# My car sounds like a helicopter (rear end) **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** jetta, noises, volkswagen, brakes\ **Created:** [August 21, 2009, 12:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-sounds-like-a-helicopter-rear-end/35363 "2009-08-21T12:52:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HelpPlease](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e19adc/32.png) [@HelpPlease](https://community.cartalk.com/u/HelpPlease)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 12:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-sounds-like-a-helicopter-rear-end/35363/1 "2009-08-21T12:52:00Z")
I just had my rear brakes changed (06 VW Jetta), and one driver’s side rotor replaced as well. When I drove it today (for the first time since), it was making a tapping sound in the rear end on residential streets and then when I got on the highway it got so loud that it sounded like a helicopter. My stearing wheel also started vibrating at about 60mph. The noise and vibration stops completely when I put the brakes on to slow down, so I think it’s brake/tire related. Any suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 4:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-sounds-like-a-helicopter-rear-end/35363/2 "2009-08-21T16:33:43Z")
Is this noise accompanied by the theme song to MASH? All these noise comparisons to aircraft,doesn’t help me figure it out. ---
**Author:** ![HelpPlease](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e19adc/32.png) [@HelpPlease](https://community.cartalk.com/u/HelpPlease)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 6:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-sounds-like-a-helicopter-rear-end/35363/3 "2009-08-21T18:22:44Z")
Funny, I looked up the issue online before writing this post, and there were quite a few people that described a noise their car was making as sounding like a helicopter. Do you have a better way for me to explain a sound in writing? Does whop-whop-whop give you a better idea? You actually bothered to sign in just to leave a sarcastic response. Helpful, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-sounds-like-a-helicopter-rear-end/35363/4 "2009-08-21T23:10:44Z")
Repetative low frequency noise ---
**Author:** ![HelpPlease](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e19adc/32.png) [@HelpPlease](https://community.cartalk.com/u/HelpPlease)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 12:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-sounds-like-a-helicopter-rear-end/35363/5 "2009-08-22T00:04:18Z")
Yeah, that could be a hummer ---
**Author:** ![bscar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bscar/32/34_2.png) [@bscar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bscar)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 4:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-sounds-like-a-helicopter-rear-end/35363/6 "2009-08-22T04:05:36Z")
If it’s disc brakes, they might not have tightened the caliper bolts good enough. Take it back to the shop, don’t go anywhere else until they’ve had a chance to look at it and correct it. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 12:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-sounds-like-a-helicopter-rear-end/35363/7 "2009-08-22T12:15:58Z")
Oldschool got me to thinking. Is this a rattling sound? ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 4:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-sounds-like-a-helicopter-rear-end/35363/8 "2009-08-22T16:51:04Z")
Can’t you read,it sounds like a helicopter (in auto rotate) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 4:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-sounds-like-a-helicopter-rear-end/35363/9 "2009-08-22T16:58:47Z")
More like an auto (in helicopter rotate). I was hoping to get the OP to better describe it. That decription covers a lot of ground. ---
**Author:** ![HelpPlease](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e19adc/32.png) [@HelpPlease](https://community.cartalk.com/u/HelpPlease)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 6:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-sounds-like-a-helicopter-rear-end/35363/10 "2009-08-22T18:05:25Z")
Fixed. It was lose lugs. My tires could’ve fallen off. I had pulled it over the morning that I posted this, and when I went back later that afternoon, I checked them. I could have taken them out with my hands. Good thing I parked it. Thanks for the help. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-sounds-like-a-helicopter-rear-end/35363/11 "2009-08-22T19:01:23Z")
Thanks for the follow up. We so often don’t hear. By the way, I’m going to keep your results as associated with your decription of the symptoms in my mental toolbox. Through the conduit of this forum you’ve helped people who don’t even have the problem yet. Happy motoring. ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2009, 9:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-sounds-like-a-helicopter-rear-end/35363/12 "2009-08-22T21:06:42Z")
The OP stated that her reasearch indicated that saying your car sounds like a helicopter is a common and accepted way to describe the condition.