One noisy engine after 55MPH...

Post by **xHeart** » 11 Sep 2012, 13:36

I mostly drive below 40Mph, but yesterday I took a route which needed ExpWay. It got noisy at 55mph, rolled the windows up, couldn't hear radio at 65mph.

Is it engine or my tires calling at 6/32 tread depth?

Post by **kcodyjr** » 11 Sep 2012, 13:49

Not much to go on, but you could try zipping it up to 65, put it into neutral, and see whether the noise falls off proportionally to the tachometer or to the speedometer.

Post by **xHeart** » 11 Sep 2012, 14:28

Alternatively, could it be simulated just gassing it to a higher rpm in neutral, and holding it there for 10sec.

Post by **jblackburn** » 11 Sep 2012, 14:45

These cars DO NOT have quiet engines by any means, but at 55 mph you should be down around 2000 RPM. Probably not engine noise that you don't hear around town.

There's a lot of wind noise, a lot of road noise, and a lot of motor noise at highway speeds. There's not much sound insulation for a "near luxury car". Or a very good ride.

Post by **xHeart** » 12 Sep 2012, 13:43

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=49330
I had replace the torque arm bushing in June this year, see the link above. Could the break in welding at torque arm may be related?

Post by **jblackburn** » 12 Sep 2012, 15:13

It depends what you're feeling/hearing. If you feel a lot of vibration, it's probably a collapsed engine mount...but again, you should be able to feel that at any speed and any gear, ESPECIALLY at idle on these 5-cylinders.

Noise? Tires, exhaust, wind noise...

byeboy · Post by **byeboy** » 12 Sep 2012, 17:59

Any chance your sunroof is slightly cracked open?

Post by **xHeart** » 14 Sep 2012, 15:40

I wanted the traffic to quiet down a bit, so I decided to leave for work earlier. 6am, it is still dark, I headed to expway and made following observations.
- at 50mph I hear noise that sounds like when your wheel goes over the shoulder
- study at 50mph, I switch to N, but the noise stays on
- switch back to D, increase speed gradually to 60mph, noise increases
- feet off the gas paddle, at around 40mph it fades away, I only hear engine

Starting to think it is not engine related. Where to look...

byeboy · Post by **byeboy** » 14 Sep 2012, 15:54

Loose air dam?

Post by **kcodyjr** » 14 Sep 2012, 15:59

Second that. It's tracking the rolling speed, it's gotta be related to the rolling hardware.

First thing - check your tires carefully for signs of abnormal wear. If you've got a worn bushing somewhere causing an improper alignment, it would explain the noise; and if your tires haven't gotten chewed yet, they soon will be.

For a more rigorous test of this, you could put the front control arms up on blocks so the wheels are off the ground, and bring the front wheels up to highway speed. If there is no noise, it's gotta be the tire against the road, or possibly the rear wheels. If there is noise, you're looking at a possible wheel bearing, axle (CV joints) or transmission issue (unlikely on that last).

Can you get any more descriptive? Is there a "wah-wah-wah" cyclic character to the sound, like a worn bearing, or is it a steady hum (roar)? Any chance you can pinpoint which wheel it's coming from by ear?