Can I drive this?
July 21, 2022 6:27 AM Subscribe
Car is suddenly making weird sounds. We have an appointment tomorrow afternoon with a mechanic, but I’m wondering how much (if any) in-town driving might be safe/advised. You are not my car doctor! Details below.
My husband and I are on vacation 800 miles from home. We drove our 2013 CRV here. A few days before the trip, we had a mechanic at home do some brake work, an overall safety check, and remove and clean up the front right tire, which had been very slowly leaking for a while. This is important, BECAUSE:
The sound we are hearing is very clearly coming from that front right wheel. It’s kind of a repetitive whirring/grinding noise (but only distressingly grind-y when slowing down, at speed it’s a pretty consistent sound). We looked at the wheel and noticed it was missing a single lug nut. We later FOUND a lug nut in the driveway of our vacation house, which is off of a long private dirt road that only two or three cars have been on this week. Obviously can’t prove it’s ours, but feels like it’s probably ours.
I’m thinking something funky happened when our local mechanic put that wheel back on, but I have no sense whatsoever if this is a “try to limit driving but it’s probably fine” situation or a “your wheel is about to fall off and kill you” one.
The only reason I’m even asking is that we’re in the middle of nowhere and you have to drive to do anything at all. We won’t go anywhere near a highway, but I’m wondering how sketchy it would be to like, drive five miles to the grocery store. We’re almost out of toilet paper!
I promise we don’t do anything dumb. Just looking to get some thoughts from people who know more about car stuff than I do (which is none). Thanks all!
My husband and I are on vacation 800 miles from home. We drove our 2013 CRV here. A few days before the trip, we had a mechanic at home do some brake work, an overall safety check, and remove and clean up the front right tire, which had been very slowly leaking for a while. This is important, BECAUSE:
The sound we are hearing is very clearly coming from that front right wheel. It’s kind of a repetitive whirring/grinding noise (but only distressingly grind-y when slowing down, at speed it’s a pretty consistent sound). We looked at the wheel and noticed it was missing a single lug nut. We later FOUND a lug nut in the driveway of our vacation house, which is off of a long private dirt road that only two or three cars have been on this week. Obviously can’t prove it’s ours, but feels like it’s probably ours.
I’m thinking something funky happened when our local mechanic put that wheel back on, but I have no sense whatsoever if this is a “try to limit driving but it’s probably fine” situation or a “your wheel is about to fall off and kill you” one.
The only reason I’m even asking is that we’re in the middle of nowhere and you have to drive to do anything at all. We won’t go anywhere near a highway, but I’m wondering how sketchy it would be to like, drive five miles to the grocery store. We’re almost out of toilet paper!
I promise we don’t do anything dumb. Just looking to get some thoughts from people who know more about car stuff than I do (which is none). Thanks all!
You gotta weigh the worst case here imo. Known wheel problem, you drive anyway, it catastrophically fails at 45 mph, possibly with oncoming traffic along country road, a few miles from anything.
I might limp it around at 25 mph if I really needed to, and could find the right kind of empty back roads, but I'd sure as hell put the lug nut back on first.
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:34 AM on July 21, 2022
I might limp it around at 25 mph if I really needed to, and could find the right kind of empty back roads, but I'd sure as hell put the lug nut back on first.
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:34 AM on July 21, 2022
There is very likley a lug wrench in your your spare tire kit. Use it to screw the missing lug nut back on, and check the other nuts. to make sure they're tight. See if that helps with the noise.
posted by bluefrog at 6:37 AM on July 21, 2022 [12 favorites]
posted by bluefrog at 6:37 AM on July 21, 2022 [12 favorites]
Did you put the lug nut back on? If I were you I would completely remove the wheel and then put it back on, tightening the lug nuts correctly - basically exactly what you would do if you were putting on the spare tire, except instead of the spare you put the original tire back on. If the grinding noise continues after that, I'd be super cautious driving it and probably ration toilet paper rather than making an extra trip.
posted by mskyle at 6:38 AM on July 21, 2022 [8 favorites]
posted by mskyle at 6:38 AM on July 21, 2022 [8 favorites]
Ask the mechanic if they have a loaner or a cheap rental.
Definitely check the remaining lug nuts. Maybe jack the car up, remove the wheel, put the spare on, drive that and see how it sounds.
Have tp and groceries delivered.
See if Turo has a $45 rental near you.
posted by at at 6:53 AM on July 21, 2022
Definitely check the remaining lug nuts. Maybe jack the car up, remove the wheel, put the spare on, drive that and see how it sounds.
Have tp and groceries delivered.
