RE: ummmmm heres an odd question......
 

Could it be that one of the plastic splashshields is loose, like somebody forgot to tie/screw them together?
The only time I had a noise similar towhat you describe iswas when I left off the central splash shield after an oil change and the sides (vertical pieces)were flopping around in the wind as I drove.
Whatever it is, it"s not normal. If you can't find it yourself, I"d take it back to the dealer and have them find it.

RE: ummmmm heres an odd question......
 

The road crews use sand instead of salt for many of our secondary and residential roads, and I hear the sand and small pebbles plinking off the undercarriage of the car all of the time. I haven't really thought too much about the noise as it sounds pretty much the same as what I hear when I drive the Corolla owned by my mother-in-law. Could it be that you are just hearingthe extra stuff that New York has put down the clear the recent snow and ice?

RE: ummmmm heres an odd question......
 

hmmmmmmmmmmm i guess so i dont know
but i hear it everywhere that i go
i never heard those sounds with my corolla i just thought it was something to maybe be aware or have checked out

RE: ummmmm heres an odd question......
 

ive had this same thing. its just dirt and sand and salt bouncing around. where im from i hear it frequently *due to all the salt bahh*

RE: ummmmm heres an odd question......
 

The 3 does seem to be quite a bit noisier than most vehicles I've driven, in the whole dirt and rock aspect. I just thought it was from the lowered stance of it compared to what I'm used to.