Few circumstances can ruin one’s day quite as quickly as the sudden onset of a strange noise when driving. If you find yourself asking “Why Does My Car Whine When I Drive?”, you’re in the right place.
When it comes to vehicles, strange noises come in all sorts of patterns, pitches and frequencies. Quite often, they’ll leave a driver clueless as to what they heard, or where it originated.
Some of the most common are those that present a whining or whirring noise when accelerating.
Why Does My Car Whine When I Drive? – Common Causes
Low Power Steering Fluid – When the fluid is low, it allows more air to enter the system. This combination of low fluid and lots of air will make the pump malfunction and make noises. The simple way to fix the problem is to put more power steering fluid back into the system, and look for any leaks.
Transmission Issues – A vehicle’s transmission serves an extremely vital function and is key to distributing engine power to a car, truck, or SUV’s drive axles. In certain cases, a failure of this nature can present an audible whining noise. Noises of this type can often prove difficult to locate without an experienced ear.
Accessory Drive System Bearing Failure – A vehicle’s engine features numerous belt-driven accessories. Each of these accessories utilizes a drive pulley, along with one or more sets of bearings. A serpentine belt transfers the rotational force of the crankshaft pulley, to the pulleys associated with various additional belt-driven accessories. These accessories include an engine’s water pump, power steering pump, A/C compressor, and alternator. Additionally, systems of such a design also feature tensioners and idler pulleys. When the bearings associated with any of above-mentioned components begin to fail, a whining noise is often heard.
Related posts