See if Turo has a $45 rental near you.
posted by at at 6:53 AM on July 21, 2022
I'd check out a few things and then probably drive it. I might have too high a risk tolerance, YMMV.
Check out:
Visual inspection --
can you see anything different between the front tires/wheels or obvious damage?
Get the lug nut on -- loosen them all and tighten in a star or applicable pattern. This is necessary before driving normally. If you can't find the lug nut, at least make sure the rest are tight before driving (at < highway speeds, for short distance to get a new lug nut!)
Jack up the car and check for wheel bearing issues/suspension issues -- when jacked up, can you rock the wheel left or right or up and down? Grab the tire from opposite sides and push/pull opposite hands to see if it's loose. Do the same on the good side if you need a comparison.
Check for brake dragging -- when jacked up, spin the tire (in neutral). Do you hear or feel any dragging? Light scraping/dragging noises indicate something needs adjustment but I would drive it. A large amount of friction and/or loud scraping noises could indicate a more serious problem.
Remove the wheel and inspect the brakes, etc -- if everything looks fine so far, this could be an option.
test drive -- does the car turn towards the "bad" side? This would indicate more severe brake dragging or other problems. After driving for a few minutes, is the bad side much hotter than the good side (touch test on metal parts of wheel near the center, compare with good side)? This could also indicate more dangerous brake issues. Is there any shaking, vibrations at speed? Again, this would be an issue that would indicate normal driving isn't indicated.
If this seems too complicated or are things you aren't comfortable with doing, get a tow to a shop or get it checked out/fixed by someone you trust in situ.
posted by jclarkin at 7:24 AM on July 21, 2022 [3 favorites]
Check out:
Visual inspection --
can you see anything different between the front tires/wheels or obvious damage?
Get the lug nut on -- loosen them all and tighten in a star or applicable pattern. This is necessary before driving normally. If you can't find the lug nut, at least make sure the rest are tight before driving (at < highway speeds, for short distance to get a new lug nut!)
Jack up the car and check for wheel bearing issues/suspension issues -- when jacked up, can you rock the wheel left or right or up and down? Grab the tire from opposite sides and push/pull opposite hands to see if it's loose. Do the same on the good side if you need a comparison.
Check for brake dragging -- when jacked up, spin the tire (in neutral). Do you hear or feel any dragging? Light scraping/dragging noises indicate something needs adjustment but I would drive it. A large amount of friction and/or loud scraping noises could indicate a more serious problem.
Remove the wheel and inspect the brakes, etc -- if everything looks fine so far, this could be an option.
test drive -- does the car turn towards the "bad" side? This would indicate more severe brake dragging or other problems. After driving for a few minutes, is the bad side much hotter than the good side (touch test on metal parts of wheel near the center, compare with good side)? This could also indicate more dangerous brake issues. Is there any shaking, vibrations at speed? Again, this would be an issue that would indicate normal driving isn't indicated.
If this seems too complicated or are things you aren't comfortable with doing, get a tow to a shop or get it checked out/fixed by someone you trust in situ.
posted by jclarkin at 7:24 AM on July 21, 2022 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: Can’t believe I left this out, but yes, we replaced the lug nut! Also called home mechanic, but he was unwilling to speculate/advise (though VERY interested in hearing what the mechanic here says).
posted by catoclock at 7:39 AM on July 21, 2022
posted by catoclock at 7:39 AM on July 21, 2022
Were the other lug nuts tight? If one managed to back off all the way I'd suspect the others were loose, if that was the case I'd tighten them and then I might drive it carefully. A front wheel coming off while driving because the nuts worked loose is about the most dangerous AND likely problem I'd be worried about.
posted by counterfeitfake at 7:52 AM on July 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by counterfeitfake at 7:52 AM on July 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
I would put on the spare and drive it a bit to see if you hear the same noise. You probably will but it’s a simple test you can do right now.
If you’ve driven it that far with the problem I would risk driving it to the mechanic but I wouldn’t push my luck with anything else.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 8:47 AM on July 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
If you’ve driven it that far with the problem I would risk driving it to the mechanic but I wouldn’t push my luck with anything else.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 8:47 AM on July 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
Be sure to check not only other lug nuts on that wheel, but ALL the lugs nuts on ALL the wheels.
If one is loose, perhaps the same thing happened to others.
posted by flug at 10:13 AM on July 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
If one is loose, perhaps the same thing happened to others.
posted by flug at 10:13 AM on July 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
I don't know if this is true for your mechanic but when I get work done that involves taking off the wheels, they always tell me to come back after I've driven 50-100 miles to tighten up the lug nuts. Does your mechanic do this? If this were me, I'd drive at incredibly low speeds to a local garage, explain what happened and ask them to remove the wheel and check it out. If it's still having an issue, replace with spare. If it's STILL having an issue I wouldn't drive it until I'd figured out what was causing the problem.
