So my Nissan Xterra 2006 has started making a weird noise about a week ago. I haven’t noticed any problems while driving it but id really like to figure out what’s causing the noise. It routinely starts when I start up the car after sitting parked for a while. Example, if I start the car up to go to the store it’ll make the noise but after turning the car on and leaving the store I don’t hear it. The noise lasts just a little while and is loudest at about 20mph. So once the car is warmed up I don’t hear it. I can’t really pinpoint where it’s coming from because the car has to be in motion driving forward for it to start.
It sounds like it’s coming from under the car. I’d like to hear some second opinions from some more experienced people on what it could be.
Jack up each tire and rotate it by hand and see if you can re-create the sound. It, at least, may isolate which wheel is having problems. I do assume that the noise is tire/wheel related.
You may not hear the sound at very low speed because the wheel does not turn fast enough, or at a high enough speed where road noise is louder than the noise you are hearing at 20mph
There is so much noise from the wind affecting the microphone of the phone, it’s pretty hard to hear much.
What I thought I heard may just be a brake dust shield that somehow got bent enuogh that it is scraping on the brake rotor. Also with the age of this car, if you live in the rust belt…that dust shield may be rotted away causing the noise.
I would second @kurtwm2010 and jack the vehicle up and spin each wheel to tie this down.