• Car sound
• Car noise
• What they mean
• What to do
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Cars are no longer a luxury but a necessity.

We rely on it as much as we rely on our computer, credit cards or mobile phone. Some would even name their cars, and give it as much affection as others would give their fur babies.

A real owner knows every nook and crannies, every scratch, every curve  and every sound their car makes.

Hearing the vehicle making an unusual noise could be one of the biggest peeves of owners and it can also be worrisome – but do not panic.

Our  guide will help you identify car noises, when and where it is happening  and what they could mean; to give your car the attention it deserves. 

1. Rattling

When stepping on the clutch:

When you hear a rattling sound when stepping on the clutch, you might be hearing your transmission’s throwout bearing getting shoved against its pressure plate and starting to spin around.

If it’s worn out or wasn’t lubricated properly when installed, this is about the only time it’ll make noise.

Let off the pedal to be sure that the rattling sound is gone and know that a new throwout bearing might be required in your immediate future. 

When the noise is coming from underneath the car:

The sound of loose change rattling around underneath your engine’s cylinder head cover is most likely a result of not enough engine oil or a whole lot of loose valves.

These won’t annihilate everything else inside of that cylinder head, since they can be easily tightened with a screwdriver, but neglecting loose valves can lead to a loss in power and premature wear. 

It is also possible that a part of the exhaust has lodged itself down there or suspension has come undone.

A broken catalytic converter is also a potential cause that would require a mechanic’s attention. 

2. Clunking 

When driving: 

If the clunk happens when you drive over bumps, you might want to check your car’s suspension.

The car suspension system includes ball joints, stabilizer links, and coil springs and it would be challenging to identify which one of those parts is broken without a professional mechanic. 

Nonetheless, if you have a suspension noise that suddenly disappears, there’s a good chance the component is broken and disconnected from the rest of your car.

It is also recommended to take a quick look under your car to check for a loose tail pipe or muffler before going to the shop.

When taking a turn:

On the other hand, If you hear strange noises only when turning, the issue could be with  your car’s wheels or tires.

Low inflation or tire wear might be causing this sound. Other possible reasons are  worn wheel bearing or incorrect wheel balance.  

When accelerating:

If the clunking sound is not coming from the engine but coming from underneath, it’s more obvious when you speed up and it gets louder when you turn.

This could be due to a loss of packing grease that has been causing all the metal pieces to rub against each other.

Put it off long enough and you’ll need a tow truck and a whole new halfshaft to fix it. 

When using the brakes:  

If your car makes a clunking sound when you use the brakes, it could mean there is significant wear or damage to the brake discs, calipers or pads. 

3. Knocking 

When accelerating:

There is an engine condition that sometimes sounds like ‘knocking’, but it actually sounds like a faint metallic ‘ping’ when you accelerate.

This can be due to an engine that’s poorly tuned, or running on the wrong fuel – low  Research Octane Numbers (RON) rating.  

Using a low-grade gasoline when it requires high octane may damage the spark plugs.

As a result, the engine pistons will move erratically, and you could hear a ‘knocking’ sound.

This can easily be rectified by ensuring you use the right type of gasoline. 

When the noise is coming from the engine:

This is one of the last sounds you want to hear and about the easiest to diagnose.

Knocking sounds emanating from the lower half of an engine often means that the rod or its bearing is in trouble.

This typically happens because of oil starvation or over-revving. 

On the other hand, a bent or burned exhaust valve, a loose timing chain or a cracked flex plate,  which can also create a knocking noise but won’t be as rhythmic as a bad rod bearing. 

Get it checked out as soon as you can. An expert will be able to tell you if it actually is a big problem with the engine’s insides, or something that’s more easily fixed.  

4. Banging, popping or sputtering 

When shutting off the engine:

If your car sputters after removing the keys from the ignition, the gasoline might still be burning through the compression in the cylinder without the aid of a spark plug, better known as “dieseling”. 

Although this issue is somewhat limited to older engines with carburetors, do not be surprised if you hear a couple coughs from your engine after turning it off.  

