How to Check Your Car's Noises

This article will tell you how to track down the cause of noises in your car.

Do you hear a knocking noise when your car is running? If you do, there are many places this is coming from. If you hear it only when the air conditioner is on, you need to check the air compressor to see if it is damaged or has gone bad. If you hear it when the car is running, check the point gaps. An incorrectly gapped spark plug will cause this, and it is very easy and cheap to fix. Buy a gapper at any automotive store, and ask them what the correct gap is for your make and model. Once gapped, if your noise is still present, try these tips:

Look at the timing chain or belt to see if it is worn or tore, possibly even slipped partially off of the pulleys. Now look at the firing order of your plug wires. If you have one out of order, that means at least one other is out of order. Look in your owner's manual to find the correct order, and replug all of the wires in according to the diagram. Check your choke thermostat as well, because if it is clogged with debris or is stuck, this will cause your vehicle to overheat and cause the noise. Lastly, check to make sure all of your wireset ends are all connected and you are not seeing an electrical arc to the engine from them.

If you hear this only while driving, check the EGR sensor to see if it is plugged in correctly, or if it has went bad. This is a small sensor located above the engine compartment, and is easy to replace. Look also at the EGR time delay switch because it if has went bad, your EGR may be fine. Check your distributor cap to make sure it is not cracked or broken, even loose. This will cause odd noises of many sorts, and could be the source of your problem. Look at the ignition coil now, as it controls many aspects of your running system. If this is damaged or has gone bad or is even making a bad connection, this will cause your noise also.

Last but not least, if you hear this noise while hitting the gas only, you should look at the knock sensor. If it is connected wrong or has gone bad, this will cause your noises. Also look at all the places mentioned above for your noise, as any of these small things can cause a major problem.

You can take your vehicle to any Autozone parts store and have them run a computer diagnostics check for free. This will help you to track down any problems your car is having, based on the memory banks of your computer.