I hear this high pitched whistle coming from the front left side of the car. It goes away when I come to a stop. It gets worse every day, now I can even hear with my windows closed. I got my belts replaced 1 week ago along with the idle pulley, my brakes are brand new. I brought the car to the dealership, they don't hear anything, as usual. But this sound appears when the car is hot(after highway/heavy traffic driving). I am really worried about this and dunno what to think it might be.
Someone suggested a vacuum leak?

Please help.
Thanks

 

If you just got your brakes done.. it might be your brakes just breaking in..

 

It doesn't sound like anything metallic, sounds like an air is leaking through a small opening...i dunno.
Also, I heard this noise before my breaks and belts were replaced, but now it just got worse.

 

AndyXXL: Sounds to me like a wheel bearing goin bad. I had the same noise for about an hour then went away. It was an extremely loud screaching sound. and I know its not my brakes cause i just replaced them.

I also have had a weird shaking in my steering wheel when on the highway and I was told bad wheel bearings can cause this as well.

 

How can I check for a bad wheel bearing? Do u know of any diagnostic methods I can perform on a parking lot?

 

I stole this one from a Daniel B. Martin response about wheel bearings, so you don't even have to answer Daniel,

1) Verify that all wheel lug nuts are tight.

2) Raise the car. If you have a floor jack you can raise the entire front end at once, and test both front wheel bearings. No need for jackstands, as you will not get under the car.

3) Grab the top of the tire (12 o'clock) and push away from yourself and pull toward yourself. Yank it to and fro in this fashion several times. If there is noticeable free play or an audible "clunking" sound, the wheel bearing is probably damaged.

4) Attempt to spin the wheel. If it spins freely but makes ugly sounds the bearing may be damaged. If it won't spin at all the brake may be dragging. This could indicate a sticking caliper.

5) Remove the wheel. Make a careful visual inspection of the brake and surrounding parts. See if...
- the stamped sheet metal baffle plate has been bent and is touching the rotor
- a pebble or other foreign body has become trapped and is rubbing against the rotor

 

Thank you for the attribution, Medicsonic.

Some further thoughts...
Is the whistling keyed to engine speed or vehicle speed?
If you can find a safe place to make an experiment...
- drive at a speed where you can hear the sound
- shift to neutral and turn off the engine
- let the car coast

If the whistle vanishes, it was engine-related (vacuum leak, bad bearing in belt tensioner pulley, etc.). If the whistle continues, it is vehicle-related (brakes, wheel bearings, etc.).

 

Thanks for help guys.
Daniel, that's a really good idea. I'm gonna try it today, just need to find a big parking lot

 

It looks like I have bad wheel bearings, and HAVE had them for months now.. just great, that's repair #8 or 9 that I can't do because I have no $$$$$

Thanks a lot ANDY.. esli ti ne sprosil eto, ya bi nikogda ne uznal, so there is noise from the wheels, big deal!

 

Oh c'mon man, it was bothering me for a while so I decided to ask. It wasn't a big deal for you before u read this post, right? So keep driving and forget you ever read this

 

hehe, just playin' with ya man. I got so many noises, squeaks and rattles in my car that I don't mind it at all anymore, just crank up the BOSE and it's all good

 

Ok, so I did exactly what Daniel told me to do. I was on a local road and when I heard this noise again I shifted into neutral, turned off the engine and let the car coast. The sound did not go away, so I guess I should get the wheel bearing checked.
I'm happy it's not anything engine related.

Thanks again Daniel and everyone else who helped me find the problem.

Andy

 

oh i see no thanks to me for sugesting that it was a wheel bearing....

 

Personal thanks to ny96maxse
BTW do you know how much is the wheel bearing? I'll probably have to go to the dealership to get that replaced

 

i got a quote for $60 a side from a local shop. So figure Nissan willbe $120 a side, lol plus you have to get them packed by a mchine for another $20-40 a side.

 

Can I replace only the left side or I need to do both?

 

PartsAmerica.com lists these replacements:
BCA BEARINGS 510009 $34.99 + shipping
CHICAGO RAWHIDE FW119 $41.99 + shipping

This repair requires special tools and is beyond the capability of most home mechanics. However, it does not have to be done by a dealer. Independent shops usually charge less than dealers. Locate a good independent, preferably one which specializes in Japanese cars. You might find a former Nissan dealer technician who opened his own business. That's a good man to know!

 

Replace only the bad bearing. There is no need to do both at the same time. There is no money to be saved by doing both at the same time.

Don't rush into replacing the wheel bearing. Based on reading your previous posts, the bearing is still only a suspect. Other parts, including brakes, could be making the whistling sound. Further investigation is warranted.