Loud noise audible at highway speed (never notice before)

While driving home late last night on a deserted interstate, noticed my 97 Brighton Wagon(AWD, 158,000 miles) making a notable deep noise, coming from somewhere on the RHS of the vehicle. Couldn't tell whether it was front or back (just me alone in the car). It did seem to vary a little according to my speed, increasing with speed,, and also quieted and increased somewhat on its own at times, all while going straight. Within this general deep noise, was at times an occasional muted thumping sound - as best I can describe it - but I felt nothing. Noise may have been around a while - I just ran out of radio to listen to last night and that made any car noise more audible. It was pretty alarming to hear although in the course of 130 mile drive it didn't worsen, just got softer and louder.

I'm not a DYI'er (beyond oil and air filter changes) but am trying to figure how to proceed. My WA guess is the noise could be drive shaft or even something from the exhaust system itself and the latter might be easier to find on examination. Suspension?

I know that even experts hearing a noise can't always determine what it is.

Any suggestions as to possibilities and as to how urgent it might be? I don't want t spend a fortune on something that could be noisy for

10,000, 20,000 miles, or more, but not risk failure. Although the current plans are to keep this car UFN.

TIA

Reply to
kaplan3jiim
Loading thread data ...

Been there. Try braking hard from speed and note if an increase in volume of the mystery noise. If so it may be a tire has worn 'out of round' ie flats around the circumference which is not uncommon on AWD and 4x4 vehicles so I was informed by the tire fitter. New rubber cured the problem...and it's happened on my WRX twice so audible warning to fit new rears! Fronts not affected apparently. Road surface types will alter the noise. Then again it might be something entirely different like wheel bearings.

Clive P Norris Managing Director Selectron (UK) Ltd Musical Equipment Distribution.

formatting link
formatting link
formatting link
formatting link
formatting link
formatting link
formatting link
"They laughed at Newton, they laughed at Einstein, but they also laughed at Bozo the Clown." Carl Sagan

Reply to
Clive - Selectron

I can check that. However the tires, Goodyear Triple Treds, with

35,000 miles, have been rotated regularly at 5-7 k mi intervals.

The wheel bearing had been replaced in the rear, right I believe, once about 30,000 mi ago. As you mention it, the sound at the time before that was somewhat similar, except for the "thumping". Maybe going again - although it shouldn't at 30,000 mi.

Jim

Reply to
kaplan3jiim

Distribution.www.skullstrings.comwww.espguitars.co.ukwww.emgpickups.co.ukwww.tube-shop.comwww.coreoneproduct.comwww.whirlwindusa.comwww.espshop.co.uk

Did they give a mechanism for this?

Dave

Reply to
spamTHISbrp

Is this a road you have driver before, and recently, does the noise happen all the time at those speeds, could it have been the road surface? I have a new Impreza wagon and Never heard the noises I am hearing from other cars. The other day I heard a whistling sound and thought it was a wind noise, but it went away, so figure it might have been from the road surface. One I was never on before. I have heard a Clicking sound when driving over a section of new concrete. It looked like a big patched surface, and even strangely colored in areas, like it was stained brown.

I'd make sure the sound is on all road surfaces, and see at what speeds it occurs.

VF

Reply to
houndman

Exhaust hanger?

Reply to
David

Somewhat vague explanation but a combination of suspension setup and all wheels driven...the tires wear out of round. Landrovers amongst others get the same problem they say. I've experienced this twice, same car different make tires. The first time I was having a little 'go' with an Evo and had to brake at maximum from around 110 mph which produced an appalling howl from the back of the car. It was so loud the guy in the Evo nearly twisted his head off looking for the source of the noise! It was so bad I was in the dealer next morning for a bearing/diff/brake etc check. I didn't suspect the tires as tread was still legal. They said it probably was uneven tire wear so I had them checked and the tire shop confirmed the tires were out of round etc. New tires solved the problem. It happened again as that set wore...road noise gradually increased and got louder as speed increased so I realised it was the same problem. New boots fitted again and no noise. I have no idea what the tech explanation is but it's happened to me twice but only as the tires are coming to the end of their life tho' still legal. Dunno!

Reply to
Clive - Selectron

So what does "deep" mean? That you could feel it through your butt in the seat while also hearing it (i.e., you can both feel and hear it)? Or that it is low frequency?

Wheel bearing. Stone, bolt, or other protruding object stuck in tire tread. Stone stuck in dust shield for brakes and rubbing against rotor. Worn u-joint. Rusted out hole in exhaust pipe or muffler. Hangers rusted out and muffler banging around (how rough was the road?). Grooving in the concrete road to let water drain off and provide an edge in braking. Unbalanced tire. Maybe you lost the lead weight used to balance it before. Dragging a body underneath. ;->

By the way, you do realize, right, that you are providing your e-mail address to spambots that roam newsgroups to harvest them?

Reply to
VanguardLH

I am providing an address. I have no idea whose it is, but it is not mine. Hopefully no one's.

Reply to
kaplan3jiim

It may be someone's, unfortunately, and the domain definitely exists. That means you'll have spambots targeting that domain, and plugging up the email "pipe", even if the address does not exist.

If you want an email address that doesn't exist and will never exist, just create an address at example.com, example.net, or example.org. For example :-), you could use snipped-for-privacy@example.com. Any attempt to spam that would result in the spammer's own mailserver failing to find the mail server for the domain example.com, and not sending email.

Reply to
Catherine Jefferson

Then why even provide a legitimately syntaxed e-mail address. Use @example.com or @.invalid. Those are special e-mail addresses which can never be assigned (example.com and .invalid are reserved for testing are are not deliverable). That means no spam can ever be delivered there. Unless you feel compelled to take newsgroup discussions offline by going to e-mail (which disconnects the remainder of that thread from other users), there is no point in using a legitimate e-mail address at all.

If you want to provide a legit e-mail then munge it. However, ALWAYS munge the domain *first* and optionally munge the username. Munge the domain to one that isn't even registered. That means spam will never be deliverable because that domain doesn't exist so there no receiving mail host to accept the mail session attempt from the spamming source mail host. Don't do snipped-for-privacy@domain.com. Instead do snipped-for-privacy@domain-NOSPAM.com or snipped-for-privacy@ANDTHISdomain.com (provided neither domain is registered).

The fact that you use a username that could be legitimate and a domain that does exist and is also active exhibits irresponsible behavior. You don't go energizing spam at a domain (hence why you munge the domain first) and you don't go energizing spam at an potential innocent.

Reply to
VanguardLH

Thanks for the suggestion. Done.

Reply to
kaplan3jiim

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.