Also, yes, if I had the ability I might jack the car up and take the wheel entirely off only because if the lug nuts were loose, the wheel could have possibly gotten a little out of true and then it's bad to drive that way. Cars are mechanical, you'll figure it out!
posted by jessamyn at 10:21 AM on July 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
Also, yes, if I had the ability I might jack the car up and take the wheel entirely off only because if the lug nuts were loose, the wheel could have possibly gotten a little out of true and then it's bad to drive that way. Cars are mechanical, you'll figure it out!
posted by jessamyn at 10:21 AM on July 21, 2022 [2 favorites]
A lugnut usually does NOT come loose without something wrong with the wheel. I personally would NOT drive that until it had been inspected by a mechanic, which would probably mean towing your vehicle to the mechanic, unless that is almost impossible (or prohibitively expensive, then keep it at low speeds and stick to local streets. And check every few miles. If a wheel comes off at least you don't do it at highway speeds).
All sorts of stuff may have been left off the wheel thus causing the problem. People unfamiliar with the vehicle have been known to install the parts backwards, it sort of fits, and voila, "done".
posted by kschang at 10:21 AM on July 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
All sorts of stuff may have been left off the wheel thus causing the problem. People unfamiliar with the vehicle have been known to install the parts backwards, it sort of fits, and voila, "done".
posted by kschang at 10:21 AM on July 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
I'll consider for a moment that the sound could be caused by something else and is coincidental with the repair / loose nut.
It could be a pebble trapped between your brake and the wheel's rotor. Typical symptom is a metallic grinding noise from one wheel that changes when braking.
On cars where this sometimes happens, you can try backing up a few feet to dislodge the debris.
If that doesn't solve it I would go to a garage for a diagnosis. Weird wheel sounds are worth checking out, especially before driving hundreds of miles home.
posted by zippy at 10:57 AM on July 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
It could be a pebble trapped between your brake and the wheel's rotor. Typical symptom is a metallic grinding noise from one wheel that changes when braking.
On cars where this sometimes happens, you can try backing up a few feet to dislodge the debris.
If that doesn't solve it I would go to a garage for a diagnosis. Weird wheel sounds are worth checking out, especially before driving hundreds of miles home.
posted by zippy at 10:57 AM on July 21, 2022 [1 favorite]
It is absolutely not a good sign that you were missing a lug nut. Your mechanic screwed up. People will tell you to re-torque them after a few miles. I have never done this. I've never had a lug nut fall off.
Unless they are all very loose this is not what caused your problem. This is a second problem.
This is a brake problem, because it changes with speed. It sounds like a pad is rubbing or something is caught between the disk and the rotor.
Your wheel is not going to fall off.
The worst case is that driving it will cause more damage, or that you'll lose your front brakes. The latter is unlikely, and since you have two separate braking systems it's dangerous but usually not catastrophic. Your brakes will suddenly not be as good, but they'll be there. You may not notice, except that there'll be brake fluid under the car when you park it.
I don't think you should drive this car until someone who knows cars has looked at it. I also think it shouldn't be the original mechanic. It's likely that whatever is wrong can at this point be easily fixed. If you drive it a long way, there's a good chance you'll do a lot more damage.
In an emergency it's probably okay, but I'd keep an eye on the noise. If it's not, get it looked at.
posted by AugustusCrunch at 3:10 PM on July 21, 2022
Unless they are all very loose this is not what caused your problem. This is a second problem.
This is a brake problem, because it changes with speed. It sounds like a pad is rubbing or something is caught between the disk and the rotor.
Your wheel is not going to fall off.
The worst case is that driving it will cause more damage, or that you'll lose your front brakes. The latter is unlikely, and since you have two separate braking systems it's dangerous but usually not catastrophic. Your brakes will suddenly not be as good, but they'll be there. You may not notice, except that there'll be brake fluid under the car when you park it.
I don't think you should drive this car until someone who knows cars has looked at it. I also think it shouldn't be the original mechanic. It's likely that whatever is wrong can at this point be easily fixed. If you drive it a long way, there's a good chance you'll do a lot more damage.
In an emergency it's probably okay, but I'd keep an eye on the noise. If it's not, get it looked at.
posted by AugustusCrunch at 3:10 PM on July 21, 2022
@AugustusCrunch, the problem with brakes working on one side but not the other is not lack of stopping power, but asymmetrical breaking, which means the car will TURN away from the side with no brakes when the brakes are applied. At medium to high speeds, this can be quite dangerous.
posted by kschang at 1:57 AM on July 22, 2022
posted by kschang at 1:57 AM on July 22, 2022
This is a brake problem, because it changes with speed.
