2004 Chrysler Sebring Noise

2004 CHRYSLER SEBRING
Avatar
MIKEWHO5
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
Tires and Wheels problem
2004 Chrysler Sebring

My car just started making a noise that sounds like driving over a rumble strip. Its coming from the passenger's side. What does this mean?
Apr 25, 2009 at 6:54 PM
Advertisement
Avatar
CARADIODOC
  • CERTIFIED EXPERT
  • 34,308 POSTS
Sounds like a defective front wheel bearing. Usually you can make the sound change by turning the steering wheel slightly, such as when changing lanes, to shift the vehicle weight from side to side. On older cars with pressed-in wheel bearings, it was easy to tell which bearing was bad. Turn left, if it gets real quiet, it's the left front bearing. If it gets louder, it's the right one. You can tell by the sound also which one is making the noise.

On your car, however, the bearing is a bolt-on design. Much more expensive but much easier to replace. One problem is determining which one is bad. Turning the steering wheel will make the noise change, and it can sound like it's coming from a certain side, but 50/50 chance you'll be wrong. The only way to tell for sure is to run it in gear on a hoist and listen with a stethoscope.

caradiodoc
Apr 30, 2009 at 1:17 AM