You’ve seen the ads on TV. The customer comes into the auto repair shop and makes 
noises so that the person at the desk can diagnose the problem. Fortunately for the people in the commercial, the diagnosis is always a minor problem. However, you should pay attention to noises.
Tire Noise
One of the most common unusual noises you might encounter is tire noise. In fact, tires can make a variety of abnormal noises, each one potentially letting you know of a different probable issue. It’s important to be able to understand not just that your tires are making some kind of strange noise, but what that noise is and what it might mean for your car’s health.
Squealing Noise
Almost everyone has encountered this one – Your tires squealing when you turn the steering wheel. As long as you’re not pulling tight turns at great speeds (not a great idea in general), your tires shouldn’t be squealing.
The most likely culprit for squealing tires is one or more underinflated tire. If you’re hearing squealing, that probably means you need to add some air to your tires. Over time, underinflated tires can cause a variety of problems for your tires, suspension and other parts of your car, so it’s wise to address underinflated tires as soon as possible.
Humming Noise
Another fairly common issue you might run into are tires that increasingly seem to hum as you drive. Keep in mind that tires will make some noise naturally on most road surfaces, and this is perfectly fine. But when that humming increases to a certain level, its an indication of a problem.
In this case, the number one reason for abnormal tire humming tends to be tires with uneven tread wear. Tires can wear unevenly for a number of reasons – a problem with the suspension, faulty wheel bearings, and/or several other causes can result in tires with uneven wear patterns.
To prevent uneven tire wear, you should regularly get your wheels rotated and have a wheel alignment performed routinely. This will balance out the natural discrepancies in wear over time. Getting your wheel bearings and suspension inspected if you suspect your tires are wearing unevenly is also a good move.
Brake Noise
Another very common class of abnormal car noises are noises that occur when you’re braking. The process of braking the car is one of the most stressful in terms of wear and tear on your car, as bringing all that momentum to a halt requires a huge amount of energy. While you might hear minimal noise when you brake under normal circumstances, the process should be fairly silent. If you’re hearing strange sounds as you brake, that’s probably an indicator of an issue.
Rattling
If you hear a slight rattling sound when you let up on the brakes, this may not mean you have a problem with your brakes. Brake pads expand due to the incredible heat generated by friction, and a little rattling may be normal due to natural movement of the brake pads.
However, it’s worth noting a couple things about brake rattling: Number one, You should never hear a rattle when you’re pressing down on the brake pedal, and number two, you shouldn’t consistently hear a rattle. If either of these is taking place, you may have an issue with your brake pads.
Grinding
In contrast to rattling, hearing any kind of grinding noise when you apply your brakes is not only a problem, but it’s potentially a very costly and serious one if you don’t address it soon.
If you hear a grinding noise when you apply the brakes, it most likely means you’ve worn completely through your brake pad. Now, instead of the pad meeting the rotor disk, it’s the bare metal making contact. The most common cause of prominent grinding noise from brakes is metal-on-metal contact.
This is bad for two reasons. The first is that the metal is much less efficient at stopping the vehicle than the brake pad’s friction material. That means if you’re in a spot where you need to stop quickly and unexpectedly, your brakes might not be up to the task. The second reason is that grinding either the brake pad’s metal backing or the calipers into the rotor disk will rapidly destroy both components. Replacing a brake pad is relatively cheap. Installing new calipers and rotor disks is far more expensive. It’s much smarter to keep your brake pads in good shape than let them wear down and have to spend hundreds or even a thousand of dollars fixing your brake system.
Squeaking
Another frequently encountered brake noise is a squeaking noise when applying the brakes. This is an important sound to take note of, as it might help you save a whole lot of hassle and money.
One of the reasons brakes can squeak when applied is a little metal tab called a wear indicator. A wear indicator is installed along with a set of brake pads, and the wear indicator’s job is to let you know when the brake pad has worn down and needs replacing. When the pad has worn to a certain level, the wear indicator will make contact with the rotor disk and produce the squeaking sound.
This alerts you that it’s time to get a new set of brake pads and avoid the nightmare scenario discussed in the ‘grinding’ section. Ignoring that squeak can potentially be costly.
Suspension Noise
Most people have a general idea that the car’s suspension system exists to make your ride a smooth and bump-free one. And that’s somewhat true. But the full truth is that your suspension system is a finely-tuned combination of multiple complex systems that controls your wheels and the vehicle’s body, and problems with the suspension system can have major effects.
Lim’s Auto Body is a full service auto body and mechanical repair shop locally owned and operated in Largo, Florida. For more information, go to our web site www.limsautobody.com or call (727) 422-3232.
