# Strange sound under car **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 10, 2002, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-sound-under-car/136184 "2002-11-10T22:31:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2002, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-sound-under-car/136184/1 "2002-11-10T22:31:01Z")
I just finished a work week in Tustin, Orange County, CA–thirty-five miles from home, and I traveled on three freeways. During the last 24 hours, my car has been making a strange creaking or squeaking noise audible when there is a reflecting surface to my left and I have the window open, as I did on the Garden Grove Freeway (CA SR 22) on the way home yesterday evening. I just had the engine rebiult last year; I recently had to push the trip odometer button since this dial was not moving (the regular odometer and the speedometer are not affected.) I hope this isn’t the harbinger of a serious condition… ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2002, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-sound-under-car/136184/2 "2002-11-10T23:16:11Z")
Far, far too little information for a meaningful answer. Could be anything. Does it happen while stopped and idling? Does it happen when the car’s in neutral? Does touching the brake while rolling alter the sound at all? How about if you accelerate slightly, or back off? Try getting someone to walk alongside the car while you drive slowly. That may at least help with narrowing it down to front or rear. Play around and give us a bit more useful info, and maybe someone can help. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2002, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-sound-under-car/136184/3 "2002-11-14T22:30:05Z")
In the last two days or so I have not heard the sound at all, not even when driving on the freeway (it only happened when the engine was running and I don’t recall it happening while the car was standing still). Anyway, yesterday, I had the car serviced at the corner station, to replace the pan gasket on the automatic transmission. If there had been such a sound (perhaps like a squeaky hub on a cassette player) then they would have noticed it, and fixed it on their own, or at least told me about it. It happened after heavy rains in the Los Angeles area, so that may be the cause… ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-sound-under-car/136184/4 "2002-11-15T06:33:01Z")
WAG here, but if it was a squeak that occured after heavy rain, I’m thinking that an engine belt is the most likely culprit. If they put on all new belts when they rebuilt the engine then most likely they just need tightened. The next time it rains heavy, have someone stand near the engine (while you keep the car in park of course). Rev up the engine and if they don’t hear the squeak then turn the wheels left and right. Revving up the engine will make everything spin faster, and turning the wheels makes the power steering pump do some work which increases the load on the belt that spins it. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-sound-under-car/136184/5 "2002-11-15T06:36:54Z")
Nope don’t think so e\_c\_g, not if the sound was first heard travelling along the freeway, with the wheels straight ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-sound-under-car/136184/6 "2002-11-15T08:50:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Princhester \* > \*\*Nope don’t think so e\_c\_g, not if the sound was first heard travelling along the freeway, with the wheels straight \*\* And why wouldn’t that be consistant with a belt slipping? I only suggested turning the wheels is just to maybe aggrivate the problem. Even if it is a belt, turning the wheels might not make it worse, but if it does then you can probably narrow it down to which belt very easily. You might try turning on the lights too. If it’s the alternator belt then adding an electrical load might make it squeak more. I have no idea if it is a belt or not, but from where I’m sitting a slipping belt is consistent with what has been posted. It’s the fact that it happens in the rain that makes me think it’s a belt. Most other squeaks I can think of wouldn’t be affected by moisture. ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-sound-under-car/136184/7 "2002-11-15T14:23:47Z")
That was my thought, too, **engineer comp geek** : that it was a slipping belt. Might not necessarily be affected by steering, though; lots of cars use separate belts for alternator and steering. Could be the alternator belt slipping. Were a lot of electrical devices on at the time? ---
**Author:** ![\_etalhea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/779978/32.png) [@\_etalhea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_etalhea)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-sound-under-car/136184/8 "2002-11-15T17:05:02Z")
It’s simple! Your flux capacitor is not modulating at the proper frequency. Take it down to Jiffy Lube and have them hit it with an inverse tachyon field and then rotate the antimatter injectors. That should clear it up. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-sound-under-car/136184/9 "2002-11-15T23:22:39Z")
_Originally posted by //\etalhea|)_ > [@](#): > > It’s simple! Your flux capacitor is not modulating at the proper frequency. Take it down to Jiffy Lube and have them hit it with an inverse tachyon field and then rotate the antimatter injectors. That should clear it up. Your Honor, I object! Counselor is speaking in Babylonian! 😃 [nod to _Benson_] –dougie\_monty 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SandWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8491ac/32.png) [@SandWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandWriter)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2002, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-sound-under-car/136184/10 "2002-11-16T00:23:27Z")
I agree with Metalhead that the problem could be in the flux capacitor, but I think you also have to look at the oscillation Overthruster. You need to take it over to the Oil Stop and have them adjust the transmorgrifier for memory usage instead of speed. Have them do a peep-hole optimization calibration as well. That needs to be done every 5k miles. You’d be surprised at the number of people that skip on these common maintainence tasks. Good Luck! -Sandwriter ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2002, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-sound-under-car/136184/11 "2002-11-16T01:01:48Z")
Universal joints?? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2002, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-sound-under-car/136184/12 "2002-11-16T02:36:55Z")
Depends on the universe. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2002, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-sound-under-car/136184/13 "2002-11-16T04:26:36Z")
Might it be a bad muffler bearing? ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2008, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/strange-sound-under-car/136184/14 "2008-08-23T20:45:42Z")
More recently, I’ve noticed another noise (the earlier one no longer occurs) when I accelerate ascending a hill. The closest approximation is a circular saw cutting through wood, though not so even or harsh.