3 Steps on Identifying Weird Car Noise

3 Steps to Identify a Weird Car Noise

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Car noise can be more than irritating.

1.  Car noise when in gear, from an idle?

When the vehicle is turned on and first put into drive, there may be a rattle or clanking noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. This car noise may be attributed to the drive shaft universal joints. These joints connect the transmission to the rear differential; and if they have worn down, they could impact the differential by forcing it to work harder, thus wearing down its gears. In order to check the gears of the rear differential, a certified technician will need to be consulted as the procedure requires equipment not commonly available to the consumer.

2. Grinding Gears at Speed

When the vehicle accelerates, there may be more noises like a hum, or continued clank from the rear. This can be due to the gears in the rear differential being stripped or partially worn which creates an awkward motion as they spin the drive shaft. Car noise may be especially bad when the driver accelerates the vehicle quickly and is forced to brake rapidly.

3. Car Noise with Vibration and Fluid Leak

Worn or ripped universal joints will also cause vibration along the drive shaft and into the engine block via the transmission. This may be felt at high speeds in the body of the vehicle or through the floor. The rear differential and universal joints also have seals and use lubricant to work properly, and a leak or crack in a seal may contribute to vibration and failure of rear differential gears. Look for any fluid pooled at the rear of the vehicle after it has sat overnight.

Bottom line: when you have car noise it may or may not be real serious.  I most cases car noise will grow and could lead to serious repairs.  Take the time to identify the source of the noise and make repairs or adjustments as soon as possible.

See What Scotty Kilmer say about Finding the Source of Car Noises car noise

5 Signs of a Bad Engine

5 Signs of a Bad Engine

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A bad engine?

Think you have a bad engine?

Here are five key areas to investigate to see if your bad engine has blown a head gasket, has a cracked head, or cracked cylinder block.

Exhaust

Your exhaust will present one of the common signs of a blown head gasket. When you have a gasket leak, you will notice white smoke coming out of your tailpipe. Sometimes drops of water will drop from the end of the tailpipe. The exhaust will also have a sweet smell to it.

Bubbles

Bubbles are also one of the signs of a blown head gasket. A gasket leak may cause bubbles of air to come into your radiator. To check for this, you should first remove the radiator cap then warm up the engine. When you rev the engine, you will see bubbles come out from the top of the radiator.

Oil

One of the next signs of a blown head gasket is contaminated oil. You may notice a milky ring surrounding your oil cap. This is caused by coolant entering the engine oil through the leaking gasket. This mixture leaves the milky ring around the oil cap when it evaporates. You can check for this by taking the car for a short drive, then checking the oil for contamination.

used enginesEngine

Lack of engine power is also one of the signs of a blown head gasket. The engine will lack power because of compression loss. The engine will also run poorly and will idle roughly. You should also be careful because the engine will overheat quickly when you have a blown head gasket.

Spark Plugs

The spark plugs will present one of the last signs of a blown head gasket. If you have green coolant in your system, the spark plugs may have a green tint around them. If the problem is very severe, the coolant may start squirting out of the plug holes.
These are the most common signs of a blown head gasket. One of the most noticeable is white smoke coming out of your tailpipe. You will also notice that your oil has been contaminated with coolant that will form a milky ring around your oil cap. If you see any of these signs of a blown head gasket, you should stop driving your car and get it fixed. If you don’t, the engine may easily overheat and may cause an expensive repair bill.

Watch Scotty Kilmer’s Youtube Video on How to Tell if your Engine is Worn Out

3 Tips on How to Detect a Bad Rear Axle or Front Axle

3 Tips on How to Detect a Bad Rear Axle or Front Axle

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Have a Bad Rear Axle?

