Whistling sound from front driver's wheel

It's an intermittent sound though, not constant. The time between the sounds gets shorter as I pick up speed. And it's not just when I apply the brakes, so it wouldn't be a brake pad, would it? I wish I could come up with a better word for it than "whistling", because it's not exactly. Maybe squeaking? I don't know. I guess I'll have no choice but to take it in and have it looked at. I was hoping to avoid that as I'm a single father on disability. Anyway, if u think of anything else, let me know. Thanks.

The sound is there both when brake are or are not being applied.

It is there all the time, except when I come to a complete stop. I can compare it to striking a key on a piano. As I drive slow, it is like striking the key every 2 seconds. Then as I speed up the time between the strikes shortens, as if I'm striking it every second, and then 1/2 a second. Then if I get on the highway and above 100 km/hr, I can no longer hear it. But once I slow down, I can hear it again until I stop, then it's gone. So it's definitely related to the spinning of the wheel. But when I check the wheel, I see nothing unusual. Nothing stuck in the tire or wheel well.

Hey, did you resolve this issue and find out what was causing this sound? Because I have a Saturn 2001, and I’m having the exact same issue now with my front wheel making the exact same sound! Just like you described it and how it behaves when driving or stopping. Any ideas? Thanks!

Thanks so much, Joe, for the kind reply!

I have to say this is a big mystery, still unsolved.

About a week ago, when this sound started, it sounded like it was the brake pads' sensor (it actually didn't change pitch when I applied the brakes, but only with slowing down - even without the breaks - and accelerating). So, I took the car to my mechanic, and he replaced the brake pads with new ones. I thought that was it, and everything was fine driving home. But the next day, the sound all of a sudden appears again!

So, on the weekend I put the car up on the jack and rotated the front left wheel by hand. It indeed made the sound of metal scratching metal (i.E. The sensor again?). So, the next day I drove back to the mechanic, and I heard this annoying sound all the way over there (not a short drive). But then when I get to the mechanic - just as with Murphy's law - he gets into the car and drives it around (with me) to listen to the sound and it's gone! Absolutely gone. He lifts the car up, inspects the wheels, and doesn't see, nor hear anything wrong! (I'm assuming he would see, or hear, if the dust shield was the culprit?). He said it might have been a stone or something that was possibly stuck between the rotor and that piece of metal next to it, but I don't know.

This is mind boggling. This Saturn (LW200, 2001) is just - something! I'm afraid to drive the car now, as I'm sure this sound will be back! Do you have a picture of the dust shield by any chance, so that I could take a look at it myself?

Thank you again!

AJ

Thanks Joe!

On my own, I checked only the front driver-side wheel, as that is where the sound seemed to be coming from, and indeed, when I put the car on the jack, that wheel made the metal-on-metal sound (see video attended!). At the mechanic, he turned both front wheels by hand, and none of them made a sound.

And thank you for the picture of the dust shield! I'll definitely check it!

AJ

Thank you! Will do!

AJ

Oh no, you're not being a pain at all, thank you for following up!

I actually drove the car to the mechanic again today, so that he could look at these things! The sound has been coming in and out these past few days. And of course, once I got to the mechanic, it was gone. No trace of it. So, I figured it must be related to heat. When the car is relatively cold, something makes the sound. When it is hot, that thing expands, and doesn't make the sound anymore (my mechanic is about 17 miles away from me, so it's enough for the car to get hot). I pleaded with him to lift the car up and simply look at the parts you mentioned, but he refused. Said he needs something to work with, i.E. He needs to hear the sound. Ugh.

So, the next time I hear this sound I am going to go to any car shop close to me, to have them look at it. I wish I could do it myself, but it's hard for me to see anything just lying under the car, and I don't really know what I'm looking at. :)

AJ

Thanks again Joe!

I tried to get my hand and phone in there as much as I could and took a bunch of pictures. Uploaded them all to this Google Drive folder, if you want to take a look! They might all be of the same thing, but I just snapped a bunch of them, to make sure I am not missing anything that might be an important clue!

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1DowiTJCoT99J4WHZhMoA5VS7rMH0rQ0D?usp=sharing

Let me know if you see anything there, and thank you again,

AJ

Thank you! How far should the dust shield be from the rotor, ideally?

Thanks so much! Will do!

AJ