Not really a car person so i thought i would talk to you folks before i took this to the mechanic to keep from being taken advanatage of. If anyone could provide a theory as to what could actually be wrong with my car it would be appreciated. Symptons are listed below:
Sound only occurs while car is in motion
Sound is coming from the front left wheel(wheel well)
Sound only occurs while the car is making left turns
Sound does not occur on right turns or when going straight
Sound does not occur when the car is not in motion
My first thought is the Left Front CV joint, but like i said… not a car person. Thanks in advance for any help.
Whatever you do, do not present any “theories” to the mechanic. It will taint their assessment of diagnosing the problem. Keep what is posted here to yourself and use it to further ask questions after the diagnosis has been given.
As Andrew said, you don’t want to tell the mechanic what to do. Let him or her figure it out. If you say what you think it is and that is repaired without success, too bad, they did exactly what you told them to do. It is best the let them do their job. I will add that they are there where they can actually hear it, while the best we get is our interpretation of your interpretation of what it sounds like.
Just tell them why you are bringing it in. If they suggest something really wild, come back and ask if it is reasonable.
BTW a CV joint would be at the top of my list, but I can’t hear it. If the mechanic, after hearing it, says Bearings, then I would go along with that.
you have given scant info to start from.
what has been done to the car recently? have the brakes been done? have the tires been replaced? anything???
how many miles? has the car had any accidents recently? any other info you can impart on us about the cars history?
What sound?
New breaks over a year ago, New tires 3 months ago(This noise did not occur before the new tires, but i cannot say if the noise began at the same time). No accidents. 75,000 miles.
The noise is a repetitive grinding noise. The noise does increase in frequency at higher speeds and increases with severity based on the rate of turn.
sounds to me like a wheel bearing is going.
but… there are several other things it could be too.
I had a similar problem with a Chysler product years ago and it turned out to be a bad power steering pump. However, mine made noise turning both ways. If your car has rack & pinion steering, it could be one end of the rack. I’m no diagnosing here, but suggesting your steeering system should be checked out as well.
Have the front springs been replaced? This is a recall that should have been done. On flat level ground look at the front of the car. If it’s leaning, the spring is broken. You can also (for the left side) turn the steering wheel completely to the right. Use a flashlight and look at the spring, the break usually occurs near the very top or bottom where the spring is crimped. If you’re not sure take it to the dealer. Make sure they replace both sides.If it’s not the springs, it’s probably the sway bar.