What’s making that noise on my car?

There are few things more worrying than an unusual noise coming from your car putting you at fear of breaking down. So we thought we would help you with a guide to worrying noises to give you an idea of what’s occurring under the bonnet. Pop the hood and take a look yourself but if you are still none the wiser afterwards, we would be more than happy to take a look for you and offer a professional mechanic’s diagnosis.

Noisy window wipers

This is the least of your worries – but can be very annoying in the rain. If your window wiper blades are stirring when they wipe it is probably that they need replacing or realigning. This is an inexpensive problem to fix but should be done soon with winter looming and more rain on the way.

Squealing brakes

Your brakes are likely worn out if you begin and continue to hear grinding noises from your wheels and brakes. If the noise stops, it could have just been a stone lodged in the brake assembly as this can happen from time to time with modern cars. Reversing can often dislodge the stone but it may still be worthwhile to hand your vehicle over to a mechanic for peace of mind.

Screeching noise under bonnet

A screeching noise is often due to a worn or loose drive belt or cambelt. This is a dying issue with new vehicles being manufactured with a larger single serpentine belt which has an automatic tensioner, but it still can occur – just more commonly on older cars. These assist in the mechanism of your alternator, air-con, water pump and power steering amongst others. If a loud noise occurs whilst driving and using air-con, get it checked out soon before it fails.

Cambelts should be replaced every 100,000km or every 10 years. Whichever comes first.

Humming noise

If you can hear a low hum as you drive, this could really be a number of issues and isn’t easily diagnosed. Bringing your car to an expert mechanic in South Auckland with this issue will see the mechanic check your differential, universal joints, wheel bearings and transmission bearings for wear. Wheel bearings will most commonly result in noises coming from one corner of the vehicle and grow louder the faster you drive.

If left unchecked, these issues can grow into more serious problems. Talk to your mechanic about exactly when the sound occurs to help them on their path to fixing any issues. Bring your car to Drury Tires today.