If you have owned a car for a decent amount of time and are accustomed to driving it, your car feels almost like a well fitting shoe. If anything is out of whack in the form of a foreign noise, you will pick up on it very quickly.

Any car noise out of the ordinary should be an immediate cause of worry and should be looked into at the earliest convenience at an auto repair garage.

What to Be Concerned About

Ordinary car noises that bear no thought include the hum of tire treads on asphalt as the rubber meets the road or little squeaks from plastic bits and pieces as they rub against each other on the dashboard. These are clearly harmless.

However, anytime you hear squealing, thumping, clanging, hissing, clicking, whining, rattling, and knocking sounds that are continuous, it is advisable to pull up at the earliest opportunity, when it is safe to do so, and check where the sound is emanating from.

It will mean popping up the hood or getting underneath the car, or doing a quick inspection round the vehicle depending on the type of noise and the possible location. Such noises tend to appear when braking, switching gears, turning the steer wheel sharply, depressing the brake pedal or stepping on the gas.

The Best Course of Action

Even a lay person will unmistakably tell a foreign noise in a car that they are used to although he/she might fail to pinpoint exactly where it is coming from. You will just have to keep listening and observing before you arrive at the auto services garage. It is advisable not to put off a visit to the garage because delay might exacerbate the problem leading to bigger and costlier repairs.

Once at the garage describe the noises the best you can and a mechanic will usually be able to diagnose the problem very quickly. It might even turn out to be something that can be fixed in matter of minutes by lubrication or quick adjustment to a certain part.

On the other hand, you must be prepared to find that it is a more serious problem like a gear or engine issue. Either way, when you hear any of the noises above it is best not ignore or hope it is not too serious. A few minutes or even hours of your time could save you a lifetime of disability or even your life.