Car, tapping noise from wheel area, no diagnosis

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Batman

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#302056 25-Oct-2022 15:32

so i have a 2012 subaru, 100,000ks. the right wheel area is fine unless i drive at 100kph for a bit, and when i slow down and/or drive slowly after that trip it will do a metallic tap, about 1 tap a second

the tap sounds like someone banging their hand on your car bonnet when you're seated in the car, but one bang a second as you're driving slowly. can't hear at 100ks as road noise is too loud but it's probably there too.

when i park it away for the night it disappears.

took it to the mechanic (subaru dealer) a few months apart and they say can't find anything wrong

any ideas?

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#2987854 25-Oct-2022 15:43

You can't you feel anything through the steering wheel?

How slow is "drive slowly"? 1/sec doesn't sound like the speed anything rotates at, unless really slow or it is a harmonic of something... Doubly strange as it takes time to start happening.

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#2987860 25-Oct-2022 15:53

How about when accelerating, braking, cornering or going over uneven roads? Any knocking noises?

I'm thinking it's possibly a worn or broken engine mount, checking the mounts and rubber bushes usually requires a mechanic who knows what to look for.

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#2987864 25-Oct-2022 15:58

johno1234:
You can't you feel anything through the steering wheel?

How slow is "drive slowly"? 1/sec doesn't sound like the speed anything rotates at, unless really slow or it is a harmonic of something... Doubly strange as it takes time to start happening.

No.

25-35kph.

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#2987870 25-Oct-2022 16:00

BlueOwl:

How about when accelerating, braking, cornering or going over uneven roads? Any knocking noises?

I'm thinking it's possibly a worn or broken engine mount, checking the mounts and rubber bushes usually requires a mechanic who knows what to look for.

No.

Cornering at 5-35kph might make it louder by a bit but not much.

I'm thinking the same but they tell me they've checked everything, I told them to write they've checked everything just in case it falls apart at speed.

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#2987873 25-Oct-2022 16:06

Noticed a similar sound at slow speed recently it was a buldge on one of the rear tires.

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#2987883 25-Oct-2022 16:29

I had something very similar a few years ago on the front right - a very faint tapping that I could only hear on asphalt (not on coarse chip) and mainly when I turned to the left. Only audible at speeds from 10 ot 40 kph or so.

It turned out to be wheel nuts that had not been tightened properly after replacing the brake pads. I was very glad I caught it when I did. Apparently a couple of them were 'pretty much finger tight...'

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#2987979 25-Oct-2022 18:24

Does the tapping change with speed?

If you bump the car into neutral while rolling does the sound stop or keep going.

Any stones in the tyre tread?

Does the sound get louder when turning either direction?

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#2987988 25-Oct-2022 19:06

BlueOwl:

How about when accelerating, braking, cornering or going over uneven roads? Any knocking noises?

I'm thinking it's possibly a worn or broken engine mount, checking the mounts and rubber bushes usually requires a mechanic who knows what to look for.

Was wondering about cv joints? Although the test for that is reversing in a circle and getting clunks

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#2988089 25-Oct-2022 19:55

Gurezaemon:

I had something very similar a few years ago on the front right - a very faint tapping that I could only hear on asphalt (not on coarse chip) and mainly when I turned to the left. Only audible at speeds from 10 ot 40 kph or so.

It turned out to be wheel nuts that had not been tightened properly after replacing the brake pads. I was very glad I caught it when I did. Apparently a couple of them were 'pretty much finger tight...'

i tightened the nuts and now i can't hear the noise ...

hmm ...

will take it for a long drive tomorrow ...

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#2988100 25-Oct-2022 20:57

Still there, but much much quieter, hear it most when reversing with wheels pointing left. Can't hear anything going forward.

Everything torqued to 125Nm with wheel lifted off ground on the supercheapauto tool. Maybe will take it off and inspect the center bore. It's an aftermarket with a plastic hub centric ring

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#2988127 26-Oct-2022 07:36

Longer shot, but if tightening the wheel nuts made a difference, maybe get the wheel bearing looked at.

I had an earlier Subaru Legacy that was suffering brake pad knock off that no-one could figure out for months, including passing two WOF checks. Turned out that once we undid the nut that holds the axle into the hub, the wheel bearing was just about toast. The hub nut had been holding things together well enough that there was no apparent play except when cornering loads were applied to the car.

Also required a 2 metre breaker bar put on it and the car driven slowly forwards against it to crack the nut. So it was tight.

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#2988133 26-Oct-2022 07:54

Long ago I came across a Hillman Hunter with the wrong wheels on it. The original wheel nuts weren't right for the alloy wheel so no matter how tight they were the wheels fretted on the hubs. With the wheels off it was easy to see that there had been movement. If you think it could be the wheels start by taking them off.

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#2988354 26-Oct-2022 17:44

thanks guys i still don't know what's going on, reinstalled the wheel, my non mechanic inspection didn't find anything wrong, the tapping is now even less but still there.

maybe take it to another shop

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#2988455 26-Oct-2022 23:25

Batman:

so i have a 2012 subaru, 100,000ks. the right wheel area is fine unless i drive at 100kph for a bit, and when i slow down and/or drive slowly after that trip it will do a metallic tap, about 1 tap a second

the tap sounds like someone banging their hand on your car bonnet when you're seated in the car, but one bang a second as you're driving slowly. can't hear at 100ks as road noise is too loud but it's probably there too.

when i park it away for the night it disappears.

took it to the mechanic (subaru dealer) a few months apart and they say can't find anything wrong

any ideas?

Take it to Firestone and have them put the car up on the hoist, then run it up to 100kmh, inspect the wheel while it's rotating at road speed.

You'll need to disengage traction control first.

Possibly something sharp stuck in the tyre? Also could be a stone. My right rear wheel is noisy from a bad bearing, but it sounds more like a grind than tap.

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#2988524 27-Oct-2022 02:36

From the description the noise doesn't happen a 100 but at slow speed after some faster driving.

Some disc brakes can make a rattle after the caliper piston(s) get moved back. Does the noise stop if the brakes are used?

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