One of the more entertaining parts of our job is having customers reproduce car noises.

We’ve heard some excellent versions.

“It’s kind of a rrrrr-rrrrr-click-click.” “It only goes whoomp when I turn left.” “It sounds like something is rolling around, except nothing is.”

Believe it or not, those descriptions can help.

New Noises Matter More Than Perfect Vocabulary

You don’t need to know whether you’re hearing a bearing, pulley or heat shield.

Tell us what changed.

When does it happen? While accelerating? When braking? Only over bumps? Only when turning? At highway speed? When the engine is cold? When the A/C is running?

Those details help us reproduce the complaint.

Squealing

Squealing can come from brakes, belts, pulleys and other sources.

Where and when it happens matters.

A squeal when applying the brakes is a very different diagnostic path from a squeal under the hood immediately after a cold start.

Grinding

Grinding is generally not something we’d recommend turning the radio up to cover.

Brake components are one possibility. Wheel bearings and other mechanical components can produce harsh noises too.

If a new grinding sound appears, have it checked.

Clicking While Turning

Repeated clicking during a turn can sometimes be associated with a CV axle/joint on certain vehicles.

But “clicking” can describe a lot of sounds.

We still want to hear it before ordering parts.

Humming or Growling That Changes With Speed

A noise that gets louder or changes pitch with vehicle speed can point us toward tires, wheel bearings or other rotating components.

Again, that’s a starting point—not a diagnosis.

Knocking From the Engine

“Knock” is a word that can describe everything from a minor rattle to serious internal engine noise.

If the engine develops a new, pronounced mechanical knock—particularly along with an oil-pressure warning, overheating or poor running—don’t continue driving it just to see whether it goes away.

Don’t Clean the Car Up for Us

This sounds strange, but if something in the vehicle demonstrates the problem, leave it alone.

Don’t erase codes. Don’t add three different additives. Don’t have somebody else clear the warning lights.

And if the noise happens only under specific conditions, tell us exactly what those conditions are.

Intermittent problems can be difficult enough without removing the evidence.

Nobody knows the normal sounds of your car better than the person who drives it every day. When it starts making a new one, listen.

Hearing something unusual? Call Automotive Services at (770) 928-6126 and tell us what you’re hearing.

Related reading: Blog 2: Check Engine Light • Blog 3: Brakes • Services