A defective bearing can cause serious damage to your vehicle or an accident. That is why it is important to diagnose the malfunction in time and replace the worn-out part with a new one.
Instructions
Step 1
To avoid serious trouble, vehicle malfunctions should be found and repaired early. The easiest way to identify a bearing failure is by ear. A damaged bearing emits a characteristic hum, howl, squeak - the specific sound depends on the type of bearing, its size and where it is located.
Step 2
If a hum is heard while the vehicle is moving, the wheel bearing may be damaged. To check this, hang the wheel on a jack and twist it - in the event of a bearing malfunction, you will hear a characteristic hum or crunch.
Step 3
For a front-wheel drive car, the following check option is possible: fix the car with the hand brake, hang one wheel with a jack. Start the engine, put in fourth gear. Spin the engine up to about 4 thousand rpm. At this time, your assistant should listen to the sound coming from the rotating wheel. If hum and grinding is heard, the bearing must be replaced. The second wheel is checked in the same way. For safety, secure the jack with a strong sill support.
Step 4
The bearings of the water pump and generator can buzz. To determine a breakdown, just open the hood and listen to where the hum is coming from. For a more accurate determination of the location of the malfunction, it is necessary to operate the gas pedal, since the sound is sometimes best heard precisely when the engine operating mode is changed.
Step 5
In the event that a hum or howl is heard when pressing the clutch pedal, check the release bearing of the clutch assembly. The fault could also be in the gearbox.
Step 6
If you hear a squeal or whistle coming from under the hood, you may need to change the bearings of the generator. It should be noted that a similar sound can be emitted when the alternator belt is not tensioned or worn out.
Step 7
When a hum is heard while coasting, check the propeller shaft outboard bearing. The final diagnosis is best done by driving the car onto an overpass and checking the bearing for backlash.
