Has my Car got into a big Problem?

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

I have 2000 Hyundai Elantra GLS 4dr. I never had any problems with the car yet.



It keep making a squeaking sound some time if engine is cold and I try to back off with my Steering completely turned to one side. but then it stops and dose’nt bother me any more.



just couple days back I noticed that my car was making a faint (rapid clicking) sound every time I get my foot off the gas. If i step back on it again it stops.



Also I observed that once the speed drops bellow 20 the sound goes off. It dose’nt matter anymore if I have stepped on the gas or off.





Thanks in advance

2
  1. You’re not supposed to hold the steering wheel hard against either of the stops. That can damage the power steering if done long enough/often enough.
  2. The chirp indicates that you need a need a new belt to the power steering pump. Your car probably only has one belt. At ten years, you should change it anyway.
  3. Not sure about the “clicking.” Does the rate of clicking vary with the engine’s RPM? With the cars speed? Turning left or right? Have the CV joints been inspected?
3

  1. So then it doesn’t has to do anything about the engine being cold?

  2. How Badly do I need to replace the belt?

  3. I tried to observe that too but didn’t find any significant change in the sound its almost constant. Could it be Timing belt or the wheel bearing?

4

  1. So then it doesn’t has to do anything about the engine being cold?
    Not really. Cold belts may squeal more than warm ones.

  2. How Badly do I need to replace the belt?
    You can drive your car to a mechanic to replace the belt(s), or you can have it towed in after it breaks. One option is less expensive than the other, your choice.
    Can I gather from this that you don’t believe in preventive maintenance?

  3. I tried to observe that too but didn’t find any significant change in the sound its almost constant. Could it be Timing belt or the wheel bearing?
    I can’t hear the sound from here, so I don’t know.

5

Worn or loose belts often squeal more when they are cold.

You can drive the car to a mechanic and have the belt replaced before it breaks, or you can be stranded on the side of the road, in the cold, in the rain, when it breaks. Your choice.

Timing belts don’t make any noise, even when they are about to fail, but yours is way past due for a change. I think Hyundai specifies 5 years or 60K miles. Check your owner’s manual for the correct replacement interval.

The timing belt is the one you should really worry about, because if that one breaks you will have significant engine damage.

I suggest you contact your mechanic and make an appointment for a new timing belt, water pump, thermostat, radiator cap, and accessory drive belt(s).

When all that’s done you can drive the car another nine years.

6

So the Rapid clicking sound is timing belt then which I need to fix ASAP (or Right Away)
Thanks.

7

No. The rapid clicking is a bad CV joint in one or both of the front drive axles. While this is not an emergency, when it finally goes, you may be stranded in a very inconvenient place.

When the timing belt snaps (without any warning lights or sounds), you will hear some mechanical distress as the pistons and valves collide with each other, causing extensive damage to the engine. Since you are VERY far past the elapsed time limit for timing belt replacement on this engine, you need to be prepared for a very large repair bill if you don’t replace the belt right away.

As mcparadise mentioned, the water pump should be replaced at the same time as the timing belt, as should the belt tensioners. If the accessory (serpentine) drive belts are as old or as loose as I suspect, it is a good idea to replace it/them at the same time. In addition, it would be nice to replace the thermostat and the radiator cap, but that is optional.

I would add that most of what we are talking about is not secret information, and is contained in the maintenance schedule that came with the car. It is probably a part of the Owner’s Manual, and I would strongly suggest that you begin to use this resource, even if it is about 9 years late.