What's wrong with my car?

Undertoad · 05-14-2015, 07:36 PM

Inspired by Carr's thread "What's wrong with my lawnmower", and by all y'all.

What I have is a noise. This noise is around and about the right front. It matches the speed of the tire. At highway speeds it is fast enough to be a buzz. It doesn't get louder or software at speeds, it remains the same volume. And it's a light volume, unless I'm driving next to a building where it reflects back at me. It's an almost ignorable volume.

It is not a "click" noise. In my history I have had several things embed in my sticky tires; nails, screws, someone's bent key... these all make a click every time the tire goes round. This sounds more like I'm running over something soft.

But the noise is not there all the time. Hard to say when it's happening and not happening. Today, I think I noticed that it started after a swift right turn, and seemed to stop after a left, but it's so intermittent that it's hard to make a reliable guess out of it.

I tried to rule out wheel bearings by jacking the car up and trying to wobble the wheel across its vertical axis. There's a Youtube that shows how to do this. The wheel felt solid.

I thought it was happening when the tires got warmed up, so I took it to a tire place. The owner of the place drove it around for five minutes and of course, the noise never happened. The noise was happening on the way in, stopped happening while he drove it, and started up again ten minutes after driving out of the place!

But the dude said the tires should be warmed up enough to show it and otherwise, they felt completely smooth and fine to him. It's true, I don't believe this noise ever becomes something I feel, when I'm driving down the road.

So now I'm angry, confused, and humiliated, except that I'm not angry. And I know I should do what any sane, rational person would do, which is to turn the stereo up and ignore the problem until it becomes something that makes a much louder noise and/or vibrations, making it easy to diagnose and list a price for.

xoxoxoBruce · 05-14-2015, 08:00 PM

Quote:

It doesn't get louder or software at speeds

Nerd.

The rocking the tire works with the normal forever inner/outer wheel bearings with a big ass washer and spindle nut. But there is a second design with a bolt on hub containing sealed bearings and sometimes the antilock reluctor and pickup. I'm not sure that method would be valid with that design.

sexobon · 05-14-2015, 10:14 PM

Have you got bubblegum stuck to your tire?

Seriously though, while it's probably rooted in the car's mechanics, minor sounds that come and go and quicken when the vehicle speeds up can be connected to airflow around and through the vehicle. For example:

My car has two air filters, one for the engine and one for the cabin air circulation system which can bring in fresh air from the outside. I had an intermittent sound that went from being a flapping to a buzz with increasing vehicle speed. It too was coming from the right front. After checking the wheel well and engine compartment for anything loose, I went inside to check the vent system. The disposable air intake filter, concealed in the dash behind and beneath the glove compartment (removable for access), had a leaf stuck in it. I took the car for a spin and the leaf vibrated like a reed. Changed the air filter, problem solved. [/True story, no shit, believe it or not]

John Adams · 05-15-2015, 11:50 AM

It's your brakes. The pad is occasionally rubbing against the rotor, it will come and go and be a low hum or slight metal on metal rubbing, the sound will go away when you drive faster or when you turn the wheel away from the side generating the noise.

Gravdigr · 05-15-2015, 12:15 PM

You can confirm, or negate, what John Adams said the next time you hear the sound by applying light pressure on the brake. With a little pressure, the sound should at least change, if not stop. I would see if I had a brake caliper that was not sliding like it should.

If the sound doesn't change or stop with a tap on the brake pedal, it's probably something else.

If it's front wheel drive, might be a warning sign of impending axle bearing trouble.

Undertoad · 05-15-2015, 12:48 PM

Application of brakes has no effect on the noise.

Gravdigr · 05-15-2015, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Today, I think I noticed that it started after a swift right turn, and seemed to stop after a left, but it's so intermittent that it's hard to make a reliable guess out of it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Application of brakes has no effect on the noise.

Now I'm leaning more toward axle bearings.

A dying axle bearing will make an unmistakeable cluck-cluck-cluck-cluck-cluck sound from the offending wheel during the turn, and will (unless it's about to fall out) clear up after the turn (straightening the steering wheel).

ETA: Does it sound kinda like this?

Undertoad · 05-15-2015, 01:48 PM

Kinda, but less volume and maybe a little less clicky. I've had CV joints go before and got the click on turns. This happens while going forward.

I might pull the whole wheel and just look for stuff?

Gravdigr · 05-15-2015, 02:19 PM

Never hurts to put the old eyeball on things.

Could be a physical interference situation. A stick stuck in the frame or some such...

Quote:

Well, here's your prollum, right here, sir.

Undertoad · 07-23-2015, 04:55 PM

Update, this has continued all this time and made me paranoid. The B-grade mechanics place thought it might be the axle and gave me a fabulous price on replacing it, so I did that, and the noise seemed to be less after that, but still present.

I'm just turning up the stereo. If the axle isn't going to die then it must be something less important.

lumberjim · 07-23-2015, 05:02 PM

This is the Forester now?

I occasionally get a light scraping noise from my left front tire. It's the dust shield scraping against the wheel hub. It's a thin ?aluminum? layer that just needs to be pried back a bit with a screwdriver. could it be that on yours?

xoxoxoBruce · 07-23-2015, 06:48 PM

Have you tried swapping the front wheels to see if the noise changes sides?
If it doesn't it would eliminate the tire/wheel/hubcap.

Undertoad · 07-23-2015, 06:53 PM

The Forester. I'm not ruling anything out, anymore. It's intermittent. It comes and goes, the noise. I haven't swapped stuff, only because I only have the scissor jack. I think my tire place does rotations for free...

lumberjim · 07-23-2015, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Undertoad

The Forester. I'm not ruling anything out, anymore. It's intermittent. It comes and goes, the noise. I haven't swapped stuff, only because I only have the scissor jack. I think my tire place does rotations for free...

