If you’ve owned an older car, then you’re
probably familiar with the increasing noises it makes as it ages. Just like
humans, the creaks and groans get louder and more frequent!
While there are some noises from your car that
may well just be down to age and you can put up with, there are some that are
dangerous to ignore. So let’s hear what
your vehicle might be up to.
Click. Snap. Pop. when you turn the steering
wheel or Creak. Squeak. Thud. when you come to a stop. You
could have a problem with your ball joints.
Ball joints are the pivots that let your
front wheels steer. They support the weight of the car and keep the front
wheels attached.
If they fail then your wheels may fall off,
as seen in the picture below!
Moan. Whine. Squeeeeal. from the steering
column could come from your power steering system. Unhindered steering is vital
for driving your vehicle safely, so it’s best to get the noise investigated as
soon as possible. Often the noise is only heard when you turn the wheel as far
as you can in one direction and this could mean that the power steering drive
belt is loose or damaged. Other problems come from air in the fluid system or
not enough steering fluid.
Grind. Howl. from the wheels, especially on a
corner, could mean that your wheel bearings or axle bearings are wearing
out. Bearings fail when they run out of
grease or get dirt stuck in them. The increased friction burns up the bearing,
which could bring you to a sudden stop at any speed. Or if your rear wheel
bearing completely fails you may lose your back wheel, with axle attached.
Squeeeeeak. from brakes often tops the list of
dangerous car problems. If you hear or feel anything unusual then you should
have them checked, but some symptoms are more urgent than others. If your
brakes start making loud metal-on-metal noises seek attention straight away.
Ignoring them means you could destroy your brake rotors and brakes could fail
completely. The picture below shows how the new brake pad should look versus
the old.
There are many
more noises that could be described here, but our advice would be that any
noise from your car isn’t ideal. So have it checked out as soon as you
can. In the meantime let’s all dream
about a silent, gliding car on a flat empty road. Aaaaaaaahhh!
