Loud Car Noise: Causes & Solutions

Hello everyone,

'During the winter, I had a silly collision with the curb on a snowy and icy road. I skidded with the damaged right front wheel and hit the curb. The rim was slightly bent, and the wheel alignment showed a minimal deviation from the tolerance in the camber. However, it couldn't be adjusted. I then had the winter tires that were lying around in the garage installed.'

After a short time, I noticed loud rolling and rumbling noises, which seemed to be coming mostly from the front right side. The tire dealer said that this is just how winter tires are, and that I shouldn't worry about it.

Okay, I've switched back to summer tires (and of course, a new rim on the front right), but the noise hasn't gone away. It's definitely quieter, but it's still there. Especially between speeds of 60 and 100 km/h, you can clearly hear a kind of thumping sound coming from the front right. At higher speeds, it's masked by the overall road noise.

As far as I can recall, a faulty wheel bearing usually makes a different sound, more like a humming noise. Also, the noise should change when you turn the steering wheel, but it's not doing that.

Has anyone had experience with something like this?

Thank you and best regards.

Martha.

What kind of vehicle is that?

I once had the same problem with my Golf 3, also caused by hitting a curb in the winter.
The solution was a new wheel bearing.

Hello,

It's an A4, manufactured in 1997, with 270,000 kilometers on the odometer.

Regards,

Martha.

Hi,
A faulty wheel bearing can produce a wide variety of noises, ranging from scraping and howling to rumbling and squealing.
Pay attention to whether the noise is quieter when turning right compared to turning left. If that's the case, the right wheel bearing needs to be replaced.

Best regards, Benno.

Hello Benno,

The noise changes depending on whether it's a left or right turn. Whether it's louder on one side or the other is debatable. However, there's no doubt that the noise is coming from the front right. The loudness actually depends on the tires. It was loudest with winter tires. With summer tires, it's definitely quieter, but even then, the loudness varies depending on whether the Dunlops or the Goodyears are on the front.

Regards,
Martha.