Cars can make strange noises, particularly when something is wrong with them. If your car is making a humming noise while driving, there could be several potential causes.
Wheel/Tire Problems
Tires are often one of the noisiest parts of the car, due to the simple fact that they’re making contact with the road at high speeds. If your tires are particularly noisy, however, it may indicate some kind of problem with them, or it may simply be due to the design of the tires themselves.
Different types of tires produce different noises at different volumes. If you’re currently using tires with deep treads that are designed for off-roading or towing, those will generate a lot more noise than standard passenger car tires.
On the other hand, if you’re just using standard passenger car tires and you’re still hearing an inordinately loud humming noise, there could potentially be a few different problems with one or more of your tires.
If your tires are unevenly worn, this can cause them to make a humming noise while you’re driving. Tires can wear unevenly for a few reasons; they may be poorly aligned, the tire may be over or underinflated, or your suspension components might be worn out and faulty.
Poorly aligned wheels on their own can also cause your vehicle to make a noise while driving. If you also notice that your car is vibrating a lot more than normal or it tends to pull to one side when you’re driving, these are other signs that your noise issue is being caused by a misaligned wheel.
Unlubricated Differential
Your car’s differential is one of its most important drivetrain components, as it is the differential that is responsible for taking the raw power from the driveshaft and distributing it to the wheels.
The differential also allows powered wheels to turn at different speeds, which is necessary to ensure that the vehicle doesn’t lose control or handle poorly during turns. It also prevents the tires from wearing out too quickly. The differential contains a series of gears that allow it to regulate wheel speeds, and it is filled with lubricant (usually referred to as differential fluid) to help the gears mesh smoothly with each other. If the differential fluid leaks out, however, it can cause several issues.
An unlubricated differential may make a humming or a grinding sound as the bare metal gears make contact. It may also make a whining sound for this same reason. Other signs of a failing differential include excessive vibrations, tire damage, and difficulty handling the vehicle in turns.
Bad Wheel Bearings
While wheel bearings may be small, they are nonetheless a very important part of your car. Wheel bearings help the wheels connect to the axle, and they allow the wheel to spin freely on the axle without causing excessive friction.
A wheel bearing consists of several steel balls or rollers, held in between two metal rings. The balls are lubricated with grease, which allows the two rings to spin around each other with very little resistance. In general, wheel bearings are designed to last for around 85,000-100,000 miles, but this can vary depending on several factors.
Wheel bearings can become damaged or worn out due to faulty installation, damage from a severe bump or pothole, driving through water and mud, and through incompatible modifications to the car’s suspension, tires, and wheels.
A humming noise is one of the telltale signs of bad wheel bearings, especially if the noise increases