# Rear of car sounds like Helicopter?

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/rear-of-car-sounds-like-helicopter/15975>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [June 28, 2008, 5:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rear-of-car-sounds-like-helicopter/15975 "2008-06-28T17:17:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Pufferella](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pufferella/32/3074_2.png) [@Pufferella](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Pufferella)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2008, 5:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rear-of-car-sounds-like-helicopter/15975/1 "2008-06-28T17:17:39Z")

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My rear tires sound like a helicopter, not an exaust issue, the sound speeds up when I accelerate?

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**Author:** ![dialM4mayhem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bc8723/32.png) [@dialM4mayhem](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dialM4mayhem)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2008, 5:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rear-of-car-sounds-like-helicopter/15975/2 "2008-06-28T17:19:26Z")

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Sounds like flat spots. Did you recently lock up the rear wheels during hard braking or spin out? Either will put flats spots on the tread.

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**Author:** ![Roadrunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@Roadrunner](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Roadrunner)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2008, 5:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rear-of-car-sounds-like-helicopter/15975/3 "2008-06-28T17:35:04Z")

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Is there a vibration associated with the noise? If so, there may be a tire separation.

Let me add: If the tires are old you MAY have a tire separation in a sidewall and have a bulge in the rubber hitting something as the tire turns in the wheel well.

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**Author:** ![Manolito](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/manolito/32/3070_2.png) [@Manolito](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Manolito)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2008, 11:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rear-of-car-sounds-like-helicopter/15975/4 "2008-06-28T23:31:11Z")

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What kind of car? A ‘whomp whomp whomp’ sound from the rear can also be a wheel bearing. Wheel bearing sounds will change as they warm up. Tire flat spots will sound pretty much the same through the whole drive.

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**Author:** ![SteveF](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/stevef/32/2_2.png) [@SteveF](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SteveF)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2008, 12:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rear-of-car-sounds-like-helicopter/15975/5 "2008-06-29T00:18:13Z")

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You can try rotating the tires, front-to-back, to see if the noise changes position. If so, suspect one of the tires.

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**Author:** ![JEL343](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@JEL343](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JEL343)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2008, 2:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rear-of-car-sounds-like-helicopter/15975/6 "2008-06-29T02:06:32Z")

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If it is a rear drive car check rearend

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**Author:** ![crankwalk5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@crankwalk5](https://community.cartalk.com/u/crankwalk5)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2008, 2:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/rear-of-car-sounds-like-helicopter/15975/7 "2008-06-29T02:55:49Z")

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what kind of vehicle? (he asked kindly).

for all i know it is a helicopter (in that case its normal)