My car is making a funny noise

StewartR

StewartR

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Can anyone work out what it is?

The car is a VW Golf 1.4 TSi DSG, 59 plate. I've noticed that it's recently started to make a sort of droning noise when I'm driving. Here are my observations:

* The noise is definitely coming from the front of the car somewhere but I can't tell whether it's from the engine or from the wheels.
* The drone is a constant low pitch, I would estimate approximately 40-80Hz.
* As the car goes faster the drone might get a bit louder - it's hard to tell, because the engine noise is getting louder - but it doesn't change pitch.
* Lifting off the accelerator doesn't stop the noise.
* Changing gear doesn't affect it. Even putting the gearbox into neutral whilst coasting doesn't affect it.
* If I rev the engine whilst sitting stationary on neutral, I don't hear the noise. Only whilst actually driving.

Any ideas? Any more observations you'd like me to make?
 
Has it been serviced recently? If so, did they put any undertrays back properly? I would expect a wheel bearing to vary in pitch according to speed but something flapping about would do so at a near constant pitch, varying only in volume - faster = louder.
 
Tyres can also cause a droning noise too. Check for uneven wear.
 
Tinitus? :D

Try turning the heater fan off.
 
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Another one for wheel bearings. You don't mention mileage but Id expect them to go between 80-100k. I had the front passenger side done on my v50 about a month ago, having them changed makes an unbelievable difference.
 
Has someone zip-tied a harmonica to the valance?
 
Try jacking the car up and spin each of the front wheels They should spin quite easily, but if not the wheel bearing would be suspect.
 
my citroen needed front wheel bearings at about 55k as well exactly that sound.
 
Have you put a roof rack on ? or bike carrier ?
 
Sorry but isnt it simple to check if wheel or engine? STOP dont move rev engine up.. if noise happens then not the hweel bearings.. if noise doesnt happen then probably is summat to do with wheels

sometimes we lok for the harder answer :)
 
KIPAX said:
Sorry but isnt it simple to check if wheel or engine? STOP dont move rev engine up.. if noise happens then not the hweel bearings.. if noise doesnt happen then probably is summat to do with wheels

sometimes we lok for the harder answer :)
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No need to be so disparaging. I'm pretty sure there are things I know about that you don't. But cars isn't one of them. And in an area where you don't know anything, all answers are hard!

However... I can rev up the engine whilst the car is stationary and in neutral, but I can't rev up the engine whilst the car is stationary and in gear. Is that important? I don't know. And how come the pitch of the noise doesn't change when I drive faster? Is that important? I don't know.
 
As many others have said, the symptom is a classic one for wheel bearing wear. I've had the taper type bearings typically found on the front wheels of RWD cars fail before 60,000 miles, but it's been a long time since I've had one fail on anything vaguely modern - the Porsche is at 120,000 miles and on its original bearings and the Audi at 190,000 miles and smiliarly on original bearings.
 
Yep, wheel bearing.
I had the exact same thing last year and couldn't figure out what it was.( @ChrisR pointed out what it was on the F&C Peak District weekend.)
... until I put it in for a service and had an extra £380 to pay :)
 
KIPAX said:
Sorry but isnt it simple to check if wheel or engine? STOP dont move rev engine up.. if noise happens then not the hweel bearings.. if noise doesnt happen then probably is summat to do with wheels

sometimes we lok for the harder answer :)
Click to expand...


Ah yes - Have you checked your Nikon 70-200 f2.8? :D


Sorry in joke based on a recent Kipax suggest - with - "it's the obvious answer.."
 
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StewartR said:
No need to be so disparaging. I'm pretty sure there are things I know about that you don't.
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eh? I thought I was being helpful.. obviosuly not.... sigh :(

PS my response was to the whole thread who didn't seem to have thought of it..

anyway.. whatever.. i guss some people just look for an argument even when there being helped :(
 
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Have you got a jack ? You could jack up the wheel in turn, spin them by hand and see if you can hear any grumbling or if 1 wheel is noisier than other (i.e. the bearing is starting to go)...

Another question - possible long shot, but does it go away / change at all if you apply the brakes (at various pressure, from a light touch) - just wondering if you've worn pads / the disc is catching the outer edge of the pad backing plate ?
 
Hi , my money is also on Wheel bearing ,i have had 4x4 vehicles and if i get a drone its either a diff bearing or a wheel bearing,sometimes its hard to tell if its rear or front,you may think its coming from the front but you may be surprised to find its a rear one,a good garage should tell you prettty quick with a test run for you ,normaly i would test mine as already sugested by steering right and left and seeing if it disapears ,usualy around 50mph will tell you ..i am always happy if its a wheel bearing as Diffs are expensive and a couple of wheel bearings are pretty easy to do ...Tyres can give a drone noise ,you will usualy notice this on different types of road and can usualy be easy to elimanate ...not sure how old your tyres are but they could be worth checking...in my opinion i dont think its anything thats going to be expensive and the money is on a wheel bearing
 
Book it in for a free health check at a ATS garage ,rather than second guessing it
 
Check your tyres for free first. I'm not talking normal tyre drone. Its a common fault on golf's Google Castling tyres or saw tooth tyres.

It could be wheel bearing BUT after a dealer told my father it was wheel bearings and after they changed them and then moved onto his Diff they eventually checked his tyres. So after £2k worth of work for a £60 fix my dad had new wheel bearing and a free diff..
 
Easy to tell if it's tyres if the noise changes when the surface does Mine sound horrendous on chippings after being on asphalt to the point you'd swear something just broke when you transition. But yeh, probably a bearing.
 
My money is on the wheel bearing. I would check the rest of suspension at the same time. It is probably well shagged by now.

Also check the engine chain. When they go wrong (and they do!) you can kiss it goodbye.
 
Do people no longer clean and re-grease their wheel bearings? I last cleaned and greased wheel bearings, back in the early 90s. It was on my Escort mk3 after it developed a droning noise. By cleaning the bearings and re-greasing it took the noise away. If the wheel bearing are dry re-greasing may help, provided the bearings are not excessively worn. I have not tinkered with cars in many years, but do modern cars need to have their wheel bearings repacked?
 
Funny noise? To my experience strange noises from the car ain't funny but guite the opposite and tends to be rather expensive. Is wheel bearings out of the question?
 
Thanks everyone for the advice and suggestions. Hopefully the answers will be revealed later today.
 
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