Anyone know about cars? UPDATE ABOUT THE SOUND

[diabeticman]

Last edited Wed Jul 31, 2013, 08:02 PM - Edit history (1)

Our car is making a humming sound when it reaches 35 mph and up. The faster I go the louder it gets.


I have a 2007 cobalt it is over 160,000 miles. It is an automatic (I do not have to shift gears.)

Does anyone have an idea what could be wrong and more importantly how much it might cost?


Edit: My wife driving the car today and said the sound when it got up to 35 MPH or higher sounded like a small plane flying. She thinks she might have heard it yesterday BUT she happened to look up and saw the wing of a plane and just assumed that was what she was hearing. But it sounds like a small private plane that maybe seats 5.

[aristocles]

1. This could be a symptom of any number of problems. especially at 160.000 miles

Go to an auto mechanic. Check with your friends or Angie's List to find a good local mechanic.

[Revanchist]

2. Here's several possible causes

http://www.fixya.com/tags/humming_noise_while_driving_over_35_mph

Also, check the wear patterns on your tires, it could be an alignment problem.

[MrScorpio]

3. I could figure out the tune if I heard it hum a few bars...

Does it sound like Cole Porter?

[MelungeonWoman]

4. Tires and transmission immediately pop to mind.

Are you sure you're putting it in drive? Driving in a lower gear would give you a hum. Also check that you don't have any bulges in your tire and check the tread. It could also be a belt but that's more like a squeak. Sorry I don't have anything more precise. Can you record the hum?

[Ed Suspicious]

5. Wheel bearings or CV joints are possible as well. Does the sound change going around a corner?

[tridim]

8. Adding bushings as a possibility, but it could be hundreds of different things.

[diabeticman]

12. not really.

[DetlefK]

6. What pitch and where?

Could be anything.

- Try switching to manual gear-control and drive at the same speed with different gears to find out if it's from the motor.
- Does it depend on the road?
- From which direction does the sound come from? Could it be a loose cover sheet?

[diabeticman]

13. Other than below the seats I can't really place it.

[Duckhunter935]

7. not enough info

could be hundreds of things, brakes, tires, drive-train, engine or accessories

[rateyes]

9. The first thing I would do is check the treadwear on your tires.

If the tread is worn, please replace the tires. Stay safe.

[Scuba]

10. Just turn up the radio until you can't hear it.

[diabeticman]

14. Funny... until I car dies on us.

[edgineered]

11. If you can determine whether the 'hum'

increases with vehicle speed as opposed to engine speed, you will be going in the right direction. In addition, if you can tell your mechanic if you feel something in your hands or your legs, that could define it as being in the front or the rear. Chances are if you cannot feel it, the problem isn't in the drive line.

[diabeticman]

16. No feelings at all. No vibrations no nothing. The sound does seem to increase when I increase

speed.

[edgineered]

17. Place a piece of masking tape

across the tread of each tire and drive about 10 or 15 miles. The tape should wear evenly across each tire. Wearing more on the 'inside' shows an overly inflated tire as opposed to wear on the outsides being under inflated.

Tread separation may also cause a hum - if you can narrow it down to one wheel, try changing out that wheel with your spare. Gotta go fix some motorcycles now, good luck diabeticman.

You seem to have some good suggestions from others here, I hope you can resolve this.

[tridim]

21. Exhaust leak.

Even a small hole or crack will do that, sometimes they're on the top so they're hard to find.

[Capt. Obvious]

15. Check your tires

If there at different pressures and/or different models that will happen.

[PADemD]

18. Record the sound before you take your car to the garage.

That's what I do now. My car never seems to make a sound when the auto mechanic drives it.

[MineralMan]

19. Hmm...The sound gets louder, but does

the pitch change in frequency with speed changes? Think musical tone.

If I had to guess, based on your limited description, I'd think wheel bearings, either front or rear. If the sound changes when you move the steering wheel and change lanes, then that's almost certainly it.

These days, you don't replace just front wheel bearings on most cars. The hub is replaced. Don't go to the dealer for this. An independent shop can charge you less than the dealer. Rear bearings on your Cobalt can be replaced, but, again, the cost to do this depends on where you take your car.

Your noise could be anywhere in the vehicle's drive train or rotating parts that touch the road. Bottom line: nothing is cheap to repair any more. Go get it checked. Most shops will be able to tell you where the problem is after a short test drive, but some diagnostic work may be needed beyond that.

Finally, when the problem is found and disassembly happens to fix it, your car's high mileage makes it very likely that other issues will be found. Expect to hear bad news. If you don't get some, you'll be very fortunate.

[bunnies]

23. +1

Wish I had seen your post before I posted. Wheel bearings is exactly what I think it is too. Based on the fact that mine are shot and it does what the OP describes.

[MineralMan]

25. Yah. I worked a few years as an auto mechanic.

I learned from my father, who is maybe the best auto diagnostician I've ever seen. Worn wheel bearings is the most common, and the most likely cause of the poster's noise. Sadly, these days, it's not cheap to replace them, like it was in the old days when I was doing that stuff.