I've got a floor jack and 2 jack stands if you're wanting to try it someday

Undertoad · 07-23-2015, 09:57 PM

Appreciate it sir

That is possible but J's kid, yeah same one, wrenches at the Tires + and will do it right quick one Saturday. That's where the axle came in, although she asked me to have someone else do it - I still got the friends and family discount, which is very meaningful there.

05-14-2015, 07:36 PM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	What's wrong with my car? Inspired by Carr's thread "What's wrong with my lawnmower", and by all y'all. What I have is a noise. This noise is around and about the right front. It matches the speed of the tire. At highway speeds it is fast enough to be a buzz. It doesn't get louder or software at speeds, it remains the same volume. And it's a light volume, unless I'm driving next to a building where it reflects back at me. It's an almost ignorable volume. It is not a "click" noise. In my history I have had several things embed in my sticky tires; nails, screws, someone's bent key... these all make a click every time the tire goes round. This sounds more like I'm running over something soft. But the noise is not there all the time. Hard to say when it's happening and not happening. Today, I think I noticed that it started after a swift right turn, and seemed to stop after a left, but it's so intermittent that it's hard to make a reliable guess out of it. I tried to rule out wheel bearings by jacking the car up and trying to wobble the wheel across its vertical axis. There's a Youtube that shows how to do this. The wheel felt solid. I thought it was happening when the tires got warmed up, so I took it to a tire place. The owner of the place drove it around for five minutes and of course, the noise never happened. The noise was happening on the way in, stopped happening while he drove it, and started up again ten minutes after driving out of the place! But the dude said the tires should be warmed up enough to show it and otherwise, they felt completely smooth and fine to him. It's true, I don't believe this noise ever becomes something I feel, when I'm driving down the road. So now I'm angry, confused, and humiliated, except that I'm not angry. And I know I should do what any sane, rational person would do, which is to turn the stereo up and ignore the problem until it becomes something that makes a much louder noise and/or vibrations, making it easy to diagnose and list a price for.

05-15-2015, 12:15 PM	#5
Gravdigr The Un-Tuckian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: South Central...KY that is Posts: 39,517	You can confirm, or negate, what John Adams said the next time you hear the sound by applying light pressure on the brake. With a little pressure, the sound should at least change, if not stop. I would see if I had a brake caliper that was not sliding like it should. If the sound doesn't change or stop with a tap on the brake pedal, it's probably something else. If it's front wheel drive, might be a warning sign of impending axle bearing trouble. __________________ These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, EPA, FBI, DEA, CDC, or FDIC. These statements are not intended to diagnose, cause, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you feel you have been harmed/offended by, or, disagree with any of the above statements or images, please feel free to fuck right off.

07-23-2015, 05:02 PM	#11
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	This is the Forester now? I occasionally get a light scraping noise from my left front tire. It's the dust shield scraping against the wheel hub. It's a thin ?aluminum? layer that just needs to be pried back a bit with a screwdriver. could it be that on yours? __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

07-23-2015, 06:48 PM	#12
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Have you tried swapping the front wheels to see if the noise changes sides? If it doesn't it would eliminate the tire/wheel/hubcap. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

05-14-2015, 10:14 PM	#3
sexobon I love it when a plan comes together. Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 9,793	Have you got bubblegum stuck to your tire? Seriously though, while it's probably rooted in the car's mechanics, minor sounds that come and go and quicken when the vehicle speeds up can be connected to airflow around and through the vehicle. For example: My car has two air filters, one for the engine and one for the cabin air circulation system which can bring in fresh air from the outside. I had an intermittent sound that went from being a flapping to a buzz with increasing vehicle speed. It too was coming from the right front. After checking the wheel well and engine compartment for anything loose, I went inside to check the vent system. The disposable air intake filter, concealed in the dash behind and beneath the glove compartment (removable for access), had a leaf stuck in it. I took the car for a spin and the leaf vibrated like a reed. Changed the air filter, problem solved. [/True story, no shit, believe it or not]

05-15-2015, 11:50 AM	#4
John Adams Founder of Freedom Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 58	It's your brakes. The pad is occasionally rubbing against the rotor, it will come and go and be a low hum or slight metal on metal rubbing, the sound will go away when you drive faster or when you turn the wheel away from the side generating the noise.

05-15-2015, 12:48 PM	#6
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Application of brakes has no effect on the noise.

05-15-2015, 01:48 PM	#8
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Kinda, but less volume and maybe a little less clicky. I've had CV joints go before and got the click on turns. This happens while going forward. I might pull the whole wheel and just look for stuff?

07-23-2015, 04:55 PM	#10
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Update, this has continued all this time and made me paranoid. The B-grade mechanics place thought it might be the axle and gave me a fabulous price on replacing it, so I did that, and the noise seemed to be less after that, but still present. I'm just turning up the stereo. If the axle isn't going to die then it must be something less important.

07-23-2015, 06:53 PM	#13
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	The Forester. I'm not ruling anything out, anymore. It's intermittent. It comes and goes, the noise. I haven't swapped stuff, only because I only have the scissor jack. I think my tire place does rotations for free...

07-23-2015, 09:57 PM	#15
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Appreciate it sir That is possible but J's kid, yeah same one, wrenches at the Tires + and will do it right quick one Saturday. That's where the axle came in, although she asked me to have someone else do it - I still got the friends and family discount, which is very meaningful there.

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