Q: My car makes a creaking noise when cold but once warm it is completely quiet

asked by on November 12, 2017

A couple days ago, I was getting in my car in the morning to go to work as usual. It was pretty cold out. My car started as usual. However, once I began to accelerate, it starting making a loud creaking noise. The noise only lasted until the car warmed up. Once warm, it was gone. The same thing happened the next morning but the noise wasn’t as loud (it wasn’t as cold out). This morning, I let my car warm up for a few minutes before moving, and there was no noise. Everything feels normal and runs great whether it’s making the noise or not. I get regular oil changes and regular maintenance done.

My car has 67600 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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Trying to pin down noises in writing can be pretty tricky. what you call a whine I might call a roar, What you call a rattle I may call a knock, you get the idea. The reason I say this is that the most common cold startup noise people experience that goes away when warm is a belt squeal. It could be described as a creak, But when I think of creaks it’s usually more like the coffin lid opening in old horror movies. Creaks as I know them in automobiles are usually experienced while the car is moving and the suspension is moving over the bumps. If it’s a belt squeal, it can easily be solved by a belt or tensioner replacement. Suspension creaks are usually attributed to worn control arm bushings and frankly I think your car is a little too new for that. In either case, you can have this conveniently checked out by contacting YourMechanic. They can send a technician to your home or office to check out your creaking noise and tell you what you need to do.

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