Help diagnose my car problem.

[Carmen813]

So the other day my wife and I wanted to drive to visit my parents. Apparently my car didn't like that idea much.

Once we were on the highway and going about 60mph for a few minutes my car started to sound god awful loud. It didn't start right away, I'd say the noise started about 10 minutes after being at highway speed. I wasn't getting any vibration in the wheel, but the sound was loud enough that I pulled off the highway and popped the hood. It's at this point that I smelt what seemed like burnt rubber or oil, but it's hard to describe. It was definitely not exhaust. I didn't see any leaks anywhere.

My belts are all pretty much brand new, the oldest is 18 months old. The timing belt is new, as is the main serpentine belt. The belt that turns the alternator is new as well.

I also have new front brakes. I've noticed that my brake on the front passenger side squeals whenever it gets wet. I know its related to the brake because even the slightest pressure on the brake stops the squealing. However I don't really think it was the brake dragging, I tried letting the car coast and it didn't really to slow down abnormally fast. It didn't drift to one side either.

I drove back home on side roads. The loud noise never came back, I got up to about 45 miles per hour and all was fine. The engine never overheated, I never saw smoke, and for the life of me I can't figure it out. The car idles fine, it accelerates fine (up until about 55, it was definitely sluggish going faster on the highway), and it climbed a few fairly steep hills with absolutely no issues.

I've had some people suggest its a wheel bearing. Is it possible for a bad wheel bearing to cause the odor? Some have also suggested my alternator is on its way out.

It's a 2003 lancer ES w/ manual transmission.

This thread parked in the garage forum by DrPizza

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

<-- the garage
Did the noise change with engine or road speed?

 

[Matthiasa]

http://forums.anandtech.com/forumdisplay.php?f=49

 

[Carmen813]

Lol, that's what I get for searching for "car forum."
DOH!

It seems to be related to road speed. I could rev the engine just fine. I drive a standard and was able to go through all the gears/rpms up to about 3500 with no problem.

For what it's worth, the car is about due for an oil change. The oil is about 3 months past when they wanted it changed, but I haven't hit 3,000 miles on the current oil yet.

 

[lxskllr]

Manual transmission?

Edit:
Just read the OP closer. Maybe a slipping transmission, but you shouldn't hear that.

Edit2:
You should be able to feel a bad wheel bearing. You can also yank the wheel back and forth. There shouldn't be any lateral play.

 

[Carmen813]

Manual transmission?

Edit:
Just read the OP closer. Maybe a slipping transmission, but you shouldn't hear that.

Yah this was damn loud. I thought perhaps my exhaust had gone to shit, but the noise went away at sub-highway speeds.

I have been having some trouble, occasionally, shifting the car into reverse. It's usually when I first start the car and it's cold, so don't *think* it's anything major, just a cold clutch. I never have trouble shifting 1-2-3-4-5.

*Edit* To clarify: there is no grinding when shifting into any gear (or reverse).

 

[lxskllr]

What kind of noise? Rumbly, shrieking, loud exhaust type?

 

[Carmen813]

What kind of noise? Rumbly, shrieking, loud exhaust type?

I'd say rumbling/loud exhaust. It was definitely NOT high pitched or shrieking. It was so damn loud we initially thought it was the car next to us.

The hardest part for me to figure out is that "burning" smell.

 

[lxskllr]

Strange that it went away. A couple things I'd look at, even though they don't completely make sense...

Loose spark plug
Loose exhaust component air feed to catalytic converter perhaps, or exhaust manifold
Loose air filter housing/hose

 

[Carmen813]

Strange that it went away. A couple things I'd look at, even though they don't completely make sense...

Loose spark plug
Loose exhaust component air feed to catalytic converter perhaps, or exhaust manifold
Loose air filter housing/hose

Your telling me I'm scared to drive the damn thing.

Most of the reading I'm doing online points to a wheel bearing or wheel balance problem. I'm gonna bring it in tomorrow and have it looked at.

