Ask GTP About Your Car Problems/General Questions
- Thread starter nd 4 holden spd
- 1,479 comments
- 78,560 views
- 628
- Atlanta, GA, USA
- Bhowe83
Hi guys, I drive a 2001 Mitsubishi Galant (v6, FWD, ~185k miles)
I've been hearing a strange clicking, almost like a faint card in bike spokes type sound. But instead if it being a thift-thift-thift like a card, it's more of a tick-tick-tick. I believe it may be a rock(s), but I want to make sure it isn't something else.
It's been coming from the left front (could be coming from RF too, but I've only actually heard it myself from the LF) off and on for the past couple of days. It only happens when the wheels are in motion, and progressively gets fast as the wheels turn faster, and then stops once it gets past around 30. All the tires are fully inflated, and I just had routine maintenence done on it a few weeks ago.
I've ruled out engine or brakes, as it only happens when the car is in motion, and will still do it while coasting or even going at a slow idle-like speed. And it happens whether or not I'm on or off the brakes.
Also, it is amplified when I turn right (tire is under load) and almost non-existent when I turn left (tire not under load).
I've looked at the tires several times, and dug out any pebbles and debris I could find, but it still persisted. However, on my way back home today, it stopped after taking off from a stoplight and it didn't return.
Again, I believe (and hope) it's just rocks, but with the car having 185k on it and being my first car I've become paranoid about anything that may be wrong.
I've been hearing a strange clicking, almost like a faint card in bike spokes type sound. But instead if it being a thift-thift-thift like a card, it's more of a tick-tick-tick. I believe it may be a rock(s), but I want to make sure it isn't something else.
It's been coming from the left front (could be coming from RF too, but I've only actually heard it myself from the LF) off and on for the past couple of days. It only happens when the wheels are in motion, and progressively gets fast as the wheels turn faster, and then stops once it gets past around 30. All the tires are fully inflated, and I just had routine maintenence done on it a few weeks ago.
I've ruled out engine or brakes, as it only happens when the car is in motion, and will still do it while coasting or even going at a slow idle-like speed. And it happens whether or not I'm on or off the brakes.
Also, it is amplified when I turn right (tire is under load) and almost non-existent when I turn left (tire not under load).
I've looked at the tires several times, and dug out any pebbles and debris I could find, but it still persisted. However, on my way back home today, it stopped after taking off from a stoplight and it didn't return.
Again, I believe (and hope) it's just rocks, but with the car having 185k on it and being my first car I've become paranoid about anything that may be wrong.
- 31,104
- Hilversum
- Dennisch
@Bhowe83
Homokinetic joint. One of the ball bearings is dying on you.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constant-velocity_joint
Homokinetic joint. One of the ball bearings is dying on you.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constant-velocity_joint
- 628
- Atlanta, GA, USA
- Bhowe83
Hmm, I thought it may be the CV Joint too, but I thought CV Joints when going bad predominantly only made noise while turning the wheel. This happens at any steering angle, and if anything lessens when taking slow turns.
Also, after watching some videos on CV Joint failure, the sounds didn't really match up. You can only really here the noise that my car is making if you have the windows down and there is no other ambient sound. My passenger couldn't hear the sound either.
Although if it was a ball bearing dying on me, what would it cost roughly to replace it, and what would the consequences be of not replacing it in the near future?
- 31,104
- Hilversum
- Dennisch
If it is a cv joint the sound will become louder over time.
If one of the joints goes, you have 4 of them, 2 on each axle, you'll end up going nowhere because you will lose all drive to the wheels. The joint themselves aren't all that expensive, but to replace them requires a bit of mechanical skills.
Also you will need to figure out which one it is since there is little point in replacing all 4 when only 1 is dying. If you are lucky you have one where all the grease has come out, which makes it easy to identify it as the culprit.
The cheapest and easiest solution is finding out which side it is and then get a complete axle from the junkyard.
If one of the joints goes, you have 4 of them, 2 on each axle, you'll end up going nowhere because you will lose all drive to the wheels. The joint themselves aren't all that expensive, but to replace them requires a bit of mechanical skills.
Also you will need to figure out which one it is since there is little point in replacing all 4 when only 1 is dying. If you are lucky you have one where all the grease has come out, which makes it easy to identify it as the culprit.
The cheapest and easiest solution is finding out which side it is and then get a complete axle from the junkyard.
- 2,187
- Kansas City
- PsuPepperoni
I have quite a bit of vacuum fluid leaking from my rear main valve converter. Can this be replaced without removing the rod bearings from the upper control spindle?
Well, since a few days, there is a problem with my car. When I want to accelerate between 1000 and 1750 RPM, which is not a problem with a 3.0L V6 the engine starts to stutter. Once over 2000 RPM, the car accelerates normally. I don't think there is powerloss once over the 2000 RPM.
- 3,155
- 49°16'43.22"N 81°37'50.21W
- mikeybc
- 3,734
- St.Pete, FL
- NotThePrez
- NotThePrez
So, my car does this thing where as I'm driving along, air comes through the vents even when the A/C isn't on. Normally it's a rush of warm air (makes sense since this is Florida in the tail end of summer), but earlier today there was also a very light flow of cool air coming through as well, again without the A/C on. I have a feeling it's not supposed to do that...
The car in question is an '02 PT Cruiser with the 2.4L non-turbo Inline 4. It also only happens when I'm on the highway at 70+ mph.
