Car Question

[jerly]

Okay, I just got done reading through the post on fixing cars. I thought maybe some of you may have some ideas on this. My 89 Accord has started making a noise when I drive . Kind of sounds like scraping something long, skinny and metal, on the concrete. It seems to only do it when I'm going between 15-35 mph, and stops when I go over or under that. I've read that high pitched screetching can usually be a bad belt, but I think I know what those sound like.

This car is a junker. I don't plan on spending anything on it. Just want to drive it till it dies. But, if there is something simple I can do, I'll try to take car e of it.

Any ideas?

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Not ringing any bells with me, but I'm not much of a mechanic. Is it an auto or manual? If it only does it in a certain gear that definitely makes me lean towards the tranny which is just a black art to me.

 

[kornkob]

I've heard a similar sound on a old Marverick I owned years ago and it turned out to be a broken starter plate on the transmission. Wasn't pricey on that car but then older american cars were made to be worked on-- newer cars are made by CAD techs who've never had to so much as change their oil.

Unfortunately I'd have to call my diagnosis suspect at best, given that all I have is a vauge description of a sound to go on.

In my opinion, even a junker is worth the $40 or so to take it in and have an honest mechanic go over it and give you an idea of what's wrong with it and what might be broken next. And that mechanic might be able to warn you about serious safety problems. A friend of the family died over 20 years ago in his junker of a car because 'it wasn't worth taking to a mechanic'. His steering went out on a downhill curve. It would have been an easy thing to spot and an inexpensive fix.

Made worse by the fact that my dad was a mechanic (before he started working for the U of WI, Engineering) and he could have fixed it, I could have fixed it even my little my brother could have fixed it for less than $20.

When Uncle Woody died, I saw my father get old before my eyes. That's when I realized my old man was mortal. He's still got the hood ornament hanging on the wall of the garage.

 

[jerly]

Thanks for the replies. Does anyone know of a good car maintenance type forum like this one?

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

Sound's like it's time to get a louder car-stereo!

 

[Cheesefood]

Okay, I just got done reading through the post on fixing cars. I thought maybe some of you may have some ideas on this. My 89 Accord has started making a noise when I drive . Kind of sounds like scraping something long, skinny and metal, on the concrete. It seems to only do it when I'm going between 15-35 mph, and stops when I go over or under that. I've read that high pitched screetching can usually be a bad belt, but I think I know what those sound like.

This car is a junker. I don't plan on spending anything on it. Just want to drive it till it dies. But, if there is something simple I can do, I'll try to take car e of it.

Any ideas?

Brakes can sound like that when they're dead. Otherwise it can be your belt. Try some belt dressing or putting a new belt on your car. Only costs about $15 for a belt or $30 if you have a shade-tree mechanic put it on.

 

[mysterio]

A belt is more of a high-pitched squeeling isn't it?

Try spraying some WD-40 or whatever water dispersant you use in the US on the drive belt (not a lubricant because that may corrode the rubber). If it sorts the noise temporarily then thats the problem. You can tighten it pretty easily... try looking at a manual or even it online. Or, you could replace it.

The metal on concrete sounds nasty though. Sure your exhaust is not dragging along the ground?

 

[AaronA]

Happens while you're driving, not while stopping right? Brakes pop into mind with the sound you describe.

 

[jerly]

Happens while you're driving, not while stopping right? Brakes pop into mind with the sound you describe.

It happens while I am braking too, until I get to about 15 mph, then it stops.