By Extraneous sounds in a car – knock, hum, creaking – usually occur when parts wear out or malfunction. A whistling sound can be relatively harmless, although this does not prevent it from getting on the driver’s nerves or simply distracting from driving. Experts from the Indy Auto Man Indianapolis car lot explain how to determine the cause of the whistle.
What can whistle while driving
- Elements of the body, interior, and additional equipment. A loosely closed window, a roof rack, tuning elements, and even a crack in the front bumper can produce a whistle while driving. The only problem with this sound is acoustic discomfort.
- Engine drive belts. The whistle appears when they slip on the pulleys. This can happen due to poor tension, wear and tear, or aging (rubber hardens and wears out over time). In both cases, there is a chance that the belt will break. It’s not good, but it won’t be one of the most costly repairs.
- Brake mechanisms. More precisely, the “pad-disc” pairs. There are two scenarios: either something got between these parts, or the pads are in low quality and their linings squeak when braking. If the car slows down efficiently, there is no need to go to the service urgently. The reason may be deep scratches from a stone or something similar on the discs.
- Some bearings. For example, the bearing of the belt tension roller or water pump. But the hub bearings or those in the transmission usually do not whistle but hum.
How to find the wistle’s source
Check your car’s compartments part by part. It is worth going from simple to complex. First, start the engine. If the whistling sound comes from under the hood, the cause is most likely in the belt or bearings. If there is no whistle, try increasing the speed or load on the generator by activating a powerful electricity consumer – for example, a heated windshield. You can also turn on / off the air conditioner. Its compressor is driven either by the same belt or a separate one – you will understand which one is the problem.
But how do you understand whether the belt or the bearing is whistling? You can spray water on the belt. If the whistle increases, you’ve found the culprit.
Can’t hear anything under the hood? Then you need to drive slowly. Aerodynamic noises usually manifest at high speeds, so try accelerating to 10-20 mph and then slowing down. The pads will come into contact with the disk surface, and if you hear a squeak, consider the cause found. By the way, after braking, the sound may not be as intense, but it is still audible. This happens if the brake mechanisms (cylinders) are slightly jammed.
It also happens that the pads are simply new and have not yet worked into the relief of the disc. No worries in this case, the sound will disappear shortly. Or, on the contrary, they are very worn out, and the mechanical wear sensor has come into contact with the disc, warning about the necessity of exchange.
If this test does not reveal the source of the whistle, accelerate to 50 mph. This is the limit at which aerodynamic noise will give itself away. Did you hear the sound? Try to slow down and observe how the nature of the sound changes. If it practically disappears, most likely, the body or attachments are to blame.
Summing up
- Belts, bearings, pads, body parts, and interior elements can cause whistling sounds while driving.
- Finding the source of the sound is sometimes easy, but, for example, in the case of bearings, you will need the help of specialists.
- It is important to understand under what conditions the whistling occurs: when moving, stationary, at high or low speed.
- The hardest thing is to find the “cricket” in the cabin.
A whistle or any other strange sound in a car is not a reason to immediately visit a service station or refuse to buy it if you hear the sound during a test drive. It is rather a signal that it is worth conducting a more thorough inspection and, possibly, an additional check-up at an independent station.
