My Car Is Making Unusual Noises

It is hard to imagine a more unnerving experience than to hear your car making an unusual noise. A high-pitched squeal or a grinding grumble can easily cause your heart to skip a beat. Having a regular service by a motor mechanic is one thing you can do to prevent problems but sometimes issues arise that can create instant worry.

It seems that any noise is always amplified when you are sitting in the driver’s seat. You may have had the experience of being involved in a motor vehicle accident where even a minor brush with another vehicle can cause a noise well out of proportion to the incident itself. It’s the same when you hear something else coming out from under your bonnet or the rear of your vehicle, it is unnerving and worrying.

Drivers with a lot of experience can often diagnose the issue immediately but for those of us who are either less experienced or less mechanically aware, it’s great to have a checklist you can use to allay your fears or alert you to the need for more urgent action.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the more unusual noises you may experience and what you can do about it.

• A squealing noise when you use the brakes could be nothing more than dirt on the rotors or pads. This could mean that the pads are worn or that the brake calipers have been mounted incorrectly or have come loose. In any case this will necessitate a visit to a mechanic so that the problem can be fixed or the brakes replaced if necessary.
• If you hear a clunking noise when applying the brakes it could mean that the hardware has been damaged and your brakes need to be attended to urgently. Alternatively some components of your steering system could also be worn and you will need to attend to this urgently.
• If the transmission emits a grinding noise when shifting gears, it is possible that your clutch needs to be adjusted or that you have some internal damage to the transmission. This will require urgent attention and you should phone an auto mechanic as soon as possible.
• If you notice a clicking noise when your engine is idling you may need to have your valves adjusted or you could be low on oil. Either way you will need to make an urgent appointment with your auto mechanic to have this situation remedied as soon as possible.
• A popping noise from the exhaust means that the fuel injectors could be leaking or there could be a hole in your exhaust.
• If you hear a whirring noise coming from your engine that gets louder as you go faster you could be low on power steering fluid all the alternator bearings could be bad. Don’t drive any further, call your auto mechanic and arrange for repairs to be effected as soon as possible.

This is not an exhaustive list by any means but will give you an idea of the different sounds you may hear and what you can do about it. As is always the case, a auto mechanic is the best person to consult.