Unwanted sounds in the car: what can knock and whistle under the hood

Any car emits dozens of various sounds. Many of them are pleasing to the ear - for example, the sound of a running engine, while others make you think about a trip to a car service. But along with typical sounds, which for the most part do not indicate malfunctions, car owners often hear dangerous knocks, which in no case should be ignored.

What sounds in the car should alarm the driver

The appearance of sounds that did not exist before suggests that some changes have occurred in the car, most often of an irreversible nature. And if in one case it will talk about an imminent repair, then in the other it can talk about the life of the driver and passengers.

Do not ignore extraneous sounds in the car - it could cost you your life!

What sounds should alert the driver:

Metal grinding noise when pressing the brake pedal. The reason for the grinding noise is the worn out frictional coating of the brake pads. Do you want to keep the discs and braking performance of your car without expensive repairs? Replace worn-out parts urgently with new pairs. That is, if you have worn out pads on the left side, then on the right they must be replaced;

Rhythmic knocks when driving with an inverted steering wheel. It is uniquely suitable for its logical completion of the operation of the "grenade" or SHRUS. All that the driver has to do in this case is to find a suitable part by marking and replace it with a new one in a reliable car service. The main danger of a faulty "grenade" is the risk of being left in the middle of the road in a car that can no longer go forward or backward. Now imagine that such a situation happened on the track;

Loud dull thud when hitting even a slight bump. The shock absorber or thrust bearing rattles. The part must be replaced in the near future, otherwise the camber of the suspension will be disrupted, and this threatens with much greater consequences - up to the removal of the car into the oncoming lane. The destruction of the support bearing threatens to break through the body by the shock absorber strut, and this is a complete loss of control of the car and very expensive repairs;

Crunch from under the hood. A newly installed timing belt may crackle for a while. The problem is solved with silicone grease. Just spray on the inside of the belt while the engine is running, after removing the protective cover. If the problem persists, it may lie in the engine cooling pump. But here it is already serious, and it is impossible to hesitate with the replacement, because the jamming of the pump mechanism is one of the reasons for the timing belt breakage, the consequences of which are terrible;

Howling, increasing with speed. Sometimes the hum caused by a defective wheel bearing is compared to the takeoff of a jet plane. Over time, the sound can become so loud that it becomes uncomfortable in the car. The main danger here is the destruction of the bearing and the throwing of the car to the side;

Loud roar of the engine. Probably everyone in childhood wanted to have a sports muscle car. But hearing the sound of a Subaru starting on your budget car, you are unlikely to be delighted - after all, you have a depressurization of the muffler. Perhaps the reason for this was mechanical damage, or it is the consequences of metal corrosion. In any case, it is necessary to urgently visit a car service to fix the problem, at least for the sake of public peace.

By the way, a growling sound may appear due to a hole in the intake manifold. Then the situation will threaten with overhaul of the engine, because air will enter the cylinder block directly bypassing the filter. How soon will the cylinder walls be erased, like sandpaper, particles of dirt and dust?

Sources of sounds that you can correct yourself

Some car malfunctions, the consequences of which have become alarming sounds, can be eliminated by yourself with a set of keys. So the rhythmic knocks that give off to the steering wheel and intensify when driving on an uneven road clearly indicate that the bolts on one of the discs have unscrewed themselves or with the help of third parties. The bolts need to be tightened to the required force. If some of the bolts or nuts are missing, move slowly towards the nearest auto parts store or service station, or call a tow truck.

In any case, if an extraneous sound appears, you should get out of the car and inspect it, but it is not recommended to continue driving without inspection.

The whistle that appears immediately after starting the engine may indicate the alternator belt, or rather, its weakening, which causes wear of the internal rivulets of the part or the tensioner rollers. Examine the belt carefully, externally and internally. Check for cracks - if there are, it is best to replace the belt with a new one.

If its condition is not yet a cause for concern, pull it up - the sound should disappear. The sound repeated after some time indicates that the wear has entered an irreversible phase, and both the belt itself and the adjacent parts need to be changed.

A metallic clang underneath the vehicle can scare an inexperienced motorist. Experienced drivers will immediately determine the cause of the sound - it is the unscrewed mountings of the crankcase protection or a rotten weld. Welding or a wrench for 24 will help.

By the way, a muffler that has flown off the mount can also knock. Only the sound in this case will be dull, and it will be heard from the back of the car. The danger of this phenomenon is that the muffler may not withstand the load and fall apart, especially if its rusty business has already begun to corrode.

Another popular cause of knocks coming from under the bottom is the thermal protection, some of the bolts of which loosened and fell to the ground. You can solve the problem on the pit by simple twisting of the bolts.

Let's go back to the sounds from under the hood again. You try to start the engine, but in response you hear an unpleasant warble of clicks, while the car will not start and is unlikely to go anywhere. The problem is trivial and simple - your battery is dead. The solution is charging after filling with electrolyte, if required, or replacing the battery with a new one.

A knock from under the hood may be caused by a loose battery mount. This leads to the fact that the battery begins to jump on bumps and can literally burst from loads not intended for it.

Any extraneous sounds coming directly from the engine or gearbox indicate severe wear of the parts of the power units. Particularly dangerous are the metallic clanking, pounding or howling sounds produced by an automatic transmission. In new cars, its cost can reach three quarters of the price of a car, so it is better not to bring matters to a complete replacement of the unit, but to confine ourselves to simply expensive automatic transmission repairs.

In general, in an old car, knocking, creaking or singing to any motive can be anything - from buttons on the side panel to the interior trim. Sound insulation can be one of the ways to eliminate extraneous sounds.

Unpleasant sounds and malfunctions can also cause bad car spare parts purchased at "auto dismantling".