 

[amdhunter]

Failing cat? Maybe the loud noise was some bits and pieces of metal being flung out of the exhaust, and you smelled the burning mess as it passed by.

Is your Check Engine on?

 

[Carmen813]

No check engine light. If you've ever driven with winter tires at highway speeds, it was a louder version of that. A rumbling sound.

 

[boomerang]

Your telling me I'm scared to drive the damn thing.

Most of the reading I'm doing online points to a wheel bearing or wheel balance problem. I'm gonna bring it in tomorrow and have it looked at.

It's not a balance problem. You would have felt the shaking from that. Don't pay to have the tires balanced in hopes of fixing it. If anything, I would just tell the shop what you experienced. Let them diagnose it.

If it's a hub and bearing assembly, it's worn enough that the inside of the tire was rubbing on the inner wheel well. This would explain the noise and the rubber smell. The tire may be damaged enough to need replacement.

If this is what truly happened, I hope you don't have to drive it far to get it fixed. It sounds like a potentially dangerous situation.

 

[Carmen813]

It's not a balance problem. You would have felt the shaking from that. Don't pay to have the tires balanced in hopes of fixing it. If anything, I would just tell the shop what you experienced. Let them diagnose it.

If it's a hub and bearing assembly, it's worn enough that the inside of the tire was rubbing on the inner wheel well. This would explain the noise and the rubber smell. The tire may be damaged enough to need replacement.

If this is what truly happened, I hope you don't have to drive it far to get it fixed. It sounds like a potentially dangerous situation.

There is a mechanic <1 mile down the road, so that's probably where I'm headed.

 

[boomerang]

There is a mechanic <1 mile down the road, so that's probably where I'm headed.

Let us know what it was. It's always nice to hear what the problem ended up being.

 

[Eli]

Nearly impossible to do anything but guess from your description.

Driven through mud lately?

 

[Carmen813]

Nope, didn't dry through mud. It has been raining a lot lately and I've hit some unavoidable giant puddles (went through them slow, but it is what it is). I live in snow capital USA so I wouldn't doubt there is a lot of salt in that water. What information could I provide you with that would help?

I started the car this morning and revved the engine to about 3500 RPM (which is the highest it ever goes while I'm driving). There was no problem.

I also jacked up both the front wheels and gave them a spin with my hands. I definitely heard metal on metal rubbing. Kind of like a grinding sound, but I don't know if that is normal or not. It was difficult (though not impossible) to spin the wheels using my hands.

 

[DivideBYZero]

When driving and the noise is loudest, does it go away when you disengage the clutch? does the noise go on and off when disengaging, engaging it at speed?

 

[CraigRT]

How difficult to turn wheels?
It really could be dragging brakes at this point. They do get louder as they get hot in my experience. Low speed would not get the parts as hot, hence no noise at low speeds.

Get that checked out.

 

[Carmen813]

Well I drove it to the mechanic today, but I'm almost certain at this point its a bad brake caliper. The right side passenger brake appears to be ever so slightly rubbing constantly. It slowly heats up, eventually starts squealing (this happened in perfectly dry weather today), and the smelling like burnt rubber.

The squealing started after driving at relatively low speeds for a while, 30-45 mph.

 

[boomerang]

Well I drove it to the mechanic today, but I'm almost certain at this point its a bad brake caliper. The right side passenger brake appears to be ever so slightly rubbing constantly. It slowly heats up, eventually starts squealing (this happened in perfectly dry weather today), and the smelling like burnt rubber.

The squealing started after driving at relatively low speeds for a while, 30-45 mph.

Well good, that should be an inexpensive repair.

 

[Carmen813]

Turned out it wasn't even a bad brake caliper. When my stepdad and I replaced the brake pads/rotors in the front in December we forgot to lubricate the caliper. So basically it wasn't releasing the pads from the rotors. They took it apart, cleaned and lubricated the calipers, and now all is well.

Still cost me 70 bucks, oh well, live and learn.