Q: Squeak sound when drive on low speed and make turns . Sounds is loud when it is cold .

asked by on October 04, 2016

Squeak sound when driving at low speed. Noise gets lower when car gets warm . Timing belt and serpentine belt where replaced .

My car has 106500 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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Noises are very difficult pinpoint without directly inspecting your car. I can give you a few things to consider in determining what the source of the squeak is though. Even so, noises are not really that easy to pinpoint. For this reason I always recommend consulting an experienced technician to be sure.

Squeak sounds that go away or change when the car warms up can be a challenge to locate because they don’t stick around long making them difficult to catch soon enough. If your noise stays around when it gets warm, then it makes it much easier to locate. The first question that needs to be answered is, does it change with engine speed or with the speed of the vehicle? This is the first step in knowing where to look. If it changes with the RPM’s (revolution per minute), then the noise is coming from the motor. If the noise changes with the speed you drive, then it is coming from the wheels or an axle.

Under the hood you will need a stethoscope that you can purchase from any auto parts store. They are fairly cheap. Even with a stethoscope, noise can and do resonate from one end of the motor to the other. You may believe a pulley is making the noise, when actually it is another. This is why locating noises can be very challenging.

If it is coming from a wheel, determining which wheel is even more challenging. I have been crawling around the inside of a car while someone else is driving, attempting to locate which wheel bearing is going bad more than I would like to admit. Your squeak could be a number of things that only experience will help you determine. A failing wheel bearing, brakes are at the end of their life, a rock caught in a dust shield, a bent dust shield, dry u-joint or CV axle and the list goes on. Not to mention, the only way to hear the noise is with the car moving. We frequently raise a car in the air on a car rack in gear so we can spin the wheels spinning hoping to locate noises such as yours.

For all these reasons listed above, unless the source of the sound is obvious, which they often are, I recommend booking an appointment with one of our experienced technicians to perform a car is making a noise inspection.

Good luck!

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