# Car Humming **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** honda, accord\ **Created:** [January 27, 2010, 12:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-humming/43309 "2010-01-27T12:49:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Taharka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Taharka](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Taharka)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 12:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-humming/43309/1 "2010-01-27T12:49:16Z")
I just bought a 2002 Honda Accord, manual transmission, and it has a humming noise that I’m worried about. Whenever I get into higher gears, and therefore the revving of the engine is quieter, I can hear a humming noise. It’s constant and increases in pitch, but not volume, as the car goes faster. As far as I can tell, it’s coming from the rear of the car, but it’s a little hard to tell. One very noticeable thing is that the humming noise disappears when I’m going around a bend to the right, but not to the left. Also I can put the car in neutral and coast, and the noise is still there (decreasing in pitch as the car slows). I kinda figure it’s a wheel bearing, but according to the “Car Talk Noise Emporium” it sounds more like a bad differential. What does everyone thing it is, and what are the potential hazards if it is the differential and it fails? (I know the hazards of a wheel bearing failing) ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 2:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-humming/43309/2 "2010-01-27T14:51:59Z")
There are lots of possibilities, but I would guess tyres. ---
**Author:** ![Taharka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Taharka](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Taharka)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 3:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-humming/43309/3 "2010-01-27T15:00:16Z")
I checked the tire pressure, and they’re all even. How could I be sure it’s the tire and not a bearing? I plan on doing the whole lifting one wheel off the ground and spinning it test this afternoon. Should I be looking for any tread wear? Or could I replace the tires with the spare one at a time and see if the noise goes away? ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-humming/43309/4 "2010-01-27T15:10:07Z")
It must be a wheel bearing because the differential in your vehicle is part of the transaxle. So it’s located at the front of the vehicle, not the back of the vehicle. Tester ---
**Author:** ![researcher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/edb3f5/32.png) [@researcher](https://community.cartalk.com/u/researcher)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 8:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-humming/43309/5 "2010-01-27T20:25:45Z")
Ditto Tester and the bad bearing will probably be on the right rear wheel. ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2010, 9:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-humming/43309/6 "2010-01-27T21:06:31Z")
I’ll third that. If the humming is that loud and noticeable a mechanic should not have trouble verifying this. ---
**Author:** ![Taharka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Taharka](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Taharka)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 12:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-humming/43309/7 "2010-01-28T00:12:26Z")
Ok, new thought. What if the sound doesn’t disappear because I’m taking a bend to the right (and therefore placing less stress on a wheel bearing), but because I’m turning the wheel past a certain degree? If I change lanes quickly, then the sound goes away. And when taking a bend, there is a very definite point where the sound disappears/reappears. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2010, 12:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-humming/43309/8 "2010-01-28T00:16:47Z")
What you describe are the symtoms of a worn wheel bearing. Tester