I have a 2011 honda accord with about 14k miles on it. I recently has ankle surgery and so have not been driving my car much, maybe once a week. I noticed when I have my windows down and am driving at low speed I can hear a sound that sounds like if you were to take a playing card and stick it in bike spokes, then spin the wheel. If I put my windows up I can’t hear it. Does anyone have an idea of what the problem might be?
I would roll up the window again.
Could be bearings or axle. Jack up the car and rotate each tire by hand and see if you can identify where it comes from.
I had more of a ticking sound for 3 years, maybe 30k miles, front wheel bearing went out, and after the new wheel bearing no more ticking.
I’m thinking wheel bearing too. Was the car ever in an accident? I ask because my daughter was and the car had a similar sound. It was the right front wheel bearing.
No it has not been in an accident. It almost sounds like it is the rear driver wheel that is making the noise. The noise speeds up in intensity as I speed up and is most noticeable driving about 5-10 mph. How can the bearing wear out after only 14k miles?
I agree, it shouldn’t have worn out with only 14K miles, but you never know. A little curb bump, tires not properly torqued, or something similar could do it. I still would jack up the rear and turn each wheel by hand to see if you can duplicate the problem. Not a big job to fix on the rear wheels.
Or…maybe you just have a playing card in your spokes.
That would be very unusual if the car was not in any accidents, or if that wheel never hit the curb very hard, but if you ever had occasion to drive through deep water, that situation could have led to the problem.
A wheel bearing could have a manufacturing defect. I had one that sounded like a propeller of a small airplane at speeds above 50 mph.
But I don’t think you have a wheel bearing issue. I strongly suspect that one of your rear windows is not quite all the way up and when you roll your front window down, the rear window vibrates in the track at certain speeds.
No that’s not the problem I hear it when all 4 windows are down. Could it be a problem with the tire?
A card in the spokes may produce perhaps 40 clicks per revolution, is this the frequency of clicks you are hearing?
Do you have plastic wheel covers or aluminium wheels?
Yes, that’s a definite possibility. Take a look at the tread pattern all the way around the circumference on that suspect tire. Notice any flat spots, raised areas, steel belt segments poking through?
Try going for a 20 minute drive and braking firmly a few dozen times. If the noise greatly lessens or goes away, it’s rust on the rotor(s) from sitting too long.
Check the tires for nails or stones stuck in the tread.
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That was going to be my suggestion as well. Had a ticking sound coming from back driver side, changed with speed… felt around the tire once parked, and there was a nice size screw stuck in the treads.