How to find common car problems by sound and save money on auto repairs.
Troubleshooting car problems.
Does your car make some strange noise, but only on the first start-up?
Do you hear a sound coming from somewhere under the car or from the wheels when you drive along the road?
To a mechanic, these noises or sounds are signs of common car problems. They can expertly troubleshoot auto problems by recognising what those weird sounds mean. This knowledge is gleaned from hundreds of test drives in all types of cars they are repairing.
Here are a few that apply mostly to cars with a high mileage, but can happen to any car.
Some sounds will be louder on the passenger side, or come from the rear of the car.
Sound that come from the rear are usually brake noise or wheel bearings on front wheel drive cars, and differential whine can be added for rear wheel drive cars. You will notice the sound will be louder on one side.
Remember when looking for suspension noises the passenger side suspension works harder and gets more damage than the drivers side, due to it being on the side nearest the road edge where all the potholes and gutters are.
Alternator Belt tensioner
V belt driving alternator
A high pitched screaming sound when you rev the motor cold.
If this sound mostly goes away when you drive for a while, or when the engine is idling without accelerator being pressed. It changes with the engine revs.
-
Most likely.
A loose alternator drive belt.
This noise happens most often when an older car has been standing for a while and the battery is a bit flat, as the alternator is trying to draw a lot of electricity to fill the battery it will put a lot of load on the belt, and if loose, it will slip especially on first start up when the car is cold.
Don't worry you will know the sound. It is high pitched and loud! I think the word "screaming" is the best description.
If the belt is even a bit slack it will make this noise every time you rev the motor quickly when you start up cold in the morning. If it has one of those skinny V belt drive like the one in the photo it should be inspected for any signs of cracking on the inside, or any frayed appearance.
If one belt drives the alternator and everything else as well you can take the opportunity to check the bearing in the water pump, alternator or power steering pump.
- With the belt off, you can turn all the driven items by hand to ensure they spin freely and don't make any grinding noises.
- You can also grasp the pulley in your hand, wiggle it to see if there is any up and down movement at all. Check the water pump bearing, the alternator, the power steering pump all the same way.
If there is no up and down movement or noise it is likely that everything is OK, and even someone who is non mechanical can avoid serious problems by doing this check. That is proper preventative maintenance.
To repair yourself.
1. Loosen the alternator mounting bolts, move the alternator until it is fully loose, allowing you to remove the belt.
2. Examine the belt for cracks or fraying.
3. Examine the pulleys for excessive wear.
4. Replace/refit the belt to the alternator.
Adjustment the belt so that it is a little tight. This only takes around 10 minutes with a good set of tools. All bolts must be tightened to specs in your manual.
Serpentine belt.
Serpentine belt.
Serpentine belts.
A serpentine belt is often used to drive everything off the one belt. They usually have a spring loaded tensioner to keep the belt tight.
If a serpentine belt drives your alternator it is unlikely to make the screaming noise unless completely worn out and the tensioner no longer working due to extreme belt stretch.
This is a major problem, as if the belt breaks........ your car cannot be driven without any of the driven components working, as:
- The engine will overheat.
- the air-conditioning won't work.
- the battery will not charge.
If this belt breaks when you are driving, you will see a lot of warning lights!
Stop the car straight away to avoid damage.
If this belt is worn out, it is easy to replace if you use this trick.
- Take a digital photo or a set of photos showing the way the belt is running under and over the pulleys before you remove it.
- Loosen the tensioner to remove and replace the belt.
A grinding noise coming from the engine.
A worn out water pump bearing can be the culprit here.
It is a
constant rumbling sound that changes with engine revs. You will
usually see a few drops of radiator fluid leaking from the water pump
housing when the bearing goes, it usually takes the seal with it. Look
under the car in the morning for a few drops of coloured watery fluid,
usually bright green.
Check
the rest of the cooling system, it may be badly serviced. Seals often
go first when there are particles in the cooling fluid through missed
service intervals.
- a seized
alternator bearing. This is easy to spot, as is any noisy belt driven
bearing as you will hear where the sound is coming from. If it is
seized you will see it not turning the pulley that drives it. Usually a
change over service is available for all of the belt driven components
on your cars engine, or repair yourself if you know how.
A constant whining noise that changes with engine revs.
- A
disconnected vacuum line.
This can be a caused by a few things, some related to a sloppy or bad last service. Any vacuum line that has not been replaced carefully and routed correctly can fall off. Some mechanics take short cuts and don't bother to ensure the routing of these small hollow vacuum tubes which allows them to be partially closed or fall off their connection.
It makes a constant whistling noise at idle, and you need to check all those tiny rubber lines to see they are all connected. You will see a place to re-attach it close to where it ends. Often the air cleaner has to be removed to see where the rubber tube came from, but not too technical.
Power steering pump.
A worn out or empty (if leaking it probably is worn out) power steering pump.
A worn or empty pump makes a whining noise when you turn the steering, it may also make a constant noise from a damaged bearing which is a rumbling sound when the car is stationary and the steering wheel is not moved so the pump is not being used.
Other noises and sounds
- Troubleshooting car suspension problems from noises ...
