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Loud noise after driving through puddle on road

Gen 3
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5K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  Athiril  
#1 ·
Recording, skip to 55s listen to 1m 10

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went through a deep puddle on road and it splashed up, saw steam while waiting at lights. Went and got food, stopped for 30 min, noise suddenly kicked in while driving at 60km/hr on the way back.

A. When does the sound happen?

X When engine is running
_ When transmission is in some particular gear
_ When turning
_ On throttle
_ When braking
_ Over bumps
_ In cold conditions
X At speed - quiet at 20km/hr, starts above that gets loud at 40km/hr

B. Where does the sound come from?

_ Can't tell
_ Drivetrain
_ Suspension/wheels/brakes
X Front
_ Rear
_ Body

C. Does the sound vary with some condition?

X Engine/transmission rpm dependent
x Wheel rpm dependent
_ Air speed/direction dependent
_ Varies according to some other condition

Can’t tell if wheel speed or rpm yet, I didn’t drive for long, but it’s quiet at 20km and under

D. Is there a vibration associated with the noise?

_ Feel it through the floorpan or seat
_ Feel it through the steering wheel
_ Feel it through a pedal

Cant tell

E. Does it affect drive-ability? how?
Not from what I can tell
 
#2 ·
Sounds like a wheel bearing or it's in the front diff.

Jack up the front wheels, park brake on, trans in neutral. Put jack stands under the car. One hand on the strut spring and spin each wheel. You will feel the bad wheel bearing through the spring. Same with the rear wheels, only no park brake and chock the front wheels with the trans in Park if it's an automatic.

If you don't feel anything at the wheels, then get all 4 off the ground to where you can get under the car safely, start the car and run it in D for auto, or 2nd for manual and listen, feel for the noise from the trans and differentials.
 
R
#3 ·
It could be a pebble stuck between a front brake rotor and the metal dust shield. I had it happen on my '05. I had to pull the wheel off, and use an extra long, skinny screwdriver to force the pebble out. The noises it made were loud and intermittent.
 
#4 ·
So turns out that that water blast detached the front part of the mud hard from under near the bumper and it was rubbing on the tire, it had only one clip left in it and the guard had a split to the clip. I pushed it back in and pushed a 10mm bolt into one of the other clip holes
 
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