Grinding noise when turning

Tiny
DAVID COLLIVER
  • MEMBER
  • 2004 NISSAN SENTRA
  • 1.8L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 109,000 MILES
Every time I turn left I hear a grinding noise coming from the passenger side.
Saturday, November 11th, 2017 AT 3:56 PM

23 Replies

Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
My first thought is a wheel bearing being bad. It is a grinding not a clicking?
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Saturday, November 11th, 2017 AT 4:25 PM
Tiny
CJ MEDEVAC
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,005 POSTS
Maybe a scrubbing sound?

Turn your wheels hard left.

See if the tire is contacting the inner wheel well or the plastic liner of the well.

Look for fresh/ shiny/clean places.

Keep in mind that sitting still may only get the tire close, but when it "squats" with the vehicle's weight in the left turn, that may be when it contacts.

Keep us posted,

The Medic
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Saturday, November 11th, 2017 AT 4:34 PM
Tiny
DAVID COLLIVER
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
Nothing wrong with the bearings. Nothing rubbing. It is not in the hubs at all. It sounds like its coming from underneath the car on the passenger side, when I turn left.
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Sunday, November 12th, 2017 AT 3:32 AM
Tiny
DAVID COLLIVER
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
When I am going straight or turning right I do not hear it.
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Sunday, November 12th, 2017 AT 3:33 AM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
  • 30,869 POSTS
How did you check the bearings? Just looking for looseness?I have seen plenty of bad bearings making noise without them being loose. Do you have a jack and jack stands?
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Sunday, November 12th, 2017 AT 8:01 AM
Tiny
DAVID COLLIVER
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
Okay. Hi, my brother has a lift at his house. We found out that the nut on the control arm was loose and that caused the control arm to grind on the rotor. So we tightened the nut and put a bigger cotter pin in the hole above it and that fixed the problem. Thanks for the input. Maybe this will help someone else with the same problem.
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Sunday, November 12th, 2017 AT 9:31 AM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 48,363 POSTS
Good to hear, please use 2CarPros anytime we are here to help.

Cheers, Ken
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Tuesday, November 14th, 2017 AT 11:33 AM
Tiny
KRITTER BUGG
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
  • 2004 NISSAN SENTRA
  • 1.8L
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 183,762 MILES
My car has been running perfect up until two days ago. It started with a grinding noise only when I turned left. The next day it became a constant grinding noise when driving but only to a certain speed about forty mph then it goes quiet. It is so bad now that I refuse to drive it for safety reasons because not only is it still grinding loudly but now when I hit the breaks the grinding noise is so terrible it feels like the car is going to fall apart. I have had people tell me it is my bearings. The noise is coming from the front driver side. I do not want to spend a ton of money on replacing the bearing if this is not the problem. Please help
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Tuesday, November 14th, 2017 AT 11:34 AM (Merged)
Tiny
HMAC300
  • MECHANIC
  • 48,601 POSTS
Have a mechanic check brakes an d wheel bearings on front wheels.
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Tuesday, November 14th, 2017 AT 11:34 AM (Merged)
Tiny
KRITTER BUGG
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
I just had my brakes done less than 3 months ago. So I know they are good. Do u think it's sounds like the bearing is going?
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Tuesday, November 14th, 2017 AT 11:34 AM (Merged)
Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,916 POSTS
If I may butt in with a comment of value, you do not know the brakes are okay. Having been done three months ago is all the more reason to have the brakes inspected. I know this is nearly impossible to believe, but we do make mistakes on occasion, and we deserve the chance to correct those. New parts also fail once in a while. In fact, when a problem occurs so close to a recent service, it is far more likely the recent service is involved in the current problem than something else that has been working fine for years.

To add to my wondrous comment, wheel bearings don't go from noise-free to as bad as what you described this quickly. To become too horrendous to drive the car takes many miles over months or even years. I've only seen one that was so bad, it looked like the wheel was going to fall off, and that owner didn't believe numerous people telling him it was a safety issue, and drove the car like that for over three years.

Noise caused by a wheel bearing doesn't change significantly when applying the brakes. Noise caused by the brakes will usually change a lot when they're applied. Listen to Hmac300 and start with the brake system inspection.
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Tuesday, November 14th, 2017 AT 11:34 AM (Merged)
Tiny
IBEALION
  • MEMBER
  • 8 POSTS
  • 2001 NISSAN SENTRA
  • 4 CYL
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 86,000 MILES
While driving, the car makes a grinding noise that lasts as long as it takes to shift gears from lower to higher as I increase my speed. In other words, the noise starts just before the RPM peak and ends just as the RPM drops. It also gets worse after having been driven on the interstate for an extended period of time. Overdrive is always on.
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Tuesday, November 14th, 2017 AT 11:34 AM (Merged)
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,885 POSTS
Is it a grinding sound or could it be a ratteling sound? Can you tell aprox where the sound is coming from?
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Tuesday, November 14th, 2017 AT 11:34 AM (Merged)
Tiny
IBEALION
  • MEMBER
  • 8 POSTS
My wife describes it as a rattle so let's say yes, it is a rattle.
It sounds like it's coming from the driver side or maybe the middle. Definitely not from the passenger side.
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Tuesday, November 14th, 2017 AT 11:34 AM (Merged)
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,885 POSTS
This may sound too simple, but take a rubber mallot and tap on the exhaust system to see if you can duplicate the sound. Often times, a heat shield, resinator, or even the inside of the catalytic converter can come loose and you will hear something as you described. Most of the time, you will hear it at different RPM's.
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Tuesday, November 14th, 2017 AT 11:34 AM (Merged)
Tiny
IBEALION
  • MEMBER
  • 8 POSTS
There is a distinct rattle when I tapped on the exhaust system under the car but it sounds very different outside the car and it isn't loud enough to be heard inside the car.
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Tuesday, November 14th, 2017 AT 11:34 AM (Merged)
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,885 POSTS
Okay, when the engine is running, it could make that rattle a lot louder. Can you identify where on the exhaust the sound is coming from? Check for loose/rusted muffler clamps, check the heat shields on the catalytic converter as well as the resinator if you have one. If they are tight, see if the noise is coming from inside the catalytic converter or resinator. They can come loose inside and cause noise and partial plugging.
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Tuesday, November 14th, 2017 AT 11:34 AM (Merged)
Tiny
ZELLDOG93
  • MEMBER
  • 111 POSTS
  • 2002 NISSAN SENTRA
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 100,600 MILES
I was wondering if anyone had an idea of why when I turn my wheel it sounds like its grinding or clicking from the passenger side so far I came up with the CV joint but I was wondering if there is anything else
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Tuesday, November 14th, 2017 AT 11:34 AM (Merged)
Tiny
DRCRANKNWRENCH
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,380 POSTS
The front axles or CV joints need to be replaced.
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Tuesday, November 14th, 2017 AT 11:34 AM (Merged)
Tiny
DRCRANKNWRENCH
  • MECHANIC
  • 3,380 POSTS
Besides the axles and CV, check the bearing on the intermediate shaft.
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Tuesday, November 14th, 2017 AT 11:34 AM (Merged)

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