When the noise is coming from the front of the car:

If the sputter is coming from the front of the car, it could indicate a problem with the engine’s fuel, ignition or exhaust system.

There could be a blocked fuel filter, an old spark plug or a malfunctioning catalytic converter. 

When the noise is coming from the exhaust pipe:

A loud bang from your exhaust pipe happens when unburned fuel comes out of the engine and ignites in the tailpipe.

This could be caused by a vacuum or exhaust leak, or a problem with the catalytic converter. In an older car, it could suggest that the engine is out of tune. 

5. Roaring

When accelerating:

A good engine should roar, but not too loudly.

Roaring or a plain noisy exhaust when you accelerate usually points firmly to an exhaust leak at a gasket or in one of the exhaust components, such as the flexpipe, resonator or muffler. 

Although holes in your muffler are not detrimental to car performance, they are dangerous since they may allow dangerous fumes to leak into the passenger cabin; so it should be checked out straight away.

Depending on where it’s leaking, the exhaust may be repaired. If that’s not feasible, you’ll need to replace the leaking component.

The roaring could also be due to a problem with the cylinder compression.

If there is an uneven air-fuel ratio in the cylinder, combustion can occur at a higher rate than normal.

Higher pressure in the cylinder can cause the engine to roar louder than normal. Not attending to this issue can lead to engine damage. 

6. Ticking or clicking 

When taking a turn:

If you hear a clicking or humming noise when turning in one direction but the noise disappears when turning the other way, this could be a problem with your wheel bearings or a CV axle that's torn and leaking grease.

Without grease, the components become dry and start making a clicking sound.

If there’s no damage, your technician could replenish the grease and replace the boot. Otherwise, the CV axle should be replaced.

When using the brakes:

A clicking or scraping sound in your brakes could mean that something in your braking system is damaged, or it might mean that there’s something stuck in your brake.                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

When the noise is coming from the engine:

If something is ticking and clicking in your engine, check your car’s oil tank and dipstick.

Engines rely on lubricating oil to run smoothly, and noisy pistons are often an indication of low oil levels. 

However, a ticking engine could also suggest that there is a problem with the valve train especially for older vehicles.

If your car has not been serviced regularly, it might simply indicate that your engine is worn-out. 

7. Grinding

When starting the car:

Most of the time this serves as a warning that an accessory belt is about to fail or the new one has been muscled far too tight.

Inspect whatever belts are wrapped around things like your A/C compressor, alternator, power steering pump, or water pump for excessive wear and for too much or too little tension.

When using the gear stick:

If your gear stick is grinding while you’re shifting up through the gears, it could mean your clutch is worn out or your shift linkage needs adjusting. 

Grinding could also signify a deeper problem within the transmission.

But if you’re running low on power steering fluid, your car will soon let you know by a grinding noise caused by air bubbles trapped in the fluid. 

When taking a turn:

If you’re taking a tight turn at low speed and your car is making a grinding noise, it could mean that your CV axle is damaged or worn out.

A worn-out CV joint needs replacing immediately, so contact an auto mechanic right away.

When using the brakes:

When you hear a grinding noise when you’re stopping or slowing down, this could mean that the metal backing of the pads is rubbing against the brake disc rotors.

Your brakes won’t work well, and the metal-to-metal contact will quickly damage the discs.

However, If your tires are wet, the brakes might screech for a while, but the noise will eventually disappear.

Some brake pads have "squealers”.

These are  a piece of metal that rubs against the brake rotor once the pad material gets low.

The sound works as a reminder that your brake pads may need replacing. 

When the noise is coming from underneath the car:

If the grinding is coming from under the car, it could mean that the gearbox, universal, CV joint or wheel bearing  might be low on oil. 

8. Hissing 

When accelerating:

If the hissing happens when you accelerate, it is usually a sign of a vacuum leak from one of the small hoses around the engine’s air intake.

One of the hoses could be cracked or has come loose.

You should have your vehicle service immediately if you notice this noise accompanied by steam from under your hood and/or the heat of your engine is significantly rising.

