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97 Century Front End Growl
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cent410
New User
Mar 29, 2011, 12:53 PM
Post #1 of 2
(2630 views)
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97 Century Front End Growl
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Hi, I've got a '97 Buick Century, 3.1 engine, 165k miles. It's been a good ride but lately the wheel bearings started going out. I've replaced passenger front and rear. Recently, while out of town, I developed a growling noise in the left front which I attributed to the driver's bearing. Took car to Pep Boys. They said it was tires. Replaced two front tires with Cornell 1000 (cheap, I know) and aligned the wheels. Tires say M+S on the sidewall. They indicated that the front axle was bad as well but didn't need to be replaced immediately. Afterwards, the noise level did not change at all. Brought car back home, took to my mechanic. They said it was a bearing and replaced the driver's bearing and the noise is better on the driver's side but there is still a definite low growl or hum in the general front that changes as you accelerate but stays the same if the speed stays the same. They said the axle is fine. Said the tires were to blame for the noise.
I'm at sort of a loss at this point and need to know what I may be looking at. I know this noise is not normal for this car. It started all at once but was concentrated in the front left (driver's) quadrant of the car. I assumed once the bearing was replaced it would vanish. The noise is still present although diminished and it's coming from the general front end. I cannot hear a difference from side to side. Would the tires cause this noise or is there something else I should be asking them to check. Thanks in advance.
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Mar 29, 2011, 1:20 PM
Post #2 of 2
(2626 views)
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Re: 97 Century Front End Growl
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If the noise doesn't change when swerving left and right, then you pretty much eliminated the tires and wheel bearings. What you're probably looking at is differential output bearing. I would take it to a trans specialist and let him listen to it.
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