Oppo, what is making a noise on my car?

"RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars" (rallydarkstrike)
08/07/2018 at 17:13 • Filed to: oppohelp

EDIT - An addition - had my brother walk beside the car as I drove it slowly tonight, he says it’s coming from the front wheels he thinks (particularly the front-right. We were by a fence as well, so it echoed back into the car for me to hear a bit more clearly....sounds more like a light metal scraping actually....? Brake dust cover maybe? I don’t think it’s a bearing as I had heard a different sound up there awhile back and had the shop check the bearings and he said the wheel bearings were fine unless one is going now?

Started last week, noticed while driving with the windows open (as usual). It’s a rattling (not ‘vibrate’ rattling, but ‘rock stuck inside a hubcap’ rattling) that is speed sensitive. I don’t hear it at all at high speeds...which may be because it’s too quiet to hear when at those speeds, not sure. Definitely hear it at low speeds though.

I can’t tell where it is coming from. The car seems to drive perfectly fine. It seems like it is coming from a wheel? It can’t be something stuck in a hubcap as I have no hubcaps (alloys). The only things I can think of are that I have a slow leak (i.e. refill once a week) on a rear wheel, so maybe a screw or nail got pushed right through the tire and is rattling around inside? The other thing I thought of is that I have rear drum brakes and maybe something came loose inside those? Brakes don’t feel any different though? Can’t be that something got in a CV joint boot as I’m not hearing the usual click/grinding from those when turning as the grease would’ve been let out if something got in... gearbox seems fine?

I am overdue for an oil change and service so I’ll get them to check it when I take it in, but any idea fellow Oppos?

DISCUSSION (21)

LOREM IPSUM > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
08/07/2018 at 17:31

Which vehicle is this again? Does it actually get faster or slower depending on speed, or just that you can only hear it at slower speeds?

Maybe just a heat shield that makes noise while the vehicle is under load and the exhaust is vibrating, if the latter.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
08/07/2018 at 17:33

Wheel hub assembly perhaps? bearing or something?

Honeybunchesofgoats > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
08/07/2018 at 17:35

Wheel hub assembly was my guess too. My Jag did exactly that.

Mine was bad enough that you could jack it up and feel the play in the wheel.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Honeybunchesofgoats
08/07/2018 at 17:37

My ST just needed it too. same deal as you

LOREM IPSUM > Honeybunchesofgoats
08/07/2018 at 17:38

Next time I jack up my e38, I’m gonna make a 12+6/3+9 video that will terrify everyone. (There's a reason it's parked, that is one of em, lol)

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > LOREM IPSUM
08/07/2018 at 17:42

I had an exhaust hangar that rusted through and the noise sounded similar to what OP is describing.

LOREM IPSUM > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
08/07/2018 at 17:53

Could be!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
08/07/2018 at 17:57

I’d wonder if a speed sensitive rattling of sorts could be the drive shaft. I know it’s usually more of a squeaking if the U joints have gone bad but it might be attributable to that. That was an issue I ran into on my Miata making odd sounds that I couldnt quite place that were speed sensitive. Otherwise I would suspect brake/wheel hub parts of some sort at fault.

VonBootWilly - Likes Toyota, but it's still complicated. > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
08/07/2018 at 20:44

I had a brake shield fall loose on my van last week, very similar symptoms. If you have brake dust shields behind your front rotors, just check them.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > LOREM IPSUM
08/07/2018 at 22:20

2009 Hyundai Accent hatchback. It seems to get faster with speed but it’s quiet enough I can’t tell if I am hearing it at high speed or not. Had bro walk beside the car tonight and was near a fence so I could more clearly hear it from it echoing back into the car...it actually doesn’t sound like a rattle as I first thought, but more of a light metallic scrape....so sounds dust-shieldy to me? He says he thinks he is hearing it from the front-right wheel.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
08/07/2018 at 22:20

I had a hangar-rewelded not all THAT long ago and they had checked the others at the time and thought they were solid, so I don’t THINK it’ s that? It seems speed sensitive as well, as in slows when slowing and speeds up if I go faster.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
08/07/2018 at 22:21

I hope not, but I had the car in for service a few months ago (which is awhile now, I kn0w) and was hearing a slightly different noise from the front and had them check the bearings then - they said they all seemed really good unless one has gone bad since then?

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Honeybunchesofgoats
08/07/2018 at 22:22

I’ll have to see if I can find time to jack it up and check it.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > LOREM IPSUM
08/07/2018 at 22:22

Sounds perfectly safe! :P

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
08/07/2018 at 22:24

It’s a 2009 Hyundai Accent - if it was the CV joints, I would hear a grindy clicking on turns (I know the sound as I’ve had at least one of them replaced in the cars life before) and it doesn’t sound the same at all, nor does it click/grind on turns, so pretty sure it’s not CVs. I looked under the car tonight and didn’t see any rips in the CV boots that I could tell, nor any leaks on the boots.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > VonBootWilly - Likes Toyota, but it's still complicated.
08/07/2018 at 22:24

I’m thinking it could be this as when I had my bro walk beside the car this evening as I drove it slowly, he said it seemed to come from the front wheels and was more of a light metallic squeal/scrape than a rattle...

LOREM IPSUM > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
08/07/2018 at 22:31

Sounds like wheel bearing, brake noise, or could even be the dust shield you mentioned in that case. If you get a chance, jack her up and give the wheel a spin to see if you can pinpoint it, or just pass it to your favorite indy to have a peek.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > LOREM IPSUM
08/07/2018 at 22:46

For sure, might have time to try and jack it up tomorrow.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
08/07/2018 at 23:03

Could be a loose heat shield. Higher engine speeds make it vibrate faster.

VonBootWilly - Likes Toyota, but it's still complicated. > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
08/08/2018 at 01:44

Even if the shield isn't falling off, it might be partially rubbing, so if you find it looks attached, maybe just push/bend them a bit away from your discs.

WhiskyTangoFoxtrot > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
08/08/2018 at 11:28

I have a similar issue on my 09 Ranger, I’ve narrowed it down to a warped rotor. I replaced the following: Upper/Lower control arms, tie rod ends, hub assemblies, torsion bars, CV axles, and shocks (all rubber bushings/covers were shot, and torsion bar was rounding off ) . Also check the brake shims, and clean the “ears” of the pads and caliper.