Q: Propeller sound from under the car but only when driving in a straight line.

asked by on March 22, 2017

there is a loud propeller sounding knocking coming from under the car while driving above 30mph. The sound subsides when I turn to the left or right (even very minor turns of the steering wheel), only occurs while driving completely straight. Sound changes pitch and volume depending on speed. Does not seem to be an engine issue. Subsides while weight is being transferred off the front end as well.

My car has 150000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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Hi There, What you are describing sounds like possibly a failing wheel bearing. A wheel bearing will usually fail due to pitting or small damage on the surface of the rollers or the bearing race. Over time the bearing will wear slightly, allowing microscopic pieces of metal into the grease. These microscopic pieces of metal, as well as any contamination that gets into the bearing, will wear away at the highly polished surfaces causing pitting and deformation. Since so much weight is riding on your wheel bearings, and so much load is put on them in corners, even the smallest amount of surface damage to your bearing can cause a lot of noise, which may fluctuate depending on which wheel bearing is damaged and to what degree. I would suggest having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose and inspect your vehicle.

Hi there. Typically a clicking sound that increases in speed in conjunction to the momentum of the vehicle will come from the wheel or drive line. In some cases the noise is due to a brake rotor that is warped, and is clicking against the brake caliper. It can also be due to a wheel bearing that is damaged, CV joint that is damaged or even the inside of the wheel that has a wheel weight that is clicking on the brake caliper. The best way to diagnose this problem is to have a professional mechanic come to your location and complete a car is making a noise inspection.

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