[sammk]

Ok..Question for the smart minds on here. I recently (last night/today) started hearing a dull clunking from the lower side of the car, seemed closer to the center of the car last night but seems more like the front end this morning. It almost seemed like something is moving around loosely and clunking and it's audible when only I go over bumps. I thought last night it might be a loose underbody panel but everything looked in place when it put it under ramps and crawled underneath. My only observations down below were:

1. One part of the panel seemed like it wasn't secured to the chassis very firmly because when I slapped on the portion roughly below the front passenger footwell, it didn't feel 'firm'.. But this seems by design since all the fasteners were in place and tight and that section of the panel has a fairly large span and it's secured around the perimeter..

2. I was surprised to see that there is an open section in the panel through which you can look up at the prop shaft flange. This is also closer to the passenger side, rear of the transmission. When I looked around, I didn't see open fastener holes or anything obviously wrong, and when I googled udnerbody pics, this seems like a normal thing. Can someone confirm that the prop shaft flange area is not covered and visible directly from below..?


I also checked for ice chunks or large pebbles that might have lodged in on the top side of the underbody panel or somewhere below the engine underhood but I don't see anything. Any suggestions on what might be loose or out of place and rattling/clunking in the lower regions of the car.. Closer to the front but could be as far back as the front footwell area.. It's not very perceptible as of now, but I know it when my car isn't sounding normal, and I'm pretty sure I hear something when I go over bumps.

Sorry for the long post, inputs welcome. Thank you!