Noisy Engine: 5 Common Noises You Shouldn’t Ignore
Photo by Sten Rademaker under Unsplash License
They’re Telling You to Check Your Car ASAP!
Like babies, cars make noises when they need your attention. They can produce such a variety of noises that often make it hard for most drivers to pinpoint what exactly is going on.
Some noises are perfectly normal, like the sound of the engine running or the exhaust system rattling. However, others are signs that there’s something wrong with your car. If you hear any strange noise coming from your engine, it’s important to address it before it turns into a bigger problem.
Goodwill Car Donations identifies some of the most common engine noises and what they’re telling you:
- Squealing
A squealing noise coming from under the hood may be telling you that your serpentine belt is loose or worn out. With this belt responsible for controlling all the engine accessories, you’ll want to get a replacement ASAP.
You may also hear squealing when you step on the brake. In this case, you may be dealing with either dirty brake pads, rusty rotors, or a defective braking system. Another time squealing occurs is when your steering system is experiencing an issue.
- Grinding
Numerous factors can cause your car to produce a grinding noise. The most common ones are as follows:
- When driving and idling: worn bearings
- When taking a turn: bad CV joint or another suspension-related issue
- When shifting: damaged clutch
- When braking: brakes are down to the metal
- Sputtering
If your vehicle sputters or continues to run even after taking the keys off the ignition, the odds are, it’s the effect of dieseling. Dieseling takes place whenever fuel is ignited by another heat source aside from the spark plug.
While this issue is fairly limited to older engines with carburetors, there’s still a chance that you’d hear a coughing noise from your engine after turning it off.
- Tapping or clicking
Expect your engine to make a distinctive sound when you’re running low on oil. It will notify you by producing a clicking, tapping, or ticking noise. You can solve this problem by simply refilling your oil tank. You can then figure out what’s causing your oil level to drop.
- Rumbling
Does your car sound like it’s competing at NASCAR when you accelerate? If so, you better check your muffler to see if there’s a hole. Muffler holes may not be detrimental to car performance, but they can be dangerous as they allow toxic fumes to leak into the passenger compartment.
Donate Your Unwanted Vehicle to Support a Meaningful Cause
If your car is suffering from multiple problems and continues to make strange noises despite having it fixed numerous times, perhaps it’s time to give it up. You don’t want to compromise your safety on the road and pose a hazard to other drivers, do you?
Your best option is to hand over that vehicle to us at Goodwill Car Donations. When you do that, you’ll be supporting the disadvantaged members of your community. These are the men and women who are burdened with disabilities, lack of education, essential skills, or job experience, and other disadvantages that make it difficult for them to find decent jobs and livelihoods that can enable them to rise from poverty.
Our team will have your car auctioned off, with the proceeds going to the Goodwill organizations serving your area. These IRS-certified 501(c)(3) nonprofits are dedicated to helping disadvantaged Americans. They use the funding that we give them to provide their beneficiaries with job and skills training, employment opportunities, scholarships, livelihood assistance, disability benefits, family support, educational services, financial assistance, and other essential support services.
Donating to Goodwill Car Donations is not only easy and hassle-free, but it’s super rewarding, too. Your gift will entitle you to claim the maximum tax deduction in the next tax season. You will also benefit from our free towing service, which you can get wherever you are in the country.
Best of all, your act of charity will bring you an immense sense of personal satisfaction. Thanks to your gift, your community will be seeing more productive individuals and contented families. You’ll be amazed to discover how your unneeded car can transform so many lives.
We accept nearly all types of vehicles regardless of their conditions. You can donate even a damaged or non-working car.
To get to know our simple and convenient vehicle donation process and other relevant information, visit our FAQs page. For your questions and concerns, call us anytime through our toll-free hotline at 866-233-8586 or leave us a message here.
Bring Hope to the Less Fortunate Today!
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Give the underprivileged members of your community a chance to achieve financial stability and live decent and productive lives. You can help empower them with your car donation. Call Goodwill Car Donations at 866-233-8586 or fill out our secure online donation form now!
Last Updated: March 8th, 2023