Is Your Vehicle Making Noise? 7 Sounds to Never Ignore
If you want to get a quick heads-up whenever something is wrong with your car, you have to listen carefully to what it’s telling you. By driving quietly with your radio off for just a few minutes per day, you can quickly learn all its most common vehicle sounds. Then, when you notice a different sound start up, you know something is going on with your car. You can then get right on over to your trusted Klein or The Woodlands TX auto repair shop for a thorough inspection. Curious which sounds are truly bad news? Here’s seven you should never ignore.
Clanking Coins in a Clothes Dryer
If you hear a sound much akin to coins clanking around in a clothes dryer, you might be in trouble. This sound often occurs when a lug nut comes loose and falls between the rim and hubcap. So, carefully pull over to the right and check your lug nuts. If that’s not it, then get into the shop, so we can take a look.
Grinding and Growling from the Brakes
When your brake pads start to wear down, they make a high-pitched squealing noise to let you know they’ve reached the end of their service limit. If you hear grinding and growling instead, you’re way past the due date and need to get brake service done ASAP.
Clicking and Popping During Turns
A clicking and popping noise while turning is usually caused by a bad CV joint. As that part goes bad, you might also notice your car pulling to one side as you move down the road. Eventually, it will fail altogether, causing you to lose control of your vehicle.
Squeaking That Gets Faster While Accelerating
When your universal joint starts to go out, it creates a rhythmic squeaking noise that gets faster as you accelerate. This lets you know that one or both of the u-joints connected to the driveshaft are in need of prompt replacement.
Singing, Whining, and Howling Noises
Your wheel bearings will sing you less-than-pretty songs as they start to go bad. Let them go without repairs for any longer and that singing will turn into whining, and then howling. So, get into the shop before it drives you mad.
Clunking and Banging at the Front of the Car
When you start up your car and hear clunking and banging noises coming from under the hood, it’s never a good sign. Your connecting rods, pistons, or valves could be in dire straits, so it’s best to shut it back off and call for a tow to avoid catastrophic engine failure.
Squealing Coming from Under the Hood
Squealing sounds from under the hood are almost always loose or worn accessory belts. These belts run your air conditioning, power steering, and alternator, so you definitely don’t want them to break or fall off. Thankfully, the repair is simple, so get into the shop to have us fix it up fast.
Need Help with Not-So Common Vehicle Sounds? Call Repair One
If you have a vehicle making noise on your travels, it’s always wise to schedule a visit at Repair One in The Woodlands or Klein TX. Our technicians will perform a complete inspection and road test to track down the noise and find what’s causing it. After that, we can recommend and complete the right repairs to get you back on the road fast. Ready to schedule a visit? Just give us a call at 936-271-1110 to reach our The Woodlands TX team or 832-422-3994 for our Klein TX location.