While pulling up to a drive through pharmacy with the window down this past weekend, I was greeted with a high pitched sound, not loud, but high pitched. At first, I though it sounded like brakes starting to hit the squealers. But then I realized it wasn't from the brakes, as it did it when no brakes were being used, plus, brakes are brand new.

Again, this is a high pitched sound, but not loud. With the window up, you can't hear it at all. With the window down, now that I know it's there, I can barely hear it. It will do it just going down the road. Braking, or accelerating doesn't change anything. It doesn't do it all the time from what I can tell. I'd almost swear it does it a little more on curves as I seem to hear it a little better on curves to the left (might be doing it to the right, can't tell). Absolutely no sound while stopped or just idling. I even tried to just move the steering wheel while stopped, and I only hear the tires moving. Even tried that in the garage.

There is no grinding sound. Nor is anything felt anyplace. I checked the links and such recenlty when I did my brakes. Nothing loose. No give at all. Since only heard while moving, makes it hard to locate what is making the sound. It might have been making it for a while and I just never noticed. I only noticed it while at that drive through, and had I heard this with just the window down, I might not even had paid attention to it. Again, high pitched, but not loud. Doesn't do it constantly. Might be slightly louder on curves (not shart turns), but that could just be the sound reflecting off the wheel or something (no clue). If anyone wonders, both hubs replaced about 10-12K miles ago (ACDelco units).

So this issue is, hight pitched but not loud sound. Does not do it constantly or all the time. Braking or accelerating doesn't seem to change or make sound. Might be louder on curves. Stationairy and moving the steering wheel does not make sound.

Anyone have an idea what this might be?

 

Getting near Halloween, so I would guess it's ghosts or goblins trying to get out.

Seriously though, I got no real idea here.

 

That makes 2 of us....lol Who knows how long it's been making the noise. Might be I only notice it now because I heard it with the wall at the drive through.

 

Only hearing in the drive though means the sound is being reflected back to the car off the wall.....
I would check your alternator, and belt tensioners. How many kms/miles on your car?
Another possibility is the idler on the ac compressor, or the water pump....but I am betting on the other ones.

Ps, if it is the alternator, it does not mean it needs replacing. Just have it looked at by an expert.

 

I thought about pullies or even belt. But that should show up under acceleration, expecially heavy acceleration, which I get none. But I have thought about that as a possibility. Knowing the coolant has recently been flushed also has been thinking.

 

"Stationairy and moving the steering wheel does not make sound".

Wouldn't that rule out the alt. ?

Wheel bearing maybe starting to talk ? Jack it up & spin a wheel, see if you can replicate it.

Edit: 'shouldn't be' with New hubs 12K ago.. But I got nothing else.

 

Yea, I'm stumpted. And hard to find since it won't do it stopped or idling. Had the tires off just a few weeks ago to do brakes, and they were fine then. But I didn't hear this noise until a few hundred miles after. Maybe I picked up some road debris someplace. I felt around the rotors and nothing to indicate any dragging.

 

Drive the drive Thru, over and over, after hours if neccessary, to see if you can stick your head out the window and determine front noise or rear noise.
If you can make that determination... you have a good clue where to look further.
Since car has to be moving I would suspect wheel/brake assembly etc. as a start point.
These things are like little noises inside you car. First you have to try to pin point the general area.
My wife and I have been going nuts to find a small binding noise somewhere in the front seat area lately. It sounded different to her on the passenger side then it did to me on the driver side. She kept saying it was low in the console and I thought it was more behind the dash.
One day driving along I pressed down slightly on the lid of the compartment on top of the dash. It quit immediatly.
Not the location either of us thought it was comming from. Took out the complete compartment, lid and all, and lubed and tweaked it so that noise is now history.
One other little thought.
With car stopped and idling put a load on the alternator to see if it gives any clue.

Good luck in finding it.

SF

 

Fuel pump makes a high pitched noise from under the car.

 

It's definately not an electrical sound. I was looking at a few things last night, and saw some new rust around the new rotors. I remember taking it to an automated car wash not long ago while the daughter and I were out. Heard this noise a few days after. I'm wondering if I'm hearing a rust squeek? But, the question still remains, where....