Vehicle Troubleshooting Guide: What's That Noise?

With or without regular maintenance, there are problems that occur on vehicles simply due to regular wear and tear.  The good part?.... Some of these problems have warning signs.  Below is a list of some of the  most common problems we see on vehicles that tip you off with specific noises.

Grinding and/or Squeaking when coming to a stop

Get your brakes checked! When brake pads or shoes get worn all the way down, they begin to rub against the brake rotors or drums and create a grinding/squeaking noise your hear while coming to a stop.  This means it's time for a new set of brakes... fronts, rears or possibly both.  If you disregard this warning noise too long, you may end up on the road with no way to stop!

Whining when turning your steering wheel left of right

Get your power steering system checked!  If there is a leak within the power steering system and the fluid is low, or the power steering fluid is bad, this will cause the whining noise you hear when turning your steering wheel to the left or right. Avoiding this warning noise too long could wreck you vehicle's power steering rack or pump, and if it seizes up, you may be stuck on the side of the road.

Loud Hum that gets louder and faster as you increase speed (and vice versa)

Get your wheel bearings checked! Regular wear and tear will affect your vehicle's wheel bearings, slowly but surely.  The looser the bearing gets the more prevalent the loud hum will be... and if it's bad enough... your vehicle will sound like it's about to take off every time you accelerate.  Pushing this warning noise aside could allow the bearing to seize up your wheel and leave you on the side of the road.

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