# What is my car trying to tell me? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 29, 2009, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-my-car-trying-to-tell-me/508173 "2009-08-29T17:43:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-my-car-trying-to-tell-me/508173/1 "2009-08-29T17:43:12Z")
For a couple of weeks now, my car (an '07 Taurus) has been making a buzzy hummy rrrrrrrr noise, that changes in pitch with the engine RPMs. As near as I can tell, the noise is coming from the vicinity of the alternator. As far as I can tell the car is running as well as ever (aside from the noise). Does anybody know what’s causing this, and how worried I should be about it? ---
**Author:** ![TheMadHun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@TheMadHun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMadHun)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-my-car-trying-to-tell-me/508173/2 "2009-08-29T18:04:35Z")
Might be a slipping belt. A spray can of “Belt-Ease” is cheap and quick. You’ll solve that or rule it out in two minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-my-car-trying-to-tell-me/508173/3 "2009-08-29T18:29:15Z")
Go down to the auto parts store, & ask them to hook up their detector box to you car’s computer. Free diagnosis is usually offered. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-my-car-trying-to-tell-me/508173/4 "2009-08-31T14:23:52Z")
Bumping, just in case there’s someone from the weekday crowd who can say, “That happened to me, too, and it was…” ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-my-car-trying-to-tell-me/508173/5 "2009-08-31T14:54:19Z")
Could be a bad alternator bearing, bad water pump, or bad idler pulley. Any one of which will lead to an ungraceful failure… Get it checked out by a mechanic if you don’t have a lot of car repair experience. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-my-car-trying-to-tell-me/508173/6 "2009-08-31T14:55:38Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Bumping, just in case there’s someone from the weekday crowd who can say, “That happened to me, too, and it was…” Reminds me of [Eggs Benedict](http://www.ibras.dk/comedy/allen.htm#Eggs). ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-my-car-trying-to-tell-me/508173/7 "2009-08-31T19:42:58Z")
Check your power steering fluid as well. ---
**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2009, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-my-car-trying-to-tell-me/508173/8 "2009-08-31T19:54:49Z")
I’m with beowulff on this one. Most likely a bad alternator bearing (which would not effect charging until a complete failure). Next I’d look for the same problem, but with the power steering pump. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-my-car-trying-to-tell-me/508173/9 "2009-09-01T03:33:40Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Reminds me of [Eggs Benedict](http://www.ibras.dk/comedy/allen.htm#Eggs). 🙂 [QUOTE=SanDiegoTim] I’m with beowulff on this one. Most likely a bad alternator bearing (which would not effect charging until a complete failure). [/QUOTE] Makes sense to me. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-my-car-trying-to-tell-me/508173/10 "2009-09-04T16:25:33Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Could be a bad alternator bearing, bad water pump, or bad idler pulley. Any one of which will lead to an ungraceful failure… > Get it checked out by a mechanic if you don’t have a lot of car repair experience. And, it did turn out to be the idler pulley.