  1. Check for noise when in gear, and from an idle.  When the vehicle is turned on and first put into drive, there may be a rattle or clanking noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. This noise may be attributed to the drive shaft universal joints and may be caused by a bad rear axle. These joints connect the transmission to the rear differential; and if they have worn down, they could impact the differential by forcing it to work harder, thus wearing down its gears. In order to check the gears of the rear differential, a certified technician will need to be consulted as the procedure requires equipment not commonly available to the consumer. Grinding
  2. Check for sound of gears when at various speeds.  When the vehicle accelerates, there may be more noise like a hum, or continued clank from the rear. This can be due to the gears in the rear differential being stripped or partially worn which creates an awkward motion as they spin the drive shaft. Noise may be especially bad when the driver accelerates the vehicle quickly and is forced to brake rapidly
  3. Also, when driving at various speeds, be aware of vibration.  Or simple fluid leak on the ground or garage floor is an indicator of repair need.  Worn or ripped universal joints will also cause vibration along the drive shaft and into the engine block via the transmission. This may be felt at high speeds in the body of the vehicle or through the floor. The rear differential and universal joints also have seals and use lubricant to work properly, and a leak or crack in a seal may contribute to vibration and failure of rear differential gears. Look for any fluid pooled at the rear of the vehicle after it has sat overnight.

Find good used front or rear axles for sale here

Car wont start

Car not starting ? It could be your battery or your starter.

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A car not starting may be from a bad battery or starter.

If car not starting, recognize the different sounds your car makes when the car is not starting. A click usually means there is not enough current to start the car, while a whine usually means there is a misalignment. When you start to hear these noises when trying to start your car, you should speak to a mechanic to see if the starter needs replacing or can be rebuilt.

Check the battery first. A weak battery cannot turn the starter over. Also, clean any corrosion from the battery and make sure the grounding wire from the starter is connected. If the battery is at full strength, and you still only hear a clicking noise, then your starter needs replacing. Turn on the headlights and crank the car. If your lights go out or dim when you turn the key, then you have a problem with the battery or power and not the actual starter. Your headlights remaining steady while your car clicks instead of turning over points to the starter.

Car not starting is easy to troubleshoot.

car not startingGet help identifying sounds.  Keep track of how often many times the car actually starts. If your car turns over and starts intermittently, but then does nothing at other times, you should recognize that as a problem with the starter. Sometimes tapping or shaking the ignition or starter can get your car going again, but you should replace the parts as soon as you get a chance. No kidding! Shake it!

Clean and rebuild a starter before replacing it. If you get the starter apart and any of the parts are corroded or cracked, you should invest in a rebuilt or new starter. Learn to recognize the difference between dirt and corrosion. Simple dirt and grime can be cleaned off with a wire brush. Measure the amperage on the cable that runs from the battery to the starter using a multi meter. Under normal conditions, the starter should draw about one ampere per cubic inch of engine displacement (on a large engine that means 200 or 200A). If the amp draw is too high or too low, then the starter needs to be replaced.

3 Signs of a Bad Alternator

Top 3 Signs of a Bad Alternator

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  1. One of the immediate things that you may notice is that the lights on your dash and inside your car dim at random times and then seems to work again. When this happens you may notice that your engine acts strangely too. This is one of the classic warning signs of a bad alternator. This is because the alternator is beginning to fail and is intermittently not putting out enough juice to power the car.
  2. You may find that you have to repeatedly jump start your car after turning it off. This indicates a possible bad alternator. As long as your battery is in good condition and isn’t too old then this problem generally points to your alternator. This is because the alternator isn’t providing enough electricity to properly charge the battery and it runs down while you are driving and doesn’t have enough power to restart your car. Don’t ignore a problem like this or you will prematurely wear out your battery or become stranded someplace.
  3. A noisy alternator is another warning sign that it is going bad. This is because the bearings inside go out and you can usually hear this when your hood is open. The sound will be coming from the area where your serpentine belt and alternator are and will sound like a sort of rattling spinning noise. It will be loud enough to make you wonder if something is wrong. If your engine is stalling completely, that is one of the signs that your alternator is almost completely dead. Make sure that you don’t drive your car in this condition and have a mechanic or technician check it right away. This means that your alternator is so shot that it can’t even keep the car running and is one of the last warning signs you will get before you can’t even start your vehicle.