[bunnies]

29. I guess Im lucky I drive a 22 year old beater.

Keeps the repair costs down. My quote is a mere 200 bucks to do both rears. I think though, that my mechanic feels bad for me and lowers the prices a bit. He knows I'll be back. A lot.

[MineralMan]

32. Yup. Older cars are often cheaper to repair.

Newer cars get repaired by replacing more than just the worn thing. So, instead of installing just new bearings, you have to buy an entire hub. $$$

[bunnies]

33. or just buy a new car.

Thats what they really want us to do anyway. ugh.

[MineralMan]

35. Sometimes, though, it's the best solution.

My wife and I finally did that, after we lost two cars to old age and unaffordable repairs. When the 1991 Volvo wagon kept dying on the road from something I worked and worked to diagnose and fix, we gave up. I think I actually finally fixed it, but it was no longer trustworthy as our only car, so I sold it to some guy, after telling him the history of the problem. We borrowed her mom's car, drove to the local Kia dealer, and drove home in a brand new Kia Soul a couple of hours later.

That is the first new car I've ever bought in my 68 years on the planet. Full warranty for 5 years/60,000 miles and powertrain warranty for 10 years/100,000 miles. Very low car payment, great interest rate, and no more crawling under cars or bending over the fender. I hated to give up my practice of driving older cars, but there it is. I'm too old to do that stuff any more.

[bunnies]

36. It must have been quite nice...

to have a brand new car for the first time. I'd say you sufficiently held out as long as you could.

I had an almost new car once. One of those salesman cars they trade-in after the first year. But that thing just got the point, like you said, that it couldnt be trusted. The one I have now is getting to that point. I think the starter is going. If I park it and run into the bank or whatever it wont start again right away. I have to wait a good 3-4 minutes before she'll start again... and I just know that one of these days she wont go at all. But for now, all I can do is keep my fingers crossed. They dont make new cars cheap enough for me to afford at this time.

[MineralMan]

31. I'm betting it's rear wheel bearings on the poster's car.

I think he'd have noticed the change when he steered the car if it was front bearings. That he hears it through the floor pan also makes it more likely to be rear bearings. The high mileage is another hint. Rear wheel bearings usually last a very long time on FWD cars.

[bunnies]

34. Yep. Its the rear in mine too.

216xxx miles. I knew it was coming once the CV joints in the front went. I cant complain though, given its age.

[Snotcicles]

20. Is there a plastic splash tray that protects the underside of the engine? If so

check to see if is secure. Sometimes those have to be removed for oil changes etc. and if not remounted correctly they will vibrate when wind passes through while driving at higher speeds.

[bunnies]

22. My car does that. Its the rear wheel bearings.

Maybe its the same for yours? :shrug Adding: if it IS your wheel bearings and one of them goes, your tire will stop turning. Its nothing to be messed around with. The quote for mine is a couple hundred bucks for both.

[Eleanors38]

24. At cruise, shift to neutral and allow engine to idle...

If sound continues, not engine. Possible drive train (axle/wheel bearings, tires). If rear bearings, failure and more damage is Imminent. Danger!

You can check rear bears: Park car, don't apply park brake. With both hands grab the top of rear tire/wheel and forcefully push IN, then pull OUT, several times. Repeat other side. Bad bearings reveal themselves by lots of "slop" and motion. R&R immediately. Let us know what happened. Good luck.

[BlueStreak]

28. PLEASE don't do that in traffic

It is a very good test, but do it in an empty parking lot.

[Eleanors38]

38. I assume a modicum of common sense.

[BlueStreak]

39. Have you driven on any public streets lately? :)

[Eleanors38]

40. Why, no, I stick to livestock paths when riding my horse through Austin.

[BlueStreak]

46. Be careful. I hear there are a lot of riders having accidents texting while galoping

[Eleanors38]

47. At the corner of S. 1st & W. Mary, in hip South Austin,

A rider or two ties up across from Bouldin Creek Cafe. I think they give horse rides to folks.

[warrprayer]

26. check this link

there are people on here to give you qualified expert advice

http://www.cartalk.com/

[liberal N proud]

27. NEI

Not enough Information.

My girls will call and say their car is making a noise. I always ask, what does the noise sound like and where is it coming from and when does it make the noise.

What you tell us is 35 mph and humming. Depends on where the noise is coming from.

[snot]

30. DU Lounge?

[Historic NY]

37. CHECK you tires, for bulges or abnormal wear.

[cherokeeprogressive]

41. Wheel bearing or CV joint. The kicker would be if it happens more/louder when turning. n/t

[Brother Buzz]

42. Sounds like someone needs to call Click and Clack

Polish up mimicking the sound and give them a call this weekend. She Who Must Be Obeyed says they have a page on their website that might help describe your sound, it's called Car Noise Emporium. Good luck, I'll be listening for your call.


http://www.cartalk.com/content/car-noise-emporium-27

[pinboy3niner]

43. Either that...or Cessna

[olddots]

44. 5$ says it's rear breaks

think positive because a mechanic will think negative .

[Tikki]

45. That is what I was thinking, also. The built in sound that break pads need replacing.

But please see an EXPERT.


Tikki