Noise

I have a noise... it gets louder the faster I go and it starts at about
30mph... it sounds like it's coming from the front passenger side but i'm
not exactly positive.

Step on the clutch and let the motor wind down and the noise is still there.

It's a 86 GTI normally driven by my teenage son.

It also seems to be getting generally louder over time....

Wheels are recently alligned, car tracks straight and the tires are new all
around.

--
John Nelson
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Page
http://www.chicagopaddling.org http://www.chicagofishing.org
(A Non-Commercial Web Site: No Sponsors, No Paid Ads and Nothing to Sell)

In rec.autos.makers.vw.watercooled, Chicago Paddling-Fishing wrote:

>I have a noise... it gets louder the faster I go and it starts at about
>30mph... it sounds like it's coming from the front passenger side but i'm
>not exactly positive.
>
>Step on the clutch and let the motor wind down and the noise is still there.
>
>It's a 86 GTI normally driven by my teenage son.
>
>It also seems to be getting generally louder over time....
>
>Wheels are recently alligned, car tracks straight and the tires are new all
>around.

Wheel bearing?

Does the noise change as you steer left or right?

Chicago Paddling-Fishing wrote:
> I have a noise... it gets louder the faster I go and it starts at
> about 30mph... it sounds like it's coming from the front passenger
> side but i'm not exactly positive.
>
> Step on the clutch and let the motor wind down and the noise is still
> there.
>
> It's a 86 GTI normally driven by my teenage son.
>
> It also seems to be getting generally louder over time....
>
> Wheels are recently alligned, car tracks straight and the tires are
> new all around.

Well the term "noise" is not very descriptive. How about buzz, wine,
high or low frequency, steady or changing, metallic, ringing, etc.

Did it start AFTER you had the wheels aligned? Why did you have the
wheels aligned? How far out were they?

Just a guess, I would go with tyre wear, because of the wheel alignment.
I would also not object to the possibility of a wheel bearing or even a CV
joint. Something vibrating in the wind like some loose plastic baffle is
also possible.

--
Joseph Meehan

26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish Math

Sounds like a wheel bearing unless:
The sound is more like thunder than screeching metal, in which case one
of your new tires might have a defect.
As Tom pointed out, when you turn to the left it should get worse (if
it's on the passenger side) - if it's not too bad yet it should go away
on a slow turn to the right.

Tom's VR6 wrote:
> In rec.autos.makers.vw.watercooled, Chicago Paddling-Fishing wrote:
>
>
>>I have a noise... it gets louder the faster I go and it starts at about
>>30mph... it sounds like it's coming from the front passenger side but i'm
>>not exactly positive.
>>
>>Step on the clutch and let the motor wind down and the noise is still there.
>>
>>It's a 86 GTI normally driven by my teenage son.
>>
>>It also seems to be getting generally louder over time....
>>
>>Wheels are recently alligned, car tracks straight and the tires are new all
>>around.
>
>
> Wheel bearing?
>
> Does the noise change as you steer left or right?
>

Wheel bearing... i'm 99.9% sure.

-Lee

"Chicago Paddling-Fishing" > wrote in message
...
>I have a noise... it gets louder the faster I go and it starts at about
> 30mph... it sounds like it's coming from the front passenger side but
> i'm
> not exactly positive.
>
> Step on the clutch and let the motor wind down and the noise is still
> there.
>
> It's a 86 GTI normally driven by my teenage son.
>
> It also seems to be getting generally louder over time....
>
> Wheels are recently alligned, car tracks straight and the tires are new
> all
> around.
>
> --
> John Nelson
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Page
> http://www.chicagopaddling.org http://www.chicagofishing.org
> (A Non-Commercial Web Site: No Sponsors, No Paid Ads and Nothing to Sell)

"Lee" > wrote in message
...
> Wheel bearing... i'm 99.9% sure.

I'd agree. Is is something like a whirring noise? Like "rrrrrrrrrrrrr..."?

Some mentioned turning left and right and seeing if that changes the noise
as the offending wheel's load changes, but I didn't really notice any change
in my '91 GTI when I had a bad bearing and turned left or right so I'm not
sure if that test is all that reliable.

If it's a more scrape-y sounding noise it could be something like a stone
trapped in the brake pads somehow but it's likely to change (worse or
better) when you brake.

I'm primarily betting on wheel bearing.

se(tom's wrote:
: In rec.autos.makers.vw.watercooled, Chicago Paddling-Fishing wrote:

:>I have a noise... it gets louder the faster I go and it starts at about
:>30mph... it sounds like it's coming from the front passenger side but i'm
:>not exactly positive.
:>
:>Step on the clutch and let the motor wind down and the noise is still there.
:>
:>It's a 86 GTI normally driven by my teenage son.
:>
:>It also seems to be getting generally louder over time....
:>
:>Wheels are recently alligned, car tracks straight and the tires are new all
:>around.

: Wheel bearing?

: Does the noise change as you steer left or right?

Ah, your right, i noticed the sound goes away when making turns to the
right on the highway... left and straight it's there.

I called one mechanic today who said they were hubs and not bearings, said
>$500 to replace... figured i'd call another...

--
John Nelson
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Page
http://www.chicagopaddling.org http://www.chicagofishing.org
(A Non-Commercial Web Site: No Sponsors, No Paid Ads and Nothing to Sell)

Terry Solomonson > wrote:
: Sounds like a wheel bearing unless:
: The sound is more like thunder than screeching metal, in which case one
: of your new tires might have a defect.
: As Tom pointed out, when you turn to the left it should get worse (if
: it's on the passenger side) - if it's not too bad yet it should go away
: on a slow turn to the right.

It goes away turning to the right... think i'll avoid the interstate for
a bit with it...

I got the allignment because you could feel the steerign wheel shake

--
John Nelson
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Page
http://www.chicagopaddling.org http://www.chicagofishing.org
(A Non-Commercial Web Site: No Sponsors, No Paid Ads and Nothing to Sell)

Find another mechanic as he's already confused! We charge 4.5hours labor
for doing both fronts + alignment


"Chicago Paddling-Fishing" > wrote in message
...
> se(tom's wrote:
> : In rec.autos.makers.vw.watercooled, Chicago Paddling-Fishing wrote:
>
> :>I have a noise... it gets louder the faster I go and it starts at about
> :>30mph... it sounds like it's coming from the front passenger side but
> i'm
> :>not exactly positive.
> :>
> :>Step on the clutch and let the motor wind down and the noise is still
> there.
> :>
> :>It's a 86 GTI normally driven by my teenage son.
> :>
> :>It also seems to be getting generally louder over time....
> :>
> :>Wheels are recently alligned, car tracks straight and the tires are new
> all
> :>around.
>
> : Wheel bearing?
>
> : Does the noise change as you steer left or right?
>
> Ah, your right, i noticed the sound goes away when making turns to the
> right on the highway... left and straight it's there.
>
> I called one mechanic today who said they were hubs and not bearings, said
>>$500 to replace... figured i'd call another...
>
> --
> John Nelson
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Chicago Area Paddling/Fishing Page
> http://www.chicagopaddling.org http://www.chicagofishing.org
> (A Non-Commercial Web Site: No Sponsors, No Paid Ads and Nothing to Sell)

In rec.autos.makers.vw.watercooled, Chicago Paddling-Fishing wrote:

>
>Wheels are recently alligned, car tracks straight and the tires are new all
>around.

Did the person who changed the tires use a big hammer and prybars to
get the alloy wheels to come off of the axles? That preceded my need
for wheel bearings.

I have nine-spoke wheels, and a 3-pronged wheel puller works *so*
nicely.