Strange clanking in my 2010 Mazda5

[Piermont]

Hi everyboby, I have followed this forum for a couple of months (since shortly after I bought my 5 on 12 Feb. 2010) and find it very informative and full of great advise.
I wonder if anybody could please help me with the following problem: The 5 that I bought at Garden City Mazda in Hempstead, N.Y. was a car that they had in stock. It was exactly the color and the trim (Liquid Silver, Sport AT) I was looking for. The first time I drove it was when I was taking it home and it was then, as I was driving out of the dealer's parking lot, that I first heard a clank. This noise only happens when the car has been off and in parking and at around 12mph speed. It sometimes is more audible than others. Two weeks later I took the car to the dealer and they said that there was nothing wrong and that it is a normal noise coming from the EBS module (I don't know what that means) and that all 2010 Mazda5's do it. The thing is that it doesn't sound normal. I am afraid that it may be something transmission related. I'm sure whenever I decide to sell the car the potential buyer is going to ask me about it. I suspet that even the dealer is going to ask me about it if and when I trade it in
By the way, I love this car. Before it I had a 1989 Honda Civic DX that I bought brand new and lasted me 245,000 miles (always used Mobil1)
Thanks.

 

[Robotazky]

You're going to have to give a lot more detail than this. Can you guess a location where it's coming from? Is it when you hit bumps? When you hit the brakes? When you give it gas? Only when it's been in park? More details please.

 

[Piermont]

You're going to have to give a lot more detail than this. Can you guess a location where it's coming from? Is it when you hit bumps? When you hit the brakes? When you give it gas? Only when it's been in park? More details please.

Thanks for responding. The clank happens only when it's been in Park and off. It seems to come from the front but in the area closer to my feet (although it's hard to really tell). It happens as I'm accelerating and at around 12mph. Sometimes it seems to happen as it up-shifts but sometimes that is not the case. It never happens when I hit the brakes. Never when I hit bumps.

 

[Robotazky]

Sounds to me like it's in the tranny or the axles. Let me think more about that.

 

[flcruising]

So it happens when accelerating from a stop only after the car has been parked and turned off? Does it happen again at any other time during that same drive, or do you have to park and turn it off for it to reoccur?

 

[Piermont]

So it happens when accelerating from a stop only after the car has been parked and turned off? Does it happen again at any other time during that same drive, or do you have to park and turn it off for it to reoccur?

It seems to only happen when the car has been turned off and in Parking. Or at least it's in that instance that the noise is audible. As I said earlier, it sometimes is more audible than others. It also seems that if I accelerate harder the noise is louder (I haven't really tried doing this much for fear of causing and accident). Yes, for it to reoccur I have to park and turn it off.
Thanks for your time.

 

[Robotazky]

How long does it have to sit in park turned off? Over night? minutes? It could even be the stupid swaybar bushing un-sticking when you get rolling and bouncing a little. It could be a very minor thing. Keep trying to provide more info. I know it's annoying, but car noises aren't rocket science. It can only be so may things.

 

[Piermont]

How long does it have to sit in park turned off? Over night? minutes? It could even be the stupid swaybar bushing un-sticking when you get rolling and bouncing a little. It could be a very minor thing. Keep trying to provide more info. I know it's annoying, but car noises aren't rocket science. It can only be so may things.

It does it everytime, whether it's been off and in parking for a minute, 1 hour or overnite.

 

[flcruising]

As you can tell, words can rarely describe sounds. I think you're best off taking to a different dealership for first-hand diagnosis.

 

[Robotazky]

I'm going with motor mounts or a loose suspension component. I've had a spring not seated before that had that kind of behavior.

 

[AndyLH88]

Our 2010 Mazda 5 also has this clanking. It also only occurs after turning on the car and moving it in drive. It seems to make the noise after you drive either above a certain speed (seems like around 10km/h), and once it occurs, it doesn't clank anymore until the next time you start the car and drive it again. I first was worried but it has been 4 months since we got it, and so far it hasn't escalated into anything larger. I think it's just some component kicking in and turning on.

 

[wmzda5]

ITS NORMAL

Mine does this since day 1 and Im not worried, it is on the front driver side in the location of the stock intake air box, something to do with the variable length intake (I'm not sure the exact term) we have which automatically adjusts the length of the stock intake by closing opening a valve (this is what you are hearing). That makes the car feels more HP when cold than when warm. Also a lot of 5/3 owners with CAI/SRI will attest they do not hear this because they already taken out the stock intake.

 

[Piermont]

Thanks to everybody for the information. It's a relief to know that "apparently" the clank is normal --albeit strange. I'm sure that whenever I decide to sell it, the clanking is going to be an issue.(uhm)

 

[Piermont]

a funny thing happened...

I took the car to a trusty mechanic to see where the clanking comes from. We lifted the front wheels and the first thing he saw was a bad transmission mount (he also said that the motor mounts are weak). I turned the car on and put it in drive and accelerated past 10-12 mph, which is the speed when I hear the clank, and there wasn't any clank. I repeated the experiment and, again, there wasn't a clank. (wow) My friend is convinced that the bad transmission mount is causing it. I have made an appointment with the dealer to have the mounts checked. Let's see what happens afterwards.

 

[OldDave]

Any chance you are hearing the ABS brake self-test?

 

[southpawboston]

MY 2010 makes this clicking noise as well, only after being at rest for at least a few minutes. I can't tell if it's a relay clicking sound or something like the axle shaft. It's done it since the day one.

 

[mikewbb]

Not sure if you solved this yet. I also have a 2010 Mazda5 and the anti lock brake system does a self test just once every time you start and reach 12 MPH. The test makes a brief metallic clank sound in the engine compartment. This is normal. My old 98 Volvo did the exact same thing.

 

[Sounbwoy]

It probably depends on the year. My 2010 does it. http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123789678-Clicking-noise-after-moving-from-rest
I've stopped worrying about it.

 

[thaxman]

Do the '10 5ATs lock the torque converter in 1st?

 

[wmzda5]

I think if its a bad trans mount, you will hear it not once but maybe every time the car shifts. On mine I hear it just when I start pulling out of the garage. The clank that I am having sounds more like a plastic door lid being closed. In your case maybe its the sway bar bushings needed lubrication? I remember before mine was lubed it groans but only when i start the car cold, when i start to drive it disappears.