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While it is true many people out there don’t understand what different sounds coming from their car mean, it is still a good idea to get your car checked out if you hear it making unusual sounds. Nevertheless, if you want to understand what you might be facing before you take your car to get checked out, here are some of the sounds a car might make that signal a serious need for maintenance if you hear them.

Even if the sound you hear seems harmless when it starts, it is better to be safe than sorry. Don’t forget that you’re not just putting yourself and your loved ones at risk, you are also risking others’ lives on the road if you do not take the necessary action soon enough.

1. Squealing When You Brake

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When you hear a squealing sound when you use your car brakes, there isn’t any need to panic. This usually means that the brake pads need to be changed for new ones because they’re worn out. You have to go in to change them as soon as possible.

Failing to do so for a long time will not just annoy you every time you brake, but it might be dangerous because the brakes could fail on you in the future. Not to mention, worn out pads can wear out your rotors, and those are much more expensive to replace. The procedure to replace brake pads does not take long. You can even have them replaced on the spot if you go to a good mechanic in time.

2. Tapping Sound

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Many things could cause a tapping sound, one of which is a faulty lifter. If you do have a faulty lifter, you will be hearing a lot of this tapping noise as long as the engine is running and according to aquietrefuge.com, if you do not take care of that tapping sound in time, you might end up with a seriously damaged engine.

The tapping sound is not going to affect your car, but it is usually an indicator that something is wrong and needs to be taken care of. If you consider this and take action to find out what this indicates, you can save yourself a lot of hassle arising in the future.

3. Loud Bang When Starting The Car

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This loud bang is commonly known as a backfire. It occurs when fuel is unburned and then ignites in the exhaust pipe. If your car starts making this noise, you might be facing a leak in your exhaust system. You might also need to change your fuel to one that has a higher-octane level to avoid having it ignite in the wrong place.

4. Under-The-Hood Squealing/ Whistling

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When you hear a consistent squealing under the hood of your car, you are most probably facing an issue with a drive-belt, which is necessary for power steering. This is an easily fixed issue, but you still have to take your car to a mechanic to avoid having any future damage caused by neglecting the sound.

If the squealing you hear is not from under the hood of your car but is actually from your tires, then you do not need to get it checked out; just ease up on the accelerator and see if that solves the squealing. Whistling on the other hand means that there might be a vacuum leak in one of the pipes of your engine. This may require accurate checking by the mechanic because locating the leak and stopping it can be tricky to say the least.

5. A Hissing Sound

Hissing sounds are usually scary because cars should never be hissing. It may not be too alarming as it could be something as simple as a leak from the water you use for your windshield wipers. However, it could also mean that you have a leak in your radiator or oil tank, which will need immediate attention if you do not want your engine to die on you or have your car overheating.

6. Growling/Roaring When Driving

Growling or roaring sounds coming from the car while driving is not the same as hearing a loud bang when starting the engine. Both are due to issues in the exhaust system, but they are different issues with different danger levels.

This is a very serious indicator that your car needs to be checked out immediately. Growling usually occurs when your exhaust system has rusted or has been damaged to the point that your car’s exhaust emissions could be leaking into the cabin, which is dangerous to say the least, and you should get it checked out.

Due to the fact that exhaust emissions are full of carbon monoxide and other toxic gases that could be the cause of different reactions especially if you have asthma or have people with you in the car who face trouble breathing due to any kind of polluted air, you have to be extra careful when faced with such an issue.

7. Your Engine Is Ticking

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Needing oil is the reason why your engine is ticking or tapping. This sound coming from under the hood of your car is easy to solve by going to any mechanic to renew the oil in the car. If not checked as soon as possible, it can have a very negative effect on the performance of the engine and it may even lead to engine problems that are not that affordable to fix. Sometimes, neglecting such sounds can lead to your car needing a brand new engine, which is far from being inexpensive.

While some of these noises don’t require immediate attention, neglecting them for any length of time could be detrimental to your car, and will cost you even more money than if you had resolved the issue at the very beginning. It is better to catch on to what a car needs by treating the early symptoms, instead of waiting and having to deal with even more damage in the process.

Don’t underestimate the risks you face when dealing with such indicators because you can put yourself and others in grave danger without even realizing it. Being armed with this knowledge will give you a way to identify whether the sound you are hearing is going to lead to a future problem or not.

If you need auto repairs, service, or maintenance for your car, the experts from Dealer Service Alternative can help!