Why Does My Car Make Noise While Accelerating?
Every driver in America has experienced that moment: you’re on the road, you turn the music down and wonder… “What is that noise?”
Often the first indication you get that something may be wrong with your vehicle is the noise you hear while driving. A car making noise while accelerating could be suffering from a myriad of potential issues. Whether it’s a roaring, squealing, whirring or some other noise, each could indicate a major malfunction, or a minor problem that potentially could get worse if ignored.
Your car making noise while accelerating could involve any of the following issues depending what sound you hear. Depending on the age and condition of your car, it could simply be a matter of routine maintenance, or a catastrophe waiting to happen.
Roaring
A loud roar is often symptomatic of an exhaust leak. The roar may be accompanied by the check engine light or emissions sensor light coming on. The exhaust system runs the length of the car, and usually only the broken section needs replacing. Another possible culprit, though less likely, could be a malfunctioning pulley bearing for the vehicle’s serpentine belt.
If the roar gets louder when the engine is revved in park, it may be an exhaust issue. However, if the roar gets louder as the car moves faster, it could indicate a much worse problem: a bad wheel bearing. A bad wheel bearing has only one eventual outcome if left unrepaired: the wheel falling off while in motion. Drivers should fix a bad wheel bearing immediately.
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Squealing
A squeal from under the hood while accelerating unmistakably indicates belt trouble. The fan belt, timing belt or serpentine belt, depending on what the car uses, can loosen and degrade over time. When the belt loosens or loses teeth, it stops travel at the same rate the car’s pulleys spin. This causes the belt to drag, hence the ear-splitting squeal. Drivers should tighten or replace a squealing belt as soon as possible, before the belt disintegrates and potentially causes a serious failure.
The pulleys themselves may be the issue as well, whether they are too loose or tight, they aren’t spinning at the same rate as the belt. A qualified car mechanic will be able to correctly diagnose and repair such problems.
Whirring
A car making a whirring noise while accelerating could suffer from several problems, depending on whether the sound changes with engine speed (revving in park) or vehicle speed. Low power steering fluid or failing alternator bearings could cause such a noise if the whirring gets worse as engine speed increases. Faulty water pumps, power steering pumps or air conditioning compressors could also cause a whirring that increases with engine speed. Those problems, if left untreated, could lead to discomfort from a failed air conditioner or, in the case of a failed water pump, cause the vehicle engine to overheat.
Whirring noises that increase with vehicle speed could indicate more serious problems, such as worn universal joints or internal damage to the car’s transmission system. Such a noise could also indicate a loose fan shroud or bracket, a faulty torque converter, damaged flywheel or a differential unit needing lubrication.
An authorized dealership can diagnose and hopefully repair whatever is causing your car to make noise while accelerating. If your car is still under warranty, they are compelled by its terms to fix it. If the dealership refuses to repair your warrantied vehicle, contact the manufacturer immediately. If the manufacturer does not remedy the situation, they are violating the warranty and a lawyer may be able to help you.
Lemon law attorneys help their clients by dealing directly with the manufacturer on the clients’ behalf, working to promptly resolve the issue and get their clients back on the road. Thanks to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, attorneys can seek their fees directly from the manufacturer, meaning a client can obtain legal counsel without having to pay attorneys’ fees directly out of pocket.