Main IndexAuto Repair Home Search Posts SEARCH
POSTS
Who's Online WHO'S
ONLINE
Log in LOG
IN









Search Auto Parts

2006 Pontiac Vibe Questions


  Email This Post



Roger2561
User

Jul 16, 2014, 12:40 AM

Post #1 of 4 (1572 views)
2006 Pontiac Vibe Questions Sign In

Hi all, I have a 2006 Pontiac Vibe AWD, 1.8L motor, automatic transmission with approx. 80,000 miles on it. When I make a right hand turn I hear what I can best describe as a grinding sound coming from somewhere. I cannot pinpoint the exact location of the noise. The last time I had a noise like that on my car (2012), it was when I made left turns. I thought perhaps the right front wheel bearing was bad. Imagine my surprise when I jacked up the car it was tight. So, I checked all of the bearings and found that the bad bearing was the left rear; it wobbled terribly. Now, when I check all of the wheels for wobble, they feel tight. I need your assistance in helping me find the problem. Perhaps it's still a bearing but I do not know how to test for a bad one other than jacking up the car and checking/feeling for wobble. Any other tricks you guys/gals use to test for bad bearings? Could it be something other a bearing making that noise? All suggestions and concerns are welcome. Thanks in advance for the assistance. Roger


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Jul 16, 2014, 12:44 AM

Post #2 of 4 (1570 views)
Re: 2006 Pontiac Vibe Questions Sign In

Yes, other things can make the noise like brakes you should have checked while there. Wheel bearings can make wild noise especially on turning with no play in fact by the time they have play they are way too worn to use that vehicle until fixed and should usually have had noise long before that,


T



Roger2561
User

Jul 16, 2014, 1:11 AM

Post #3 of 4 (1562 views)
Re: 2006 Pontiac Vibe Questions Sign In


In Reply To
Yes, other things can make the noise like brakes you should have checked while there. Wheel bearings can make wild noise especially on turning with no play in fact by the time they have play they are way too worn to use that vehicle until fixed and should usually have had noise long before that,


T

Other than the loose wheel test, is there another way to test for worn wheel bearings? How can I pinpoint which bearing is bad? I have an old medical stethoscope (former EMT) so I can use that to listen to the bearings while the front end is on jack stands and rotating the wheels while listening. Or, is the medical stethoscope not as good as an automotive stethoscope? I am eager to learn so toss suggestions and/or explanations my way. Thanks again, Roger




Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Jul 16, 2014, 1:48 AM

Post #4 of 4 (1557 views)
Re: 2006 Pontiac Vibe Questions Sign In

First try to rule out brakes as the rotor does torque some on turns and could touch a badly worn pad to rotor but those should change tone with light brake applications.


Not certain if putting this AWD will allow for each wheel to spin freely by hand? If so could be quite easy with no tools really. Just spin wheel with wheel on and hoisted. A good bearing is silent but you might hear some brake normal rubbing but slight.


If the brake drags just a bit could be difficult and you could take wheel off and carefully just retract pads a bit usually just torqueing by hand on caliper a bit and should spin free or better and if rotor stays tight with wheel off spin the hub.


Yes, noise can seem one side and be the other but not usually front to back. With a driver helper drive to make the noise and sit in passenger's front and then on to rear. IDK - perhaps I'm just lucky but find which one doing that and haven't missed yet?!


You'll know for sure with the hub type bearing in hand. NO FEEL at all when even slowly turning it. NONE!


I don't feel like looking everything up right now but think you have hub bearings all around with this but could be wrong of course. Either or any style by the time it's in your hands you should feel it. Do you own (not likely type for this or most now) bearing, races loose and serviceable you can see the galling on a race or pits on the rollers. NONE should be seen.


OTHER THAT COULD FOOL DIAGNOSIS: Parking brake if a mini drum inside a rear rotor can go bad or fill with rust or debris and shift. If/when that happens frequently wheel installed could wobble as rotor doesn't really seat flush to hub of any type so it has to come off to clean up or replace if bad enough for those.


Another other: There are dust shields either plastic or metal to divert dirt and water a bit away from brakes. Some can be bent or perhaps warp and touch rotors and make some pretty wild noises. Most you can bend back. If you look carefully if that is suspect you'll see how close those shields are to rotors.


More "others": Bad tire! Look for feathering perhaps on one side of a tire. Rubbing loose mud flaps or splash trim out of place. Whacked but not unheard of is road debris like even a stick or branch not noticed stuck in the wrong place.


Bearing and brake grinding noises should always be vehicle speed related meaning different at higher or lower speeds and never a peep if sitting still.


Last: If you find a bad bearing try to find quality ones. There is notoriously high failure of the Chinese ones yet some are fine just a pest to do again quickly when I know of no real life expectancy that they go bad. Some of any type can last ages and some just don't so not a believer in doing them all or in pairs but rather know good ones from bad.


I lied, one more last: Driving in deep water is a reason for early and multiple bearing and other parts failures. Sealed or not types are not water proof but rather water resistant. Warm then cool by water (submerged) can easily suck in water and fail later so don't drive thru deep water like they say all the time,


T







  Email This Post
 
 


Feed Button




Search for (options) Privacy Sitemap