This Sound Camera Could Help You Fix Your Car

Why not just use a stetohoscope, or a metal tube to an ear? Smokey Yunick didn't need any dohickeys. He could listen to an engine and know exactly where the noise was coming from.

Geez. And here I was, thinking my 5 buck mechanics's stethoscope was the height of noise detection sophistication.

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You can normally hear where noises are coming from, but sometimes it resonates around, so a microphone can pinpoint the first sound impulse before it travels around. ? Must be using an array mic setup.

Greg

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The cheap stethoscopes with a probe work pretty well. I would have sworn I had a wrist pin or rod knock on my 3.3. Sounded deep in. The stethoscope pinned it right on the water pump. First time I ever heard a water pump knock. I saw where one guy spent a lot of time and effort, even pulling a balance shaft, and it turned out to be his alternator knocking. Never heard one do that myself. So there are cases where a stethoscope probe works better than bare ears. I believe that water pump knocking was the only time mine produced for me, but that made it worth the 5 bucks.

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I've used both the cheap stethoscopes and a 3 foot long 1/4" wooden dowel and prefer the dowel. You can pretty much stick it anywhere with the 3'length. Put the other end right up to your ear. just don't hit any rotating parts.