 Engine Making Noises: Serious Or Not?
Posted by carsandtrucks on Friday, December 14 @ 10:44:10 PST
Automobiles, like infants, they can't talk but they sure can tell you when something is wrong. If you don't feed the baby, the screams you hear are telling you that he or she is hungry. If you don't put oil in the engine of your vehicle, the noises you hear will be telling you something is terribly wrong. The tough part comes in deciding which noises need immediate attention and which can be ignored for a short time. Unlike babies, your car is equipped with warning lights. If you hear an unusual noise that is coupled with a warning light come on, stop
the vehicle as soon as possible and check the component associated with the warning light. Example: you hear a knocking noise from under the hood and the oil light is blinking at you. Without hesitation, shut the engine off and check the oil level. With so many different sounds that can come from your vehicle, it is difficult to tell you which ones are associated with a particular part.
Generally speaking, if the noise is from under the hood and it is "knocking," then don't drive it. If it is squealing, it probably is drive belt related and you should be able to drive to a repair shop.
The more obvious cause of noises are sounds that occur under very specific conditions. For example: if there is a grinding noise when you apply the brake, and only when you apply the brake, you can be assured you have a brake issue. When you do bring your vehicle to a repair shop with a noise complaint, be as specific as possible. Intermittent noises are very difficult to diagnose and the more descriptive you can be as to what the noise sounds like, when it happens, what type of driving conditions, etc. the better. The more information you provide the quicker the diagnosis and repair process so the less it cost you. It also makes sense for you to write your description down. Ask the service advisor to give the note to the technician that will be doing the repair. This assures that he/she has an accurate description.
Whenever possible request that the technician goes for a test drive with you prior to the repair. I have had cases where the technician found and repaired a noise only to find out later that the noise repaired was not the one the customer was concerned about.
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