# Excessive noise/hum while driving--diagnosis?

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/excessive-noise-hum-while-driving-diagnosis/64559>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [May 10, 2011, 3:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/excessive-noise-hum-while-driving-diagnosis/64559 "2011-05-10T15:21:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Blake)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 3:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/excessive-noise-hum-while-driving-diagnosis/64559/1 "2011-05-10T15:21:38Z")

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Hello everyone, I’m brand new. I have an issue that has been bothering me and I tried to call the show last Saturday about it. I didn’t get through, not surprisingly!

I have a 2002 Prius. It hasn’t been well maintained over the last year and a half, and I had been hearing more and more ambient noise while driving. I thought it was because the tires were wearing out. Well, in the last month I finally got caught up on maintenance (oil change, some new filters, etc.) and got a new set of tires; however, the excessive noise is still there. It becomes noticeable at about 25 mph, and gets louder and higher in pitch as speed increases; there’s a noticeable vibration as well from about 45-50 mph.

I don’t think it’s engine related; the noise happens whether I’m accelerating or just coasting. Any advice? Thanks!

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**Author:** ![AL5000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a8b319/32.png) [@AL5000](https://community.cartalk.com/u/AL5000)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 3:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/excessive-noise-hum-while-driving-diagnosis/64559/2 "2011-05-10T15:28:17Z")

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Wheel bearing? heat shield?

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**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 3:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/excessive-noise-hum-while-driving-diagnosis/64559/3 "2011-05-10T15:41:35Z")

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Caught Up On Maintenance ? I Didn’t Know One Could Catch Up On That. I Look At It More As An Ongoing Thing.

If you’ve got a wheel bearing going bad you’d better quit putting off a replacement. Get it checked out ASAP.

CSA

CSA

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**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Blake)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2011, 10:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/excessive-noise-hum-while-driving-diagnosis/64559/4 "2011-05-10T22:04:02Z")

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Fair enough, that maintenance is an ongoing thing; put it this way, it needed it for a long time but didn’t get it, then it finally got a comprehensive catch-up.

Thanks for the suggestions. I’ve been reading up on wheel bearings, and the noise doesn’t really match the full descriptions I’ve been hearing, but it certainly couldn’t hurt to check … and it sure could hurt not to!