Car Noise? Which Noises to Look Out for from Your Car

As soon as you bought and got your brand new car from the dealer's lot, your sudden impulse is to excitedly roam around the town revving that engine too hard. It's understandable especially if you're driving that brand new Mustang or the newest Mercedes Benz model available.

But as the years go by, you'll start to notice that along that nice "vroom" of your engine, there is some car noise too that was inaudible before. As the days goes by, it became more irritating and you will start wondering where these noises came from. Should you be worried?

Name that tune

The following are the most common sounds that you must not ignore:

* A common car noise that you might hear is backfiring that seems like a gunshot. This is usually due to a rich air/fuel mixture in your engine. You might want to have a professional check for faulty ignition, leaky valves or your car's catalytic converter. You might also want to have the monolithic converter or the air injection's diverter valve checked.

* A clattering, hissing, whining or knocking sound from your engine is a car noise definitely worth looking into. The engine is the heart of your car so anything wrong with it should be of primary importance. These sounds are usually symptoms that there is something wrong in it. It could be as simple as running out or about to run out of engine oil or could be a worn camshaft or cam followers. It could also be a leaking hose or your camshaft drive belt was incorrectly tensioned.

* When your car screeches when speeding up or turning/ steering, you should check and adjust the fan belt or the power steering belt as it might be slipping already. However, if you noticed that your car squeals when you brake, this is a car noise for which you should immediately see a mechanic as your brake components such as the brake pads/ discs were already worn out and needs replacement.

Be cautious with any slight difference in the normal sound that your car emits. A new sound or noise is one way of telling us that it is time to visit a mechanic and have our car for a check-up and/or repair.

Car accidents sometimes happen not because of slippery roads or human error while driving. Sometimes they happen because the owners themselves have neglected the most important aspect in road driving: the integrity and road worthiness of the car they are driving. Be careful to not ignore a car noise and your car will last a longer time, as well as keep you safe while driving.