I drive a 2000 toyota corolla, lately I have noticed a rattling sound coming from my front passenger tire, sounds like a rattling chain! I can hear this when My windows are down, and noticed it from the street when my husband was driving by the other day, what could this be and is it a sign of something potentially dangerous?
It could be a huge number of things, some of which could be harmless and some that could be dangerous. One common harmless thing is a loose heat shield on the exhaust system.
Is it only while driving? Only at idle? Only when cold? Hot? All of the above or what?
Does the car have hubcaps? If so, remove them and make sure a lug nut isn’t rattling around underneath.
Sometimes the hubcaps themselves make noise.
it happens only when I am driving. Last October I had the rack and pinion replaced. Someone suggested that this noise could be the wheel bearings?
no hubcaps!
Ok - only when driving - but you really must be more descriptive. Does it change as you speed up or slow down? Change when you apply the brakes? Turn the wheel? Is there anything that makes it start/stop? Describe - in meticulous detail.
Or just take it to a local shop and have someone check it out.
Wheel bearings don’t rattle.
FYI: I’ve Never Heard One, But Toyota Says That Some 1999 - 2002 Corolla Vehicles Develop A “Squealing And / Or Rattling” Accessory Drive Belt Tensioner.
You can have Toyota look up a Technical Service Bulletin on this matter and see if your vehicle’s VIN fits the problem vehicle profile.
The tensioner is located on the accessory business end of the engine near the passenger front tire.
The fix is to buy and install an “improved” (revised parts) Toyota tensioner / tensioner sub-assembly, belt, and bolt and install these parts in place of the old ones.
Anyhow, give a close listen in the accessory belt area, especially during engine deleleration after a cold soak. A cheap ($10 - $20) mechanic’s stethoscope may help confirm or rule out this possibility. Use caution when using it on a running engine.
CSA
So I took the car out for a drive to try and nail down the sound. It is definitely is NOT a squealing sound, it almost sounds like 2 washers rattling against each other or pocket change jingling or a chain jingling. It is coming from front passenger tire area, and does not jingle when I am just sitting at an idle or backing up. It happens when I am driving or even coasting and jingles a little more when going over bumps in the road. Seems to not be there when I am pressing the breaks, or turning!
Weird! Im perplexed!
wheel bearings can make a rumble and cracking sound, which might be construed as a rattle.