My car has a frog in its throat!
May 17, 2011 7:40 AM Subscribe
YANMMechanic: Why would my car make a strange croaking noise while turning?
I have a 2003 Hyundai Sonata which has recently put me through the wringer for repairs (approximately $2500 worth of engine work--details of which escape me without the service order in front of me--in February and $500 this week for a failed sensor). Now it's making an odd noise when I turn, either left or right.
The noise is something like a deep bullfrog croak. If I had to say where it came from, I'd say under the car in the rear, not in the engine. It only seems to be happening early on in a trip--maybe the first five minutes; then it goes away. It only happens on real turns--never when changing lanes, taking a forked road, etc.
I asked my mechanic about it briefly yesterday when I was dropping my husband off for some repairs on his car, but I didn't have time for him to look at it that day. He asked specifically if the noise went away after driving for a short while, which it does, and suggested that it might need a belt adjustment (however, am I wrong in thinking that belts are mostly inside the car's guts?--from which it doesn't seem that this noise emanates). I did ask him if it would be something that would be likely to kill me if I didn't have it looked at immediately, and he said it most likely wasn't. I'm already sapped financially (and now I think we have to buy my husband another car) but I'm also very leery given this car's track record lately.
Anybody have anything that I could use to soothe (or torture) myself further?
I have a 2003 Hyundai Sonata which has recently put me through the wringer for repairs (approximately $2500 worth of engine work--details of which escape me without the service order in front of me--in February and $500 this week for a failed sensor). Now it's making an odd noise when I turn, either left or right.
The noise is something like a deep bullfrog croak. If I had to say where it came from, I'd say under the car in the rear, not in the engine. It only seems to be happening early on in a trip--maybe the first five minutes; then it goes away. It only happens on real turns--never when changing lanes, taking a forked road, etc.
I asked my mechanic about it briefly yesterday when I was dropping my husband off for some repairs on his car, but I didn't have time for him to look at it that day. He asked specifically if the noise went away after driving for a short while, which it does, and suggested that it might need a belt adjustment (however, am I wrong in thinking that belts are mostly inside the car's guts?--from which it doesn't seem that this noise emanates). I did ask him if it would be something that would be likely to kill me if I didn't have it looked at immediately, and he said it most likely wasn't. I'm already sapped financially (and now I think we have to buy my husband another car) but I'm also very leery given this car's track record lately.
Anybody have anything that I could use to soothe (or torture) myself further?
Possible CV joints. they tend to get noisy when turning when they go.
posted by rich at 7:58 AM on May 17, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by rich at 7:58 AM on May 17, 2011 [3 favorites]
Low power steering fluid? Does it go away if you rev the engine faster?
You might be happier buying a Haynes manual for the car. It walks you through what problems could cause what noises, and explains how the car works.
posted by sninctown at 7:59 AM on May 17, 2011
You might be happier buying a Haynes manual for the car. It walks you through what problems could cause what noises, and explains how the car works.
posted by sninctown at 7:59 AM on May 17, 2011
Yep, CV joints, and you should get it checked out pretty quickly. It can get dangerous if they go out completely. Granted, that's rare (usually they creak a long time), but it's Real Bad if they go out.
posted by randomkeystrike at 8:21 AM on May 17, 2011
posted by randomkeystrike at 8:21 AM on May 17, 2011
I came here to suggest CV joints. Same symptoms when I had a Civic. I wouldn't say it's Real Bad when they go out. Your car just won't go anywhere. I mean, that's bad if it happens on some train tracks or something, but generally it's not a car killer. Any competent mechanic should be able to do this. It won't take a dealership.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 8:22 AM on May 17, 2011
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 8:22 AM on May 17, 2011
I wouldn't say it's Real Bad when they go out. Your car just won't go anywhere.
Are you serious? Clearly you have never had a CV joint fail while you're driving. It is not something to trifle with. It's incredibly dangerous if you're, say, driving on the highway when it chooses to destroy itself entirely.
But they do tend to rub for a while before they fail. Just, don't keep going and pretend it's nothing to worry about. You'll be okay until you can get it fixed. Get it fixed.
posted by InsanePenguin at 8:28 AM on May 17, 2011
Are you serious? Clearly you have never had a CV joint fail while you're driving. It is not something to trifle with. It's incredibly dangerous if you're, say, driving on the highway when it chooses to destroy itself entirely.
But they do tend to rub for a while before they fail. Just, don't keep going and pretend it's nothing to worry about. You'll be okay until you can get it fixed. Get it fixed.
posted by InsanePenguin at 8:28 AM on May 17, 2011
Response by poster: How quick is "pretty quickly"? (i.e., if I wait until Monday will that be deadly?) I have an hourlong commute on Wednesday through Friday of this week and may need to drive my husband around on Saturday to look at cars.
posted by dlugoczaj at 8:45 AM on May 17, 2011
posted by dlugoczaj at 8:45 AM on May 17, 2011
No, you'll be okay. Just don't drive on it for months and avoid hard, sharp turns at high speed. So no rally-racing!
posted by InsanePenguin at 9:22 AM on May 17, 2011
posted by InsanePenguin at 9:22 AM on May 17, 2011
If it is CV joints, they will usually make a ticking noise when you turn (even slowly) with a lot of steering lock on. Usually the more lock the more noise. At slower speeds, you may even feel a slight regular 'go/not so go/go' kind of movement when they get very bad.
It is unlikely that CV joint noise will consistently go away when the car is warm.
The frog croak is interesting. That sounds more like a spring to me - does it make the noise once per turn or repeatedly during the turn? Not sure why that would go away, though. It could also be a rubber bush that is bad and dry enough to make noise after it has sat for a while until it wears in/warms up.
