My Corolla started making a new noise recently. It only makes this noise when I’m moving/giving the car gas. The noise sounds like the noise from those safety strips on the side of the interstate but not quite as loud coming definitely from the front end, possibly isolated to the driver side. The faster I go the more apparent the noise is. It’s not really a click noise it’s more of a dull sound. It occurs at low speeds and high speeds, but not when idling. It’s almost as though the engine is running hard but I’m not convinced it’s originating from the engine.
The engine idles normally and I don’t think there is anything wrong with the bearings or CV joints as I have replaced the left CV joint/axle and the right front bearing recently. Any ideas? Hopefully I described it decently well
Does the frequency of this noise increase with wheel speed or with engine rpm? If it is linked to wheel speed …
Even though you’ve replaced the CV joints recently, I think the first thing to do is put the car on a lift and have all four CV joints checked again. Make sure the boots are not damaged, the boot retainers are in place, and the boots properly positioned, and there is no unusual noise when the tire is hand rotated, or extra free play, either in the direction of tire rotation or axially. It’s fairly simple process for a mechanic to rule-out the CV joints as a cause, and you don’t want to start replacing other stuff before doing this. While they do this, they can inspect the tires and the suspension components for signs of any obvious problem.
Other possibilities could be a damaged suspension component, or something simply rattling in the engine compartment. Cross your fingers it isn’t the xmission. Good idea to check all the engine and xmission fluid levels at least. It could also be a drive belt coming loose or something like an alternator bearning on the fritz, but those would sync to the rpm more than the wheel speed.