Spooky sounds can mean big car trouble

Spooky sounds echo from the night this time of year, but car owners should be fine-tuned to a whole different kind of noise.

Hissing, flapping, squealing and screeching--at least when it comes from your car--can add up to some frightening auto-repair bills. Experts from the Automotive Service Association say with a trained ear, car owners can identify problems with their vehicles and get them addressed more quickly.

“If the problem is caught and solved early on, it usually costs far less than waiting until the noise gets very loud,” said Dave Kusa, owner of Autotrend Diagnostic in Campbell, Calif. “I think it is best to have your vehicle serviced and maintained by a qualified full-service shop that will perform a full vehicle inspection at least twice a year to ward off the scary noises.”

Automotive specialists say as we enter the haunting season, we should be checking both under our beds and under our hoods. With their help, we've compiled a list of spooky car noises you should fear but not avoid. Here’s what to listen for:

Flapping: This could be a possible issue with a belt, but it also might be caused by a loose underbody panel or a loose wheel well, Kusa said.

Knocking: John Vallely, owner of McLean Auto Repair in Elgin, Ill., said knocking could indicate a serious engine condition from excessive wear. “This could result in a very scary repair cost,” he said.

Ticking: A light tapping or ticking could indicate that your engine-oil level is dangerously low or that the oil is overdue for service, Vallely said. It's also a possible indication that valves need adjustment.

Squeaks: Bill Moss, owner of Ferris EuroService Automotive in Warrenton, Va., said windows that squeak when you open and/or close them should be looked at before they stop working completely. Squeaks under the hood are usually drive-belt related and in many cases are caused by a weak automatic belt-tensioning device. Squeaks in the suspension, heard when going over bumps or turning, can be difficult to isolate but often are commonly caused by rubber/metal interference and are fairly inexpensive to resolve, Moss said.

Squealing: This could derive from a loose drive belt slipping on one of the pulleys, which could lead to belt failure. It could also be an indication of the engine stalling if the charging system is not working correctly because of a loose drive belt, or a possible power steering malfunction, Kusa said.

Grinding: “These noises almost always sound expensive, because it usually sounds exactly like what it is: two pieces of metal that are not designed to be in contact are now rubbing against each other,” Moss said. Those metal pieces can consist of worn-out brakes, wheel bearings, broken suspension components or other unpleasantness.

Whirring that sounds like an old airplane propeller spinning: If it changes with vehicle speed, it is usually a bearing of some sort. Pete Rudloff, owner of Pete’s Garage in Newark, Del., warns that it could be a wheel bearing and that it needs to be inspected immediately. “Catastrophic wheel-bearing failure could result in the tire/wheel assembly falling off and losing control of the vehicle,” Rudloff explained.

Screeching, flapping: If the sound comes from under the hood with the engine running it could be a fraying belt, or possibly a bad idler pulley or a pending water-pump failure, Rudloff said. If one of those items fails completely, you might lose power steering and brake boosting, which could make the vehicle hard to steer and stop, or the charging system might no longer charge and the water pump may not pump. You could be stranded, or engine damage could result from overheating.

Hissing: Terry Wynter, owner of Terry Wynter Auto Service Center in Fort Meyers, Fla., said this “creepy” sound is typically caused by a vacuum-hose leak and is usually accompanied by a rough idle. The vacuum leak can cause a car to stall, so Wynter recommends seeking professional automotive assistance immediately.

Whistles: These are some of the more unusual noises coming from a car, and they can range from a shrill whistle to a low croak or moan, Moss said. They most often are caused by air pressure or vacuum escaping because of a failure of a hose or diaphragm in the engine compartment. They can be very animated in tone and volume because they often are related to throttle position and/or operating temperature.

Pop/clunk when going over bumps: Rudloff said this could indicate a faulty ball joint, tie rod or suspension bushing, all of which could cause complete loss of control if they fail while driving. Clunks can also come from sway-bar end links and/or bushings. When they fail, it will make the vehicle handle poorly, but this should not cause a catastrophic loss of control.

Clanging: Vallely said this could indicate that your exhaust system, or an exhaust hanger, is loose, allowing the metal exhaust pipes to contact the suspension, the body or the frame.

Binging noise: This often accompanies a "check engine" or "check gauges" light in the instrument cluster and could indicate an engine overheat, low oil pressure or a charging-system failure. “If the check engine light is on, there are literally thousands of possible reasons why, so get it checked out,” Rudloff said.

Thumping: This could result from a tire that is out of balance and slapping the road surface. If left unattended, flat spots and noisy tires could develop, Vallely said.

One final ghastly glitch can be identified by sight rather than sound.

“If you are out after the ‘witching hour’ and notice that the headlights start to dim and electrical features inside of the car start working more slowly, it's a sign that the alternator is failing and will need replacement,” Wynter said.