My feeling is it's a rubber bush. Not majorly urgent, but needs attention and may not be as hugely expensive as you suspect.
posted by Brockles at 9:29 AM on May 17, 2011
It is unlikely that CV joint noise will consistently go away when the car is warm.
The frog croak is interesting. That sounds more like a spring to me - does it make the noise once per turn or repeatedly during the turn? Not sure why that would go away, though. It could also be a rubber bush that is bad and dry enough to make noise after it has sat for a while until it wears in/warms up.
My feeling is it's a rubber bush. Not majorly urgent, but needs attention and may not be as hugely expensive as you suspect.
posted by Brockles at 9:29 AM on May 17, 2011
If the noise is in the back, then it's likely a bushing or shock absorber issue. Neither will break the bank to replace.
If it does turn out to be up front, then check the power steering fluid, and tighten the power steering drive belt. If that doesn't fix it, yeah, CV joint, or maybe a strut. An hour's labor to swap out, and $100-$150 for the part (if you go with an independent mechanic rather than a dealership.) A strut's about the same.
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:36 AM on May 17, 2011
If it does turn out to be up front, then check the power steering fluid, and tighten the power steering drive belt. If that doesn't fix it, yeah, CV joint, or maybe a strut. An hour's labor to swap out, and $100-$150 for the part (if you go with an independent mechanic rather than a dealership.) A strut's about the same.
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:36 AM on May 17, 2011
Oh! Also check all four tires - make sure they're inflated, and the treads aren't coming off, and there are no bulges anywhere. Tread separation at the edge of one of your tires would make that noise as well.
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:39 AM on May 17, 2011
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:39 AM on May 17, 2011
Response by poster: I don't go to a dealership; I have a good independent mechanic.
Brockles--once per turn. I don't think I've ever heard a ticking noise, and it has been consistent about going away after warming up. (I love the idea of a "rubber bush," I have to say. Been feeling like the little ant with the rubber tree plant.)
posted by dlugoczaj at 10:03 AM on May 17, 2011
Brockles--once per turn. I don't think I've ever heard a ticking noise, and it has been consistent about going away after warming up. (I love the idea of a "rubber bush," I have to say. Been feeling like the little ant with the rubber tree plant.)
posted by dlugoczaj at 10:03 AM on May 17, 2011
If it's once per turn, I'd be inclined to move more toward rubber bush (no, really, they're called that) or a shock absorber as an alternative possibility. Either way, it's suspension related, rather than drive train (ie not CV joints). Does it do it more or differently when you go left or right?
posted by Brockles at 10:07 AM on May 17, 2011
posted by Brockles at 10:07 AM on May 17, 2011
Response by poster: I was noticing it more during left turns a couple days ago but now it does it for either.
posted by dlugoczaj at 10:09 AM on May 17, 2011
posted by dlugoczaj at 10:09 AM on May 17, 2011
I could also be on of your plastic fenderwells that is falling down and getting pushed back up into postion when you turn or the suspension is loaded right. You don't say what mileage your car is, in my experience bushes (yea, i know, giggles) usually take longer to wear out than 8 years unless you are indeed rally racing your car. And also bushes seem to be more time related in wearing out than mileage related, but it is still quite possible that it is a bush problem.
The plastic fenderwell is a large shaped piece of plastic that is inside the hole that the tire is in and is held in place with little plastic clips that get brittle and break after a few years (like 8 or so). The plastic sheet then falls down and rubs on the tire and/or suspension and driveshaft and causes low pitched growling or croaking noises. It is really cheap and easy to repair (the little plastic pieces are usually a few cents). Your mechanic can probably check it in about 30 secs if this is the case and fix it almost as fast if that is the problem.
posted by bartonlong at 10:54 AM on May 17, 2011
The plastic fenderwell is a large shaped piece of plastic that is inside the hole that the tire is in and is held in place with little plastic clips that get brittle and break after a few years (like 8 or so). The plastic sheet then falls down and rubs on the tire and/or suspension and driveshaft and causes low pitched growling or croaking noises. It is really cheap and easy to repair (the little plastic pieces are usually a few cents). Your mechanic can probably check it in about 30 secs if this is the case and fix it almost as fast if that is the problem.
posted by bartonlong at 10:54 AM on May 17, 2011
Response by poster: Mileage = @115K. I am the world's wussiest driver and have never been known to rally-race.
posted by dlugoczaj at 11:00 AM on May 17, 2011
posted by dlugoczaj at 11:00 AM on May 17, 2011
Bushing is the word. Rubber bushing.
Croaking has always been CV joint wear in my experience. How they sound depends on how they have failed. Ticking is one of the joints, groaning/croaking is the other one. If you look at the animation, you can see that CV joints rely on some amount of rubbing/sliding action to do their job. If the grease has failed in some way, that's how you get your groaning noise. When the joint(s) are straight, during straight ahead driving, none of that sliding is happening. But when you turn, it does start to slide and that's why it happens only during a turn.
Can you make it happen while the car is stopped, just by turning the steering wheel? Then it is something like strut mounts or the lower ball joints. (But that's usually a popping while going over bumps.)
posted by gjc at 4:48 PM on May 17, 2011
Croaking has always been CV joint wear in my experience. How they sound depends on how they have failed. Ticking is one of the joints, groaning/croaking is the other one. If you look at the animation, you can see that CV joints rely on some amount of rubbing/sliding action to do their job. If the grease has failed in some way, that's how you get your groaning noise. When the joint(s) are straight, during straight ahead driving, none of that sliding is happening. But when you turn, it does start to slide and that's why it happens only during a turn.
Can you make it happen while the car is stopped, just by turning the steering wheel? Then it is something like strut mounts or the lower ball joints. (But that's usually a popping while going over bumps.)
posted by gjc at 4:48 PM on May 17, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by jon1270 at 7:44 AM on May 17, 2011