An unusual noise or sound coming from your car when you are driving usually means one thing. Money! Before you rush off to the dealership or workshop mechanic to troubleshoot the problem, consider this. ...
Comments
I had my car scanned. Check Engine lite was on one place said Thermostat was bad ,took it 2 nd place engine says running cool ,2008 Ford focus called Ford they said it electrical so I have air conditioning and heating but gas mileage is not like. It used to be its still under warranty but a 100 deductible and and during holidays that hurts I'm on a budget any suggestions?
information very useful as to doing it yourself on noisy vehicle sound and it`s probable cause and simple fix. Thanks a lot.
thanx alot i just googled what i heard from my car .... and i now know exactly what to fix
Hello my 2002 ford focus is whistling- sounds like an old locomotive arriving at the polar express? Not sure what's causing this sound. I checked front brakes and just replaced rear brakes. Please help
My car makes a rollercoaster sound when accelerating, idolizing, and turning. 1997 jetta
Refering to the car with the clanging sound, it is a 1992 acura legend
My car makes a clanging soundin the back underneath when it hits 2nd. Can someone please tell me what it might be?
I also have another issued with my 2008 Ford Focus it is starting to Idle rough. When your stopped the whole car shakes and vibrates. It is quite annoying and stops as soon as you accelerate.
When my ac is on or when I am driving and I apply the breake pedal my voltmeter drops to 12-12.5v nd car idles low. Is this a vaccume problem or exhust problem or any other issue.
Thank you so much! I have been trying to figure out why my car is making the noise that it is in combination with the water loss and you have finally given me the answer! I had an inkling it was the water pump but didn't want to put a new one into my 92 corolla just to have it be something else entirely that could potentially kill my car. You are a lifesaver and now I can fix it and stop having to worry I'm going to break down on my way to work!
I have a 2001 acura cl 3.2 Just bought it so I guess I could be a little paranoid. There is a slight tumbling sound while idling. should i worry?
My dads car makes a whistle sound and then it begins to loose spead no matter how much he accelerates. Literrely turned into a turtle in the freeway. I thought we would become road kill lol. Im guessing I had a near death experience cuz of a brocken or missplaced vacum line tubby thing haha. Oh thankgod for google and you hub. Thnx for posting. Your amazing js :) yor like a car dr.
03 Honda civic , my car makes a shaking type of nose , it only stops when I push down on my clutch , dose anyone know what it could be ?
My car makes a high pitched Squealing noise when i start my car, i leave it idling for 10-15secs (squealing all the time), i switch off and switch back on straight away, and the squealing stops. This happens when i start my car in the morning or if my car has been standing for a cple of hours. It sounds like its coming from the radiator fan, (which was replaced a cple of months ago)
Hi
Yesterday afternoon my Toyota Corolla 2007 started giving a strange sound when starting it up. The sound it's like it says dri dri dri..... when the car goes the sound seem go away but when I stop in a robot or in a stop sign, I hear the sound again.
what could be the problem? Anyone with help. Please, I just need to know if I have to worry about this or not.
Wonderful advice. Thank you so much.
This is great! I have been trying to figure out what the noise is in my car..it sounds like something is winding up when accelerating and winding down when decelerating..do you think it is a disconnected vacuum line? It does not make a difference what direction the steering wheel is in. Thanks!
Sorry just to add to the last post, Its power steering
Hi all, my 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander's steering makes a sort of whistling sound but only when the steering is straight. when the wheel is turned it stops...what could this be?
Thanx
Sounds dup dup on my alto steering when passing tru rough road?
As an LTI graduate this is by far the best thing for anyone trying to figure out an issue with a car in which has a noise. +1
ok thanks m8
hi my 206 is making a funny noise when clutch is up and louder when down"
Yes, thank you Earnest.
This is a very informative Hub and gives more answers than any other trouble shooting website. I am voting it up and making it AWESOME
Great article.
My brother used to work on cars and taught me a lot before he died. If I have any car problems, I'll refer back to this hub.
great hub !
Great advice. I'll show this hub to my bf. Although he's a typical guy who knows almost everything about sports, he's an idiot (a lovable one, though) when it comes to cars! LOL
Vety useful and practical hub. It's so easy to feel disempowered because we don't have a clue what's wrong with cars but the mechanic does. I had my clutch changed recently and when my motor was returned the clutch was fine but the engine had started making a popping sound when the car started - it's still happening especially in now even first gear!
Great explanations about weird sounds coming from cars. Thanks so much!
Great advice. Sometimes a vacuum line falls off or gets knocked off during an oil change or some other repair procedure.
Another good tip: If the check engine light comes on, many auto parts stores will read out the code for you (for free!) because they want to sell you the replacement parts. Even if you don't plan to fix it yourself, it's good info to have before taking the vehicle to a garage.
This is great and timely. My son'car looses water and has to fill up all the time. I will show him that. Thank you.
Teaching our kids these sort of basics would be valuable skills of a lifetime. Great article! :)
earnestshub, I am glad you mentioned using the correct tools. I have seen many a skinned knuckles caused by using a 'shifter'.
You are offering great tips here and if 'fan belts' were kept tensioned correctly it would save them being replaced so often
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