{"id":3625,"date":"2021-11-05T08:09:38","date_gmt":"2021-11-05T15:09:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/local.usagencies.com\/blog\/?p=3625"},"modified":"2021-11-05T08:09:40","modified_gmt":"2021-11-05T15:09:40","slug":"scary-car-noises","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/car-safety-tips\/scary-car-noises\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Scary Car Noises and What They Really Mean in Louisiana and Alabama"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you want to become a smarter and safer driver, it\u2019s crucial to understand the kinds of noises your car can make and what they mean. More importantly, when can you keep driving and when do you need to pull over and get roadside assistance<\/a>? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even when you\u2019re on top of maintaining<\/a> your vehicle, the truth is that cars can be unpredictable. Out of nowhere, you might hear strange noises from your car \u2014 noises that can sound disturbing or downright scary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we\u2019ll walk you through seven scary car noises, what they really mean, and what you should do when you hear them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Clicking\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you try to start your car and hear nothing except clicking, it means your battery is drained and doesn\u2019t have enough charge to start the engine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a couple of reasons why your battery is drained. First, you may have drained the battery by leaving the headlights, radio, or AC on for too long while the car was off. Second, your battery could simply be worn out and in need of replacement. Or it could be that there\u2019s something wrong with your alternator, which is the component that recharges your battery while your car is running. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to Do When You Hear It\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If you hear this sound, then chances are that you\u2019re not going anywhere. Call a friend or roadside assistance<\/a> service to help jump-start your car to get it home or to the nearest car garage. A mechanic can help determine exactly what the problem is and replace the battery or alternator as needed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Squealing\u00a0From\u00a0Under the Hood\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Squealing from under the hood typically comes from your engine\u2019s drive belt. Your car\u2019s drive belt transmits power from the engine to essential components such as the alternator (the device that charges up your battery) as well as the power steering and AC systems. As the drive belt wears down, it begins to slip, which is what causes the loud squealing sound. Typically, the sound will be at its loudest when you first start your car.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What to Do When You Hear It\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

While it\u2019s normal for your drive belt to become worn, it\u2019s very important that you fix it as soon as possible. In the worst case, the drive belt can snap, which means you\u2019ll very quickly lose important safety and power systems while driving. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Squealing\u00a0From\u00a0the Wheels\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While squealing from under the hood indicates a problem with the drive belt, squealing from the wheels is something else entirely. It could be that your brake pads are not releasing properly. As you drive around, the excessive friction and heat on the pads cause the squealing sound, especially in the rainy<\/a> weather common in Louisiana and Alabama.. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another possibility is that your brake pads are about to wear out. Many brake pad manufacturers intentionally design their brake pads to squeal after a certain percentage of the pad has worn out. So, while the brake pads will continue to function normally, it\u2019s a clear signal that you need to head to the mechanic to replace your brakes sooner rather than later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to Do When You Hear It\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Faulty and worn brakes are no joke. When you hear squealing from your wheels, head to a mechanic or car garage as soon as possible to get your brakes checked and repaired or replaced. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Knocking\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you hear knocking from the engine, especially while accelerating, it usually means that your car has the wrong type of fuel. Fuel requirements are usually given as a minimum octane number<\/a>. While most vehicles work just fine on regular fuel (octane number 87), cars with premium or supercharged engines require higher-quality fuel (octane number 91 or higher) to run properly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to Do When You Hear It\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Check the owner\u2019s manual of your car to see what type of fuel is recommended and make sure that\u2019s what you are choosing the next time you\u2019re at the pump. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are using the right type of fuel and still hear knocking, then it\u2019s time to see a mechanic who can look into the problem further. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Gurgling\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you hear gurgling or bubbling coming from under the hood after your turn off your car, chances are that it\u2019s coming from your cooling system\u2019s expansion tank, which helps keep your car from overheating while driving. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to Do When You Hear It\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

While this usually isn\u2019t an issue if you hear it once or twice, you should get your cooling system checked by a mechanic if you consistently hear gurgling every time you turn off your car. It can get pretty hot<\/a> in Louisiana and Alabama during the summer months, and you\u2019ll need your car\u2019s cooling system to be in good working shape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Whistling\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you hear a whistling sound inside the cabin while you\u2019re driving, it could mean that one of your windows is slightly open or that there\u2019s a leak in the rubber strip around one of your car doors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you hear whistling from under the hood, then it likely means that there\u2019s a problem with a vacuum hose. Several critical systems in your car use vacuum hoses, including your power brakes, so it\u2019s important to get this looked at quickly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to Do When You Hear It\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

For whistling inside the cabin, first check that all of your windows can fully close. If you still hear whistling, you probably need to seal or replace the rubber strip around one of your doors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For whistling under the hood, get your car checked by a mechanic who can replace the vacuum hose. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Grinding\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you have a manual transmission and hear grinding while changing gears, it usually means that the clutch is worn or needs to be adjusted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you hear or feel grinding while braking, it usually means that your brakes are worn to the point that the brake calipers are directly touching the wheel rotor. There\u2019s a possibility that the rotor and\/or calipers are damaged. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to Do When You Hear It\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

For grinding while changing gears, make your way to a mechanic as soon as possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you hear grinding while braking, then your car\u2019s braking system might fail at any time, and it\u2019s no longer safe to drive. Pull over immediately and have a roadside assistance<\/a> service tow your car to the nearest mechanic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t Get Caught Without Roadside Assistance\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you suddenly hear a scary noise coming from your car, the most important thing is not to panic. In most cases, it makes sense to pull over as soon as it\u2019s safe and call a roadside assistance service to take your car to the nearest mechanic to make sure everything is OK with your vehicle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t already have a roadside assistance plan, the great news is that roadside assistance is more affordable than you think.\u00a0We\u00a0offer cheap roadside assistance in Alabama and Louisiana to make sure you\u2019re never stranded anywhere, anytime. Get a\u00a0roadside assistance\u00a0quote\u00a0online<\/a>\u00a0now,\u00a0visit one of\u00a0our\u00a0offices<\/a>\u00a0or call us at\u00a0(800) 420 -3712<\/a>\u00a0today.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you want to become a smarter and safer driver, it\u2019s crucial to understand the kinds of noises your car can make and what they mean. More importantly, when can you keep driving and when do you need to pull over and get roadside assistance?  Even when you\u2019re on top of maintaining your vehicle, the truth is that cars […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":3627,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-car-safety-tips"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3625"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3625"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3625\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3628,"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3625\/revisions\/3628"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3627"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3625"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3625"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usagencies.confiedevstg.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3625"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}