I am having two problems with my car that started almost a year ago and have persisted despite multiple visits to my mechanic.
First of all, there has been a high-pitched chirping/whistling come from the right front of my car. The noise follows my wheel and is synchronized to how fast I am going. The noise occurs at any speed under any condition, but when I go faster or slower the chirping will accelerate as well, sometimes over 10-20 times a second at fast speeds. This noise has gotten louder over time and can be rather embarrassing now that it is very noticeable.
Second noise: A thumping/thunking/clunking noise when I brake. This noise seems to come from the left front of my car, however. I am able to just slightly feel it with my feet when it happens. It occurs when I am braking, but only as the braking increases as I get closer and closer to stopping. For example, if I am going 40 mph and am coming up to a stop sign, as I brake the noise will begin to happen when I hit about 20 mph and will continue (but slow down with the car/wheel) as I decelerate until I stop. It is by far worst when I am braking at very low speeds such as navigating a parking lot. This has gotten more noticeable as well. The noise reminds me of a person running with a limp as it sounds like two noises, like a “da-duh, da-duh, da-duh” with the emphasis on the ‘duh’. :-/ The brakes also kind of creak with the noise when I’m at a near-stop.
I am slowly going mad as these noises get worse and worse, but no solution seems to exist according to my mechanic. They thought the thunking noise might be my brakes which were under warranty, but upon replacing the brakes the noise subsists. The other noise seems to be a mystery to them.
This is very troubling and I’d appreciate any help I can get! Thanks!
Perhaps you should solicit the opinion of a different mechanic.
[i] here has been a high-pitched chirping/whistling come from the right front of my car. The noise follows my wheel [/i]
Which is it? Does the noise come from the right front or does it move when your wheel is moved (say from the right front to the right rear)?
With no more information I would guess a warped brake rotor. Were the rotors replaced the last time you replaced the brakes? How old are the brakes now? (miles and months)Definitely do a rotation. No matter what happens, you will have eliminated some variables.
Assuming you haven’t done that, you might what to look at hub caps/wheel covers/ornamentation on the wheel. They can sometimes cause noises and because the mechanic always puts them back on when you leave his shop, the problem is always there. Take them off and see what happens - another variable eliminated!
By the noise following my wheel, I mean as the wheel turns when I’m driving. If I’m driving very slowly, it chirps/squeaks, but very slowly as the wheel turns. If I am driving fast, it chirps/squeaks very quickly.
They have lubed, removed, reinstalled, and checked several times, but the noise never disappears. Finally, last week, they completely replaced everything brake-related for free hoping this would fix the problem but if anything it is louder and more pronounced.
I’m going to request the rotation next week when I go in, but today I will remove my hub caps in order to see if that helps. Thank you for the comment!
If nothing changes after my next visit on this upcoming Tuesday, I definitely will… am at my wit’s end. :-/
If it wasnt for the fact that all that has been replaced, I’d say this sounds a lot like worn pads, and warped rotors, with a possible loose caliper mounting bolt. But, there are other possibilities, such as worn CV joints, a failing wheel bearing, or even dry bushings in the suspension. It might help if you gave the milage?