Hi all. My 93 SE5 seems to have developed a noise that my mechanic could not find the cause of. Here are the symptoms:

- When in reverse, when the brakes are tapped they make a wheezing, squeaking noise

- When moving forward at speeds above 10 mph, there is a scraping noise that sounds like a metal O-ring is being rotated vigorously around a metal cylinder.

The sounds have been occuring for a couple months now, but they just became REALLY annoying, especially the scraping noise when at speed. I had the rear brakes done a couple weeks ago, in an attempt to resolve the problem, and my mechanic said it was the old pads scraping. They did the pads, but the sound is still there. I asked them at the time to check the parking brake, but they said they didn't find anything wrong. The car brakes as good as ever, so I don't believe there's a serious issue there.

I have no reason to believe my mechanic was wrong in his assessment of the situation, because they've treated me very well in the past, as they did this time. Does this issue sound like anything anyone else here has heard? What was the fix for it? I don't want to put my car in the shop again, but it looks like I'll have too.

 

Wheel bearing?

 

I had wondered about that. How much for 1 replacement?

 

i had an annoying nooise kinda like you're describing a while back.... it turned out it was that shield behind the rotors....thin sheet metal shield. All i did to resolve the issue was reach through my rim and bend the shield back a little bit. nice and quiet now

 

Hmm. Well I hope it is that, and that the fix is that easy. Like I said, I'd really hate to have to find time to try and put it in the shop, especially only being a week from Thanksgiving.

ustfdes, when it happened to you, did the sound increase as you drove faster? I'm not sure how that shield could get bent in the way of something.

 

im not sure how mine got bent in the first place...but, since i started driving it just a couple days before i lowered it....and then i hit a speedbump and ripped open my flexpipe....i could only hear the sound at low speeds.
one thing you could do is take yourself and a friend (and the max, of course) to a parking lot.....and have im drive slow circles while you trail beside the car kinda listening for the noise.....i dunno, just my .02

 

I should do that. It sounds like it's all coming from the left rear area, and it's only when it's moving above 15 mph (except when in reverse), so it's gotta be something wheel-related.

<joke>
Hey! Maybe I should get me one of those things ya lie down on when working under the car, and just have a friend drag me around under the back of the car...then I'd probably figure it out!
</joke>

 

Dude I know you're joking but you should do that. I know I'd do it in a far isolated place if it wasnt cold out

On the other hand my car also makes a noise like when You're walking and dragging a stick on a fence it does that sound only after I've made a real fast sharp turn but it doesnt do it while turning only when driving straight, either while I let go of the brake or of the accelerator. If I hold either one down it wont make the noise. I think the noise is coming from the front left wheel.