Almost every driver has had to deal with car noises, those sometimes annoying, sometimes alarming signals from you vehicle that something unusual might be going on. Whether it\u2019s a bang, a clunk or a rattle, anytime your automobile talks out of turn is cause for you to pay a little closer attention to what it might be trying to tell you.<\/span><\/p>\n While you should always check out any suspicious noise, the handy guide below lays out the sounds that warrant the most attention.<\/span><\/p>\n Most of the time when you hear car noises that sound like grinding it\u2019s an indication that one of your vehicle\u2019s components has worn out. If the grinding gets worse when you hit the brake pedal \u2014 or if you can feel it through the pedal itself \u2014 it\u2019s not something you should ignore. The same can be said for a grinding sound that emanates from a specific wheel while the vehicle is rolling, even if it\u2019s in neutral. This can be a sign that a wheel bearing needs to be replaced, which is not the kind of repair you can delay.<\/span><\/p>\n Typically, most car noises that involve a rubbing sound mean just that \u2014 some part of your automobile is touching another part when it really shouldn\u2019t. This can be as simple as a piece of loose trim rubbing on a tire, or a tire touching the inside of a wheel well during a turn, but don\u2019t ignore it! Two parts rubbing together often leads to at least one of them failing over time.<\/span><\/p>\n Clunking car noises usually indicate that something is loose or worn out, either in your vehicle\u2019s drive train or its suspension system. If you hear a clunk when going over a speed bump or hitting a pothole \u2014 and if that clunk is accompanied by a more metallic sound \u2014 that usually points to a suspension issue, which could mean a bushing,<\/span> control arm<\/a><\/strong> or shock absorber needs to be replaced. If the clunk happens when you hit the gas pedal or shift gears, then you are most likely looking at a U-joint or CV joint that is on its way out.<\/span><\/p>\n If you hear a distinct ping coming from your engine when you accelerate, especially uphill, then you might not be using the right type of gasoline in your car. Every vehicle requires a certain octane level to resist \u201cknock,\u201d which is a term used to describe the fuel in each cylinder igniting before the<\/span> spark plug<\/a><\/strong> has fired. Knock can damage your engine, and it robs you of both power and fuel mileage. Check your owner\u2019s manual to find out what the minimum octane rating should be for your car, and if filling up with that type of gasoline doesn\u2019t fix the issue, you should stop in at the garage to find out what might be wrong with your motor.<\/span><\/p>\n For more information on unusual car noises and what they might mean, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your local<\/span> NAPA AUTO PARTS store<\/a><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n This article has been reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder, National Automotive Parts Association. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Click here for more\u00a0<\/i><\/span>automotive tips and stories<\/a><\/i><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>from NAPA,\u00a0 or here for more information on<\/span> the next Pomona Swap Meet & Classic Car Show<\/strong><\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":null,"protected":false},"author":98,"featured_media":8898,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[805],"tags":[3056,4863,3342,4843,4842,4845,4864,4848,4860,4862,4857,4856,4849,4855,4844,4846,4852,3491,4850,4865,4851,4859,4847,4861,4867,4858,4853,4854,4866],"class_list":["post-8894","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-classic-tips","tag-automotive-diy","tag-bad-cv-joint","tag-benjamin-hunting","tag-car-making-a-noise","tag-car-noises","tag-car-sounds","tag-clunk-when-shift-gears","tag-clunking","tag-control-arm","tag-cv-joint","tag-drive-train","tag-drive-train-clunk","tag-engine-clunk","tag-engine-clunks","tag-engine-knock","tag-grinding","tag-grinding-when-braking","tag-napa","tag-ping","tag-ping-when-accelerate","tag-pinging","tag-replace-bushing","tag-rubbing","tag-shock-absorber","tag-spark-plug","tag-suspension-system","tag-tire-rub","tag-tire-rubbing-on-wheel-well","tag-which-octane-to-use"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\tGrinding<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Rubbing<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Clunking<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Pinging<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n