weird noise

[ozana]

hi there,
for the last couple of days, I've noticed a funny noise on my 2001 Sp. Ed. it's like a low rumble, like a vibration, that is only noticeable when i break, or when I come to a slow stop. it comes from the back left side of the car (as far as i can guess). sometimes if I hit a rough asphalt, I can hear it. any idea what can vibrate and create this noise?
i hope I've been explicitly enough, kind of hard to describe it.
thank you.

 

[Stick Figure]

as always its hard to say w/ out hearing it, but wheel bearing is the first thing that comes to mind.

 

[miniracer]

Pull off the rear drums and check your brakes. Sounds like the shoes could be soaked with either brake fluid from a leaky wheel cylinder or (more likely) axle fluid from a leaky rear axle seal.

 

[ozana]

thank you guys, i really appreciate your input, but honestly i don't think that is the problem. the sound, the vibration, to me sounds like something else, but on the other hand i'm not a mechanic. for sure is not the bearing, i've had before on other cars. about the leak, i don't know what to say.
thank you again

 

[SchooBaka]

Sounds like it might be tire noise.
Did you rotate the tires recently?
Might try rotating the tires and see if the noise changes or moves.
You can run you're hand along the edges of the tires to see how rough they are.

 

[ozana]

thank you, but i hear the noise even when the car is stopped. so i don't think are the tires, right?

 

[SchooBaka]

thank you, but i hear the noise even when the car is stopped. so i don't think are the tires, right?

Right.
Check you're exhaust system, it may be bent and contacting part of the chassis somewhere. It should be insulated from the chassis with rubber insulators and should not be touching anything else.

 

[ozana]

that's a good idea, but i doubt it. i've had on another car, and plus is not that 'metallic' sound. i will check it anyway.

 

[miniracer]

hi there,
for the last couple of days, I've noticed a funny noise on my 2001 Sp. Ed. it's like a low rumble, like a vibration, that is only noticeable when i break, or when I come to a slow stop. it comes from the back left side of the car (as far as i can guess). sometimes if I hit a rough asphalt, I can hear it. any idea what can vibrate and create this noise?
i hope I've been explicitly enough, kind of hard to describe it.
thank you.

thank you, but i hear the noise even when the car is stopped. so i don't think are the tires, right?

Your description is not too consistant here.

What are you doing to make the noise when the vehicle is stopped?

 

[ozana]

i said is kind of hard to explain.
so, i'm not doing anything, is like a vibration, in the window or something. sometimes when i put in reverse, with the break on, i can hear the vibration. again, not always. weird.

 

[miniracer]

i said is kind of hard to explain.
so, i'm not doing anything, is like a vibration, in the window or something. sometimes when i put in reverse, with the break on, i can hear the vibration. again, not always. weird.

Ah, but you are doing something to make the noise. Right there you said you put in it reverse with the brake on. In the first post you also said it does it when coming to a stop. Is that still right? Is the sound metallic sounding? How about getting someone else in the driver seat with you in the back. When the noise is going on, put the window down. Is it from the inside or outside? You said it happens at a stop, so get out (again with someone else still in the driver seat) go back there and look around. Shouldn't be too hard to narrow down where the noise is coming from. Why the noise is happening is a different story, but where it's coming from should be easy to find.

 

[ozana]

yeah, everything is correct, the noise/vibration is not consistent. i will investigate further more, like you said.
thank you

 

[ozana]

OK, finally got it.
it's the driver back end of the running board. if i hold the corner down, no more vibration, rattling noise. it doesn't seem to be loose or anything (at least not more than the front end or passenger board, so can be wrong?
thank you