Cars have quickly become more than just a luxury, but rather, a necessity. We spend more time with our cars than practically anything else we own. If you use your car as much as the rest of the human population, it is with no surprise that your car would one day show signs of wear. But do you know what car noises indicate some serious problems?
Here are some tell-tale signs of car problems from the most common car noises:
Wheels chirping or squealing
Is the vicinity of the wheel of your car makes a cyclic chirping or squealing? You might even notice the car noise while shifting and increasing depending on the speed you are going. At any case, this could indicate a problem in your wheel bearing or axel bearing. Both are serious problems that you should attend to as soon as possible. Here’s why. Leaving it unattended or unchecked could pose some serious safety hazards to you and everyone who rides your vehicle. Once the wheel or axel bearing fails completely, it could cause your wheel to lock up or come loose from your car. Whichever it may be, I bet you would agree with me that that could turn into a dangerous, or even fatal scene.
Noise of Metal scraping or grinding when breaking
Brakes may sometime make weird noises especially when it is cold as they could be a bit damped. So at times it could be normal for your break to squeal or squeak. However, the general rule is that, brakes are supposed to be real quiet when you step on it. If you hear the sound of what you could perceive as scraping or grinding of metal, have your car checked right away. Brakes are very important to your safety, and its system failing may be a serious problem to your safety and everyone else on the road. A car noise of this type could mean your brake pads are worn out and may need immediate replacing.
Hissing sound from engine
A hissing sound while you are driving or after you’ve driven your car, this could mean two things. One, your engine is overheating. Or, two, coolant from the cooling system is leaking. Check your car and take note of your temperature gauge or temperature indicator. Is it showing a sign that the engine is overheated? If you see steam or any indicator that your engine has overheated, do not continue driving. Wait for the steam to settle (if any) before popping the hood to see the damage. If it is the coolant that’s leaking, adding more to it would most likely not solve the problem. Best thing to do is bring it to the closest repair shop or call a mechanic to have it checked. Chances are, there are hoses that are damaged and needs replacement.
Engine clicking or tapping
It’s normal to hear some car noises every once in a while. But if this becomes a constant part of your everyday ride, especially in your engine, then it could mean some serious problems. A clicking or tapping sound in your engine may be an indicator that your car is low on oil. Your car will normally alert you of this from the inside with a low oil indicator. However, should the indicator fail to show on your dashboard, stop for a minute and let your car rest. After time has passed, pop the hood and check your oil level, if it is low, add enough oil to make it full once more. Then, observe to see if there’s oil leaking or dripping out of the engine. It is not advisable to keep driving your car when your oil is low as it can cause some serious damage to your engine and kill you off repair prices.
Roaring exhaust while driving
Do you hear a roar on you exhaust when you drive your car? Does the sound get stronger the more you accelerate? The noise alone won’t hurt anyone, but this actually means that your exhaust system needs repair. Worse, a replacement. The dangerous part of exhaust leaks is when it leaks gasses such as Carbon Monoxide. Know that it only takes a little (CO) inhalation for you and anyone inside the car to feel dizzy, nauseous and unable to function. This can lead to more serious health effects and safety issues as well.
The best way to prevent such things from happening is to have your car checked regularly. And by regularly, I mean, regardless of whether you hear some car noises. Remember that nothing beats constant care and prevention.
