noob with a question.

[psycho_drama]

hey guys and gals, a noob here and i am hoping somebody can help me out.

my 2004 m3 started making a "clunking" noise from the rear-passenger wheel. it comes and goes and it seems to happen while going over bumps. the noise is not loud, but loud enough to be annoying.

i called the local dealer and they want the car for 3 hours to "check it out". with my busy schedule i really don't want to do that if i can avoid it. i will probably take it elsewhere.

any ideas? is this common? :confused:

other than this headache, i love my ride!

thanks!

[whosyourmike]

Things to check... 1.check for play in the sway bar end link. Super common on Mazda's. 2. M3 rear shocks-I have found them seized and causing the vehicle to actually fishtail over bumps, I have also found them to be noisey as well. 3. Check to make sure the coil spring is not broken anywhere, be sure to run your finger along the spring near the bottom where they sit in the perch in the lower control arm. Its hard to see in there and the spring is encased in plastic so it may not be very visible. 4. shock mounts- not sure if they are the style that are similar to a strut mount plate, but the rubber bushings in that type of mount sometimes splits and causes the shock rod to break free from the plate, also casing knocking noises. You would usually have to remove the shock/strut in order to see this problem. 5. and.... obviously make sure there are no loose objects rolling around in the trunk and that the jack and spare tire are firmly bolted down. Hope this could be of some help.

whosyourmike