Cars, no matter how fancy, get a bit tired over the years. It’s like they’re subtle whispering secrets when they start making unusual sounds. These unexpected noises might seem harmless at first but ignoring them could burn a hole in your pocket.

The Sound of Rushing Water Under the Hood

If you hear this sound when you stop your car, you may have an issue with your brake fluid leaking. It’s important to get this noise checked out as soon as you hear it because leaking brake fluid indicates that your brakes aren’t in top shape.

Strained Cranking Noises

When your car is idling, and it sounds like it’s making a strained cranking noise, this could mean that your water pump is spent. When this happens, the belt is usually rubbing up against the bearings in the water pump where the seal has been weakened.

Squealing Sounds While Steering

When your power steering fluid gets low or is leaking, you will hear squealing noises coming from your steering column each time you turn the car. Low fluid causes a lot of friction and leads to squealing sounds. It’s much cheaper to fix the leak or add new fluid than to leave this unchecked.

Grinding or Crunching Noises

As soon as you hear any grinding noises, get your brake pads checked. They have probably worn down and need to be replaced. All brake pads will make this grinding noise when it’s time for new ones. Letting your brake pads grind when they are worn down can eventually damage the rotors, costing even more to fix.

Squealing Sounds Even When Turning Slightly

If the wheel turns easily and you hear squealing, it’s probably not your power steering fluid. A loose belt is often the culprit with this type of noise while turning.

Sizzling Noise From the Hood

This sound should always be checked immediately because some type of fluid under the hood is leaking onto the hot engine. There are various fluids under the hood that can leak, so you won’t know which is the culprit until you check.

Loud Booming Sounds

When you car’s catalytic converter is not functioning properly, loud, explosive noises will come from your tailpipe. The first time you hear this noise, stop driving your car until you get it fixed because a malfunctioning catalytic converter can cause a fire.

Knocking Sounds in the Engine

Make sure you are using the appropriate fuel for your car or you may hear knocking or pinging sounds coming from your engine. Some cars are more sensitive than others to octane levels and different brands of fuels. Figure out what works best for your car and stick to it.

Scraping Noises

There are many things that can cause a scraping sound, but the sound of metal on metal might mean there is a problem with the alignment. Depending on which parts are actually rubbing together, the scraping sound may be slight, or it could be fairly loud.

Tapping Sounds from the Engine

Low oil levels can cause tapping sounds in the engine of your car. Driving your car with low oil can be extremely damaging so add more immediately and get your car checked for potential oil leaks. Keeping an eye on your oil levels can save you a lot of time and money.

Squealing and Dragging Tires

This may be obvious, but a tire is likely low on air or even completely flat if you notice this sound. If the tire isn’t flat yet, it won’t take long for it to get there if you keep driving on it. Driving on a tire with low air also slows down the car, which is pretty noticeable if it’s missing a lot of air. Tires that are only slightly low on air can cause your MPG to drop.

Hissing Sounds From Under the Hood

When a car starts to overheat, it will emit a hissing sound. If your car’s coolant is leaking or low, the engine will begin to overheat. If you find yourself behind the wheel when this happens, try turning on the heater to direct heat away from the engine. This is only a temporary fix, so you should fix the coolant problem as soon as possible.