You?re driving down the road and you hear that noise.
Everyone?s experienced the booms, buzzes and other sounds that just seem to happen.
Most people just ignore them and keep driving. Good idea?
We asked automotive repair specialists Jeffrey Boone and Ed Kriston from the Towson office of AAA Mid-Atlantic, based in Wilmington, Del., to offer guidelines about what some of the sounds could mean.
Consider the answers the next time you hear one of those noises:
BANG
You hear a bang, almost like a rifle shot.
» Guidelines: You likely heard a backfire, which can be caused by several things.
Generally, backfiring occurs rarely these days. When it does occur, it is generally in older cars when excess fuel gets into the catalytic converters or the timing of the cars is off.
» First step: Take the car to a qualified auto mechanic.
BOOM
This sound makes you feel almost as if you?re riding in a metal drum.
» Guidelines: Sometimes this is caused by something as simple as an open window that changes the car?s interior air pressure.
» First step: Check the windows.
BUZZ
It sounds like a bee is coming out of your car, generally in the dashboard.
» Guidelines: This can often be traced to interior parts that have come loose.
» First Step: Have someone else drive while you try to determine where the noise originates.
FLAPPING
The sound is reminiscent of a colony of birds under your hood.
» Guidelines: A belt may be coming apart, or the splash pan under the car has become loose.
» First step: If possible, stop the car and have a qualified technician diagnose the cause. If you can?t stop right away, go as soon as possible to a qualified technician.
GROAN
Loud or soft, it?s a bit unsettling.
» Guidelines: If the groan starts when you turn the wheel, the car may be low on power steering fluid. There could also be multiple other causes, including a dry socket on the steering component.
» First step: Take it to a qualified technician as soon as you can to determine if the sound is caused by a serious problem.
