5 Vehicle Noises to Address Right Away
Have you ever considered just how many parts make up your vehicle? It’s estimated that the average vehicle contains 30,000 different parts that all work together to get you to your destination safely and comfortably. So, it makes sense that some of these parts will require attention, servicing, and/or replacing.
Oftentimes, the first indication that something may be wrong under the hood is a funky noise. Here are five noises that require immediate attention.
Squealing and Grinding
Most commonly, if you are hearing squealing or grinding, it’s coming from your brakes and as you know, brakes are nothing to mess with! It’s important that you get the vehicle checked out immediately and that you don’t continue to drive with faulty brakes because that can be extremely dangerous if they fail while you’re on the road.
Squealing sometimes signals that a belt or two may need to be replaced as well.
Hissing
Hissing can be caused by several different things, such as an overheated engine, a leaking vacuum, fluid leaks, or a plugged catalytic converter. In any case, it’s important to recognize that hissing noises are never good, so if you hear it, have the car checked immediately!
Knocking
Knock knock! Who’s there? It’s your car telling you to take it into the shop! Knocking noises come from the ignition and are produced when fuel is present inside the cylinder, indicating poor spark plugs, faulty distributor caps, bad fuel injectors, or ignition complications.
Popping
It can be scary to be just driving along and to hear a loud POP! Engine exhaust leaks are usually the culprit, but it could also just be a dirty air filter. In any case, this noise is nothing to sleep on, and it’s important to get your vehicle in to see your trusted mechanic as soon as possible!
Rumbling
Rumbling can occur for a variety of reasons, but it commonly points to the muffler. When your vehicle has muffler problems, fuel could potentially leak into the car’s cabin. If the rumbling is combines with vehicle shaking, this could also mean that a spark plug has gone bad and the engine’s cylinders are misfiring.
Bottom Line - If you see or hear anything that concerns you, have it looked at by a professional as soon as possible!