If you drive a new car, you likely haven’t heard any odd noises being emitted yet but if your car is older, you will start to hear things at some point.  Cars are a collection of a whole lot of components and parts simply wear out and become loose as the years accumulate.  In case you hear some odd sound coming from your car, with the help of the technicians from Roberts Chrysler Dodge of Meriden, a CT-based Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram dealer, we have put together a quick guide to help identify what they problem might be.

Hissing under the hood

Anything making a hissing sound under the hood isn’t a good thing.  Hissing usually means that you have what mechanics call “a vacuum leak”.  Usually it’s when a rubber hose that carries engine vacuum somewhere becomes old and cracks open.  This could affect the operation of some subsystem in your car or disable a part of your emission system.  The good news is that broken vacuum hoses are usually easy to fix.

Clattering from the engine

If your vehicle’s engine makes a clattering that increases with RPM, you valves likely need adjusting. This isn’t necessarily a fatal issue, but it’s one you should have checked out by a qualified mechanic soon.  

Clunking under the front of your car

If your vehicle clunks while driving over a bumpy road something is definitely out of order. Clunking could be from bad ball joints, worn control-arm bushings, broken stabilizer links -pins and perhaps other chassis components.

Squealing under the hood

If your engine is making a squealing sound, it’s usually the serpentine belt.  These belts get old and brittle and often squeal when you start your car. The other thing that will make a belt squeal is the belt tensioners.  Tensioners are spring loaded devices that keep the belt taut. They often get rusted up and the belt becomes loose and squeals.  

Metallic screeching by the wheels

If you hear a screeching sound when you apply your brakes, your brake pads probably need replacing. Many pads are designed with small metal tabs that rub against the rotor when the pad material is worn down. This is to alert the driver to the fact that it’s time to get a brake job. By the way, don’t put this off too long.  If the pad material gets completely worn down to the metal backing, your rotors will get ruined.

 Clunking that increases with speed

A clunking or clicking sound that increases when spped, especially when you are turning a corner is often a failing CV joint.  CV joints are located on your car’s front drive axles and they are a common failure point in older cars.

Groaning when turning

During turns, if your vehicle starts groaning away chances you have a car with a hydraulic power steering system that is low on fluid.  This is a simple one, check to see if the fluid is low and if so, add some.  

Pinging from the engine

If you hear a rattling or pinging coming from your engine, you may be hearing “pre-ignition” or “spark knock.” This often happens when it is very hot out and you are accelerating or towing a heavy load. This usually happens when one puts a lower octane gas in their car to save some money.  As soon as you can add some higher octane gas to your tank and if the problem persists, have your mechanic look at it.