I have a strange sound coming either out of the left front tire, wheel, or 1/2 CV Boot (?), per my normally very good mechanic. They sprayed silicon (?) into the tire and on the 1/2 CV boot. The sound went away for about 800 - 1000 miles. Then it came back. I can only hear it when I’m driving really slowly (perhaps because other noises take over after that). The sound is somewhat like a quiet slow clickety click. I moved far from my good mechanic. Any suggestions?
I suspect the CV joint and I would be looking towards it getting louder and if you wait long enough it may fail and leave you stranded.
It might help if we knew how many miles you have on your Corolla.
Worn Constant Velocity (CV) joints make a clicking noise, usually heard when driving slowly around a turn or corner. The boots themselves make no noise, but if the boot is torn the grease escapes from the joint and the joint starts making noise. If the boots are not torn the noise is unlikely to be coming from the CV joint.
How many miles on the Corolla? Bad CV joints are usually a function of mileage.
Does it have hubcaps? If it has hubcaps, remove them and see if the noise goes away. Sometimes hubcaps can make clicking noises.
Thanks so much for your replies.
Supposedly the mechanic checked the CV joint, but I have no way of knowing. The car is a 2003 Corolla with about 98,000 miles on it. The hubcap was removed to test for the noise. The sound was there whether or not it was attached. Also the sound is constant; doesn’t matter if I drive in a straight line or make a turn.
This car has had a very good track record so far.
The sound has not changed in terms of getting louder and I probably put 3500 miles on it since the mechanic sprayed it.