Car squeaks when steering

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Many drivers know the problem: you turn the steering wheel and suddenly it starts to squeak somewhere in the car. The causes when the car squeaks when steering can be varied. Most of the time, however, they are not too serious.

Car squeaks - the diagnosis

It may seem strange to you if your car is perfectly still when driving straight ahead but suddenly squeaks when you steer. But if you imagine the processes within the car during the steering movement, the loading and unloading of the different sides and the parts that are involved in this process in addition to the wheels, the strange disappears Feeling fast. In other words, everything is right if your car squeaks when you drive it. It is clear, however, that in this case there is damage. But this is usually rather low.

  • If the car squeaks while steering, it is often the V-belt that is to blame, which is showing the first signs of wear. Due to the power steering, which is more stressed when steering vigorously, the belt is also stressed and reacts accordingly. Where exactly it sits in the engine compartment depends on your car. Look near the engine. The V-belt is an endless belt made of rubber, which is usually stretched over two pulleys. If the belt looks scraped, if it is loose, or if it has a small crack somewhere, it is very possible that it is causing the squeak.
  • A second common cause of a sudden squeal is the wheel bearing. To inspect your car's wheel bearings, you need to have the tires dismantle. Do you find a brown, greasy substance on the back of them? Good, because then you have found the fault: grease is leaking from the wheel bearing. The cause can be a broken clamp, but the entire bearing can also be damaged.
  • A third possibility, which is very likely, is the most unpleasant variant: something is wrong with the brake. Disc brakes sit behind the wheels and so they are moved to a different position when steering. If something is broken, for example the floating saddle is loose, it can make a scraping, squeaking noise. If you are not a professional, you should not do a self-diagnosis here, but straight into the workshop travel.

Noises when steering - that has to be done

It now depends on what type of damage you have found. The three causes listed above are the most common, but trained eyes can also detect other defects.

Cracking when steering - what to do?

If you hear a crack while steering, you should definitely not ignore it. …

  • Small repairs like that Changing a V-belt you can do it yourself. It is simply removed from the panes, then a new one is put on. You can buy this at a car dealership with a parts warehouse or online. Tensioning the old belt is usually not worthwhile, as the problem returns quickly.
  • You can also repair the wheel bearing yourself under certain circumstances. If only the clamp is defective, first clean the tires, wheel bearings and rims as well as everything else that has gotten fat, thoroughly. Then get Staufferfett from your vehicle requirements, refill it and attach a new clamp (from the hardware store). If the wheel bearing is cracked or otherwise broken, it is better to let a professional do it.
  • Anything with the Brakes should generally be left to professionals. If you cannot find the cause of the squeaking when steering, the following applies: Drive to the nearest workshop as quickly as possible and have the damage checked by a professional.
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