5 Car Noises That Should Make Your Hair Stand on End!

Strange car noises are usually an indicator that something isn’t right with your car, so here are five car noises you ought not to overlook:

1) Engine Compartment Hisses like a Rattled Cobra During Driving or After Driving

When you hear a hissing sound from the engine compartment while driving or just after stopping the engine, it might mean your engine is overheating as well as leaking coolant from the cooling system. Check the temperature gauge or temperature warning light in the dashboard to check whether it shows an overheating condition. Do not continue driving (particularly if there is steam) because extreme overheating can ruin your engine.

Stop your vehicle and carefully open the bonnet. Search for any evidence of coolant leaking from the engine, radiator, or heater pipes. If you see steam or notice a sweet scent, it is radiator fluid leaking from the cooling system. Never try open the radiator or coolant reservoir cap until the engine has cooled off-people have ‘lost face’, and don’t add coolant until the engine has cooled; the instant cooling event may crack your radiator covers.

Note: Adding coolant to a leaking cooling system won’t fulfill much because obviously the coolant will still leak out. Including a can of cooling system sealer, reduce or stop a little leak; however a huge leak, leaking water pump or pipe will keep on leaking even with sealer in the system. The leaky part should be replaced.

2) Your Wheels Are Chirping Or Screeching Like a Thirsty Wheelbarrow When Driving

A cyclic chirping or squealing noise originating from the region of a wheel frequently demonstrates a wheel bearing or axle bearing that is failing. Normally the noise will change with the speed of the vehicle, and it might travel every which way at different speeds. This noise must not be ignored because if the bearing fails, it might make the wheel to lockup or come off your car!

Do not confuse wheel bearing noise with scraping, groaning or creaking noises that might originate from the brakes. During wet weather, dampness causes the brake pads to swell slightly. This may make the pads to drag somewhat, making irritating groaning or creaking noises until the pads warm up and dry out.

A clicking noise from a front wheel that is just heard while demonstrates an bad outer constant velocity (CV) joint that is reaching its end of life.

3) Your Brakes have a Metallic Grinding Noise, feels like Chewing Sand

Sometimes brakes make groaning or creaking noises when the pads are dirty, and some types of brake pads (especially semi-metallic pads) may squeal or squeak when they are cold. However, generally speaking, the brakes ought to be quiet when applied. In the event that you hear metallic scraping or pounding noises while braking, it most likely means your brake pads are worn and needs to be replaced. Do not postpone it because worn brakes will be unable to stop you vehicle in a safe distance. Truth be told, if the brakes are that severely worn, there is a hazard the friction material that is left on the pads may separate from the Backing Plate, potentially making the brakes to fail completely. Metal-to-metal contact is additionally very damaging to the disks. If the sound is accompanied by characteristic vibration every time you touch the brake pedal especially at high speed your disks maybe also worn out.

4) Your Engine has a Clicking or Tapping Noise

Engines can produce a great deal of noises, however a metallic tapping or clicking sound means your engine might be low on oil, or is not creating required oil pressure. The clicking noise is originating from the valve train. If oil pressure is low a direct result of a low oil level in the crankcase or an issue with the oil pump, the plug that open and close the valves may crumple making an expansion in valve lash. This is the noise you hear, and it will originate from the region of the valve covers on top of the engine.

Stop the engine, let it sit a couple of minutes (so the oil can keep running down into the crankcase), then check the oil level on the dipstick. If low, add oil as expected to until the level moves up to the full mark. Do not overfill the crankcase with oil. Also, check the engine for oil leaks. Old valve cover and pan gaskets, or leaky crankshaft end seals can allow oil to leak out of the engine.

If the noise does not diminish, and if the oil pressure gauge or warning light still indicates low oil pressure, it’s not a smart idea to continue driving. Loss of oil pressure can bring about broad and costly engine problems.

Other engine sounds can also be bad news. A profound metallic rapping noise can be brought on by worn connecting rod bearings, and may be an indication that your engine has gone to the dogs (or will soon).

If you hear a metallic knocking or clattering noise that only happens while accelerating or when driving up a steep slope or pulling a load, your engine is encountering detonation, a potentially destructive type of erratic combustion. Detonation can be brought about by a buildup of carbon in the combustion chambers, low octane fuel, engine overheating, an EGR system that is not working, overadvanced ignition timing, or a defective knock sensor.

5) Your Exhaust Roars like a Posho Mill When Driving

If your exhaust system has a leak, you will hear exhaust noise originating from under your vehicle that is loudest when accelerating. The noise alone won’t hurt anything, however it means your exhaust system needs repairs (likely replacement of muffler or pipes). The dangerously part is if the leaking exhaust gasses, which contain carbon monoxide, get inside the passenger compartment. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a silent killer. It takes just a little measure of carbon monoxide inside the passenger compartment to distort your sharpness, capacity to concentrate and respond to changing driving conditions. A meager 0.08 percent carbon monoxide (that is just 800 parts for each million) can bring about dizziness, headaches, nausea, and get you on a trance in two hours. A one percent concentration of carbon monoxide can kill a man in under three minutes!

You need to have your exhaust system reviewed and repaired as quickly as possible, particularly during cold weather when the windows are always rolled up and the AC might be recycling the air inside the passenger compartment. Exhaust parts that normally prone to leaks include the exhaust manifold gaskets, cracks in the exhaust manifold, exhaust pipe connections, pipes that rust through, and mufflers that rust out.