Nothing strikes fear into the heart of a car owner quite like strange sounds coming from beneath the hood. Fortunately, the more you know about such sounds, the better your chances of forestalling expensive repairs down the line. If you would like to improve your automotive troubleshooting skills, read on. This article will introduce two common sounds and what they indicate.

A Whining, Squealing, Or Growling Sound When Turning

If the strange noise that your car is experiencing only occurs when you are turning the wheel, then chances are it is tied somehow to the power steering system. This is especially true if you have noticed that your car is requiring increasingly more effort to turn. The power steering system utilizes hydraulic power to increase the ease with which your vehicle's wheels turn. In order to accomplish this, a pump is used to circulate steering fluid through the rack and pinions located on your axles.

The most common cause of odd sounds when turning is an insufficient amount of fluid in the power steering system. In fact, once the fluid level gets low enough, you may begin to notice these sounds even when idling. Check your power steering fluid level, adding more if necessary. If this problem is recurring, or if you find yourself having to add more fluid on a regular basis, you may have a leak on your hands. Take your car to a reliable mechanic for a further diagnosis.

A power steering pump may also begin to make worrisome noises if air bubbles become caught in the system. Although this will not necessarily affect your power steering system in an adverse manner, it can become quite annoying. Fixing the problem will involve taking the car to the mechanic to have the power steering system flushed.

A Metallic Clicking Sound That Changes With Your Speed

This sound is often an indication that your radiator fan is out of whack. This generally means that one of the fan blades has become loose, bent, or otherwise damaged. This may cause the blade to vibrate noisily or even to begin clacking against the radiator fan shroud. The good news is that, while this problem can become quite noisy, it is usually simple one to fix.

Frequently, the sound can be eliminated simply by bending either the errant fan blade or the shroud back into shape. If this does not work, it may be necessary to replace the fan entirely. Fortunately, even this is a relatively inexpensive procedure.

For more information, contact a company like Hillis 66 Service.