No, this is an 'entire front corner' problem, because it all either rotates or is next to stuff that rotates. We can't isolate it to the brakes at this stage. If it got louder or changed pitch with application of the brakes that would be much more of a sign it was brake related.
Your wheel is not going to fall off.
While I think it is less likely, it is impossible to establish that from the information given.
Ok, so first thing is check ALL lug nuts. Have someone stand outside the car and roll forwards a little at very low speed (5 mph) while looking at the wheels from straight on. If it wobbles at all it needs to come off and be put back on.
I am assuming there are no mobile mechanics in range?
Something is amiss and there is NO WAY to tell if it is serious or not from here. It is irresponsible to make statements like 'the wheel won't come off' when we have no way of telling if this is a catastrophic wheel bearing failure or not. Unlikely, sure, but not impossible.
If the wheels are all tight and roll true (no wobble) then the best course of action is a tow (safest) or a slow, backroads only drive directly to the nearest mechanic and have them pull the wheels and check for the source of the noise. Nothing else is responsible or safe until proven otherwise. You *could* chock the car and take the wheel off and see if there is anything that looks shiny like it has been rubbing or rubbed against, but then you'd need to put pictures here so we can look at it and try and decide from there.
So:
1: If you feel able, jack up the car (safely chocking the rear wheels in both directions), give the wheel a wiggle and see if it moves. If it doesn't, put it down enough to loosen the lug nuts and then jack it again to take it off. If nothing looks obviously wrong (ie everything is equally dirty and no bits of metal are present or otherwise scary looking stuff) replace the wheel. Then drive it slowly (sub 30mph ideally) to the nearest mechanic on back roads.
Or
2: Drive it slowly to the mechanic on backroads anyway, or have it towed if you feel flush with cash.
I'd only get toilet paper on the way back from the mechanic. If it is more than (say) 10 miles to the mechanic I'd have it towed unless I could find out what was grinding. It *could* be relatively harmless (like a stone in a disk or a bent brake guard) but it also may not be.
posted by Brockles at 4:41 AM on July 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
No, this is an 'entire front corner' problem, because it all either rotates or is next to stuff that rotates. We can't isolate it to the brakes at this stage. If it got louder or changed pitch with application of the brakes that would be much more of a sign it was brake related.
Your wheel is not going to fall off.
While I think it is less likely, it is impossible to establish that from the information given.
Ok, so first thing is check ALL lug nuts. Have someone stand outside the car and roll forwards a little at very low speed (5 mph) while looking at the wheels from straight on. If it wobbles at all it needs to come off and be put back on.
I am assuming there are no mobile mechanics in range?
Something is amiss and there is NO WAY to tell if it is serious or not from here. It is irresponsible to make statements like 'the wheel won't come off' when we have no way of telling if this is a catastrophic wheel bearing failure or not. Unlikely, sure, but not impossible.
If the wheels are all tight and roll true (no wobble) then the best course of action is a tow (safest) or a slow, backroads only drive directly to the nearest mechanic and have them pull the wheels and check for the source of the noise. Nothing else is responsible or safe until proven otherwise. You *could* chock the car and take the wheel off and see if there is anything that looks shiny like it has been rubbing or rubbed against, but then you'd need to put pictures here so we can look at it and try and decide from there.
So:
1: If you feel able, jack up the car (safely chocking the rear wheels in both directions), give the wheel a wiggle and see if it moves. If it doesn't, put it down enough to loosen the lug nuts and then jack it again to take it off. If nothing looks obviously wrong (ie everything is equally dirty and no bits of metal are present or otherwise scary looking stuff) replace the wheel. Then drive it slowly (sub 30mph ideally) to the nearest mechanic on back roads.
Or
2: Drive it slowly to the mechanic on backroads anyway, or have it towed if you feel flush with cash.
I'd only get toilet paper on the way back from the mechanic. If it is more than (say) 10 miles to the mechanic I'd have it towed unless I could find out what was grinding. It *could* be relatively harmless (like a stone in a disk or a bent brake guard) but it also may not be.
posted by Brockles at 4:41 AM on July 22, 2022 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Thanks, everyone! We ended up not driving it until we took it to the mechanic (and did not run out of toilet paper, though it was close). Diagnosis: a broken caliper bolt. It cost us $52 and we drove back home without incident. The missing lug nut remains somewhat of a mystery, but I think we probably will not use the original mechanic again just in case.
posted by catoclock at 7:33 AM on July 27, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by catoclock at 7:33 AM on July 27, 2022 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by bluedaisy at 6:33 AM on July 21, 2022