The car in question is an '02 PT Cruiser with the 2.4L non-turbo Inline 4. It also only happens when I'm on the highway at 70+ mph.
- 418
- Tennessee
- scionxb2
I have a auto question. My grandmother's car is a 1st gen Hyundai Santa Fe. The car wouldn't start & we thought it was the battery, but the battery was tested & it is still good. The lights still turn on. Is it the starter, or something else?
- 3,475
- Vilnius
That's a very abstract description. Does the it crank?
- 7,937
- LMSCorvetteGT2's Mom's House
- GTP_LancerEvo7
So last week I left the lights on in my car and didn't realize it for two days. When I went to check it, it was completely dead (as you'd expect). My roommate jumped me, I went to the store, everything worked great. I went out to it the next morning, and it wouldn't start again. I still have a couple things I need to check, but is it possible that the battery is on its last legs? It doesn't have enough power to start but can run lights and that sort of thing, it takes off fine with a jump.
- 8,100
- Guelph, Ontario
My car does that as well.
Even with the fan off you can control the temp of air seeping from the vents.
Probably just a ram air thing.
- 418
- Tennessee
- scionxb2
No, it doesn't try to crank, or even click while trying to start. Lights work, but the car doesn't do anything when trying to start it.
- 5,198
- UK
- marunda/GTP_FordMKIVJ5
How long was the vehicle running for (I'm assuming not very long if you just went to a store)? It might be that the battery needs charging if it was heavily drained. You'd need to be driving the car for a sustained period to bring the charge level up to be sufficient for starting just charging on the alternator. Try charging the battery on an external charger.
Could be a faulty starter, could also be faulty wiring. Easiest way to find out if it's the starter is remove it and bench test it using a 12V power source.
- 1,591
- Under the Hood
Try using an external trickle charger and charge it for a couple of days. DO NOT try leaving the car running and using the alternator to charge the battery as you can risk burning out your alternator. They are only designed to replace power lost at startup or small electrical draw, not to recharge a dead battery.
But if your battery went completely dead, you might need to get a new one. Regular wet cell car batteries pretty much lose their ability to hold a charge when they get below 50% or so.
- 418
- Tennessee
- scionxb2
👍
Thank you. I'll see how it goes from here
Thank you. I'll see how it goes from here
- 3,475
- Vilnius
- 7,313
- Land of the smelly onion
So my Mom's car has been having issues this week. She's got an '04 PT Cruiser turbo.
Just driving along, everything was fine, stopped at a red light. SES light came on and chimed. Light turned green, car didn't want to go. It moved, but would just chug along at 5-10 mph, wouldn't go any higher.
She was about an hour from home so it wasn't towed to our regular mechanic. Car ran fine for them, they weren't able to recreate the chugging/loss of power issue. They were able to scan the car and get the SES codes, there were 3:
P0138 - Bank 1 sensor 2 high voltage
P0175 - High condition
P040 - Cam position sensor circuit failure (code and/or description is probably wrong on this one, I don't have the car so I can't rescan it.)
They didn't know what was wrong and couldn't replicate the problem. Since the car seemed to run fine, my parents picked the car up and drove it back home. Talked to our local mechanic and he said next time it happens to bring it in.
Well my Mom went out the next day and it happened again. Chugging, loss of power. Had it towed to our regular garage this time and now they are trying to replicate the problem but can't. They are working on diagnosing it today.
Any ideas of what can be wrong? I haven't seen the car, only what she told me by phone. Sounds like it is related to O2 sensor/emissions.
Just driving along, everything was fine, stopped at a red light. SES light came on and chimed. Light turned green, car didn't want to go. It moved, but would just chug along at 5-10 mph, wouldn't go any higher.
She was about an hour from home so it wasn't towed to our regular mechanic. Car ran fine for them, they weren't able to recreate the chugging/loss of power issue. They were able to scan the car and get the SES codes, there were 3:
P0138 - Bank 1 sensor 2 high voltage
P0175 - High condition
P040 - Cam position sensor circuit failure (code and/or description is probably wrong on this one, I don't have the car so I can't rescan it.)
They didn't know what was wrong and couldn't replicate the problem. Since the car seemed to run fine, my parents picked the car up and drove it back home. Talked to our local mechanic and he said next time it happens to bring it in.
Well my Mom went out the next day and it happened again. Chugging, loss of power. Had it towed to our regular garage this time and now they are trying to replicate the problem but can't. They are working on diagnosing it today.
Any ideas of what can be wrong? I haven't seen the car, only what she told me by phone. Sounds like it is related to O2 sensor/emissions.
- 2,037
- Colorado
It's not the O2 sensor. The map sensor and PCM on Chryslers use info from O2 sensor 1 for timing and air/fuel mixture. Sensor 2 simply monitors the cat. Honestly it looks like whatever the problem is didn't throw a code at all. The sensors in question need to be checked with a break-out box. The fuel pressure needs checked when the problem is happening, or sortly thereafter to see eliminate the fuel pump as a problem. Which come to think of it, a hot and dying fuel pump will behave exactly as you have described, so that's defninitely a must to check out. It could alos be a faulty map sensor or throttle position sensor. I just woke up so I'm running out of ideas lol, but as a Dodge owner a couple times over I can tell you that this is pretty typical of a 10 year old Chrysler. If it was me the first thing I would check would be that fuel pump. Sometimes they die fast and dramatic, other times not so much. Best of luck and keep us posted, I'm curious as to what the issue ends up to be.
