THE CAR MAKES A STRANGE NOISE

When the machine makes a strange noise it is not easy to understand if it foretells a more or less serious inconvenience or if it depends on a physiological factor, so to speak. In any case, it is good not to ignore these audible warnings, especially if they are persistent.

In fact, the complexity of a car triggers noises ranging from beats to squeaks to hisses, each of which can also manifest itself in different ways since it can be well-paced rather than episodic or, again, appear only in cold rather than hot. Furthermore, some noises may also be due to the components of the passenger compartment.

In any case, since it is not easy for everyone to evaluate where a noise comes from and above all what is triggered, it is good to consult a specialist.

THE CAR HAS STRONG VIBRATIONS

If the machine has strong vibrations, the causes may be due to the wheels, to the transmission shaft if the car is rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive and, obviously, to the engine. In all cases, vibrations always generate noise too.

WATCH OUT FOR THE WHEELS 

 If the vibrations follow a regular frequency and are also reflected on the steering wheel, the most common cause is due to the wheels. Therefore, they can be caused by tires that have ovalized after a long period of parking the car and to solve the problem it is sufficient to travel a few kilometres after returning the inflation pressure to the value indicated by the manufacturer, from the rims that have lost the balancing weight and in this case it is necessary to rely on a tire dealer or, again, on one or more deformed rims, perhaps following a too violent encounter with a deep hole, which consequently must be replaced.

TRANSMISSION UNDER THE LENS

  If the vibrations are more noticeable on the vehicle floor or through the seats, the cause is almost always due to the transmission shaft that is no longer balanced, to the wear of the relative joints or to the breakage of the elastic dampers. In all these cases, workshop intervention is required.

IF THEY ARE INTENSE YOU NEED A MECHANIC

  The same must be done if it is perceived that anomalous vibrations come from the engine, that is, of a much higher entity than those normally perceived in the passenger compartment and which are, so to speak, physiological on each car. In this regard, it should be added that engines with few cylinders (2 or 3) normally cause more vibrations than those with a larger fraction.

Regardless of the architecture, the motors are always mounted on elastic supports, sometimes hydraulic, and in some cases also combined with torsional dampers coaxial to the crankshaft: a defect in these elements causes vibrations that are always well perceptible and identifiable by the driver, but that can only be resolved by contacting a mechanic.

THE CAR HAS WORN BEARINGS

When the bearings on a car are worn, the only remedy is to replace them and, therefore, it is necessary to resort to a workshop. The wear of these components, massively disseminated in the mechanical part and of different types, is always signalled by a noise that suggests which complex is affected by this drawback.

For example, if it occurs with the car in motion, as a rule, the worn bearing is one of those of the wheels. On the other hand, if there is a rustling noise near the gearbox when the clutch pedal is lowered, the defect affects the thrust unit of this component. If it comes from the engine it can be tied to the distribution.

NOISY HYDRAULIC TAPPETS

A certain cold ticking is typically natural. If the noise persists even when hot, it is possible to try to decrease it with oil with superior viscosity characteristics or with an additive, which acts as a solvent and must be put before changing the oil. If even these lubrication interventions do not give results, you can try to have the carbon deposits cleaned and repaired by a garage.

THE CAR DASHBOARD MAKES STRANGE NOISES

The causes can be varied. One of the most frequent is due to the rubbing of plastic parts between various elements of the dashboard (especially if the car is already a few years old: time may have hardened the materials) or between the dashboard and the door panels: in these cases, assuming that it is possible to identify a single source of the squeaking, grease can be used for the door, but useless if the cause of the noise is the air conditioning vents. Noises could also be caused by the grids of the tweeters of the audio system: in this case, just remove them with the help of a screwdriver or, better, a very resistant plastic tab and reposition them. More difficult to understand if the noises come from the wiring of the various electrical services.