When the noise is coming from under the bonnet:

If you hear a hissing sound when shutting off your vehicle, it could also be a sign that something is leaking in your car engine, which should be easy to fix once you’ve managed to locate it. 

The hissing could be due to liquid/s such as engine oil, transmission fluid or radiator coolant falling leaking onto the engine block or exhaust manifold.

It is also possible that your radiator might be  overheating, which can be a serious problem.

9. Whistling 

When shutting off the engine:

If you’re still hearing whistling after your car is turned off, the noise could be coming from the radiator pressure cap.

This cap is designed to release excess heat from overheated coolant, but sometimes the seal of the part’s rubber gasket breaks and air leaks out.  

When the noise is inside the car:

If you only hear this noise inside your car while driving, there is most likely an issue with your vehicle’s weather-stripping. 

10. Squealing 

When driving:

This is usually a sign that your bearings aren’t functioning well.

But which ones?

If you have front-wheel drive, and the sound changes as you turn left, right and back again, it’s likely your front-wheel bearings.

If you have rear-wheel drive and the whine gets louder as you accelerate, your differential, which allows your wheels to spin at different rates when needed, could be leaking fluid.

Get it fixed immediately. 

When using the brakes:

If the squealing comes from the wheels when you use the brakes, your brake pads are probably telling you that it’s time to replace them.

The pads could be so worn that metal is touching metal.

Never put off brake repair!

Let it go on long enough, and that noise will be the cause of all sorts of problems such as bungled-up rotors or drums.  

When locking the steering wheel:

You’ll hear a high-pitched whine if your vehicle has hydraulic power steering and you “lock” the steering wheel by turning it to the point at which it doesn’t turn anymore.

This strains the power steering pump, and if you hold this position for more than a few seconds, you risk damaging the pump.

Back off about an inch from the lock position to ease the increase in pump pressure, and the noise should disappear.

If you hear a constant whine, your pump is probably already damaged. 

When the noise is coming from the front of the car:

If your car is squealing for attention when accelerating, especially if your car is just warming up, it could be that you have a loose, worn or cracked accessory belt. 

These belts drive things like your power steering pump, air conditioner compressor and alternator.

They can stretch or crack over time as they circulate at high speeds around a system of pulleys.

If your belt breaks or snaps then your car won’t run anymore, so get it looked at as soon as possible to avoid a breakdown. 

Money-saving tip: it’s usually more cost-efficient to replace them both at one time, rather than separately.

It’s also possible that the belt doesn’t have enough tension (either the tension needs to be adjusted or the belt tensioner is worn).

If there’s not enough tension, the belt is slipping.

When the noise is coming from the tires:

However, if the squealing is coming from your tires, you should turn your cap round the right way and go a bit easier on the accelerator. 

11. Humming

When the noise is coming from the front of the car:

The humming noise could be caused by too much tension on the timing belt.

Unlike an overtightened accessory belt, you can cause all sorts of expensive damage inside that big box of pistons and valves.

In most cases, it is easiest to release and reset the timing belt’s tensioner instead of trying to figure out whether or not the right amount of tension’s been applied. 

When the noise is coming from the tires:

This usually happens when the tires are old or of poor quality.

It could also be a sign of having “feathered tires”, which is basically the uneven wearing of your tires.

Feathered tires could be a symptom of a worn suspension component, causing tires to bounce as you drive rather than rolling smoothly down the road.

12. Thudding 

If you hear this sound, pull over right away, and check your wheels and tires.

it could be that the air pressure in your tires is low and uneven.

Driving on a flat or damaged tire can cause lasting damage to your wheels so if the slapping starts, stop driving.

If the tire pressure is low, either fill it to the proper specification or swap it out with the spare tire. 

If you do not have a flat tire, the problem could be loose wheel nuts, which means the wheel could fall off.

Jack up your car slightly to take some of the weight off and use the lug wrench to tighten the wheel nuts.

It also could be a sign that your wheel alignment is off.

If your tires aren’t properly aligned, it can cause poor gas mileage and shorten your tires lifespan.

The thudding noise is usually paired with a bumpier ride, so you might also notice that your car isn’t driving as smoothly as it used to.