Car to English Translator: 10 Awful Car Noises and What They Might Mean

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If your engine sounds like it's moaning like a spoiled 10-year-old every time you start to turn the car, your power steering fluid is probably dangerously low. Top it off as soon as possible and keep an eye out for leaks.

Sorry dude, that aftermarket turbocharger you installed is very dead. 

If your engine keeps knocking at you like it wants to come inside and take shotgun, you have a problem. Either you just put low octane fuel into an engine that needs the fancy stuff, and shame on you if that's the case, or you are in possession of a seriously worn camshaft or set of cam heads. 

I once broke the exhaust pipe on my '02 VW Golf. I had very little money, so this was temporarily fixed with duct tape, but when that pipe slipped out of alignment, it sounded like the entire L.A. chapter of the Hell's Angels on full throttle. People were surprised to see a small hatchback causing that noise until I finally got it welded.

Something that spins or reciprocates is out of alignment and is rubbing against something that it shouldn't be. In all probability, your brake discs are warped and scraping the pad on ever rotation of the wheels.

Does your engine sound like a bunch of pieces of metal tapping on each other over and over again? That is what your engine is, but it shouldn't sound like it on account of lubrication. Check your oil levels and check under your car to see if the oil is leaking. 

Hearing a loud hiss, like your engine is suddenly operated by a massive python? This means your cooling system is leaking or overheating in a serious way. Turn your car off and get a tow home before you do some serious damage to your engine.

Option 1: You're awful at operating a manual transmission.

Option 2: Your clutch is badly worn, quite possibly because of option 1.

If the squealing is coming from the engine bay, what you hear is the sound of a tired old belt screaming and wanting to retire. Replace it ASAP. If it's coming from the corners of the car, your brakes are in dire need of service and probably needs new pads or shoes. If you're lucky giving them a wipe might be enough to solve the problem, as sometimes some dirt on the pads can cause a squeal.

If you hear a rhythmic slapping noise coming from outside the cabin while you're driving, pull over immediately. There's a good change that one of your tires tread is separating from the rest of the tire. Needless to say, considering that's the only part of the tire acually designed to grip the road, losing it is very, very bad.

If the rhythmic slapping is coming from the back seat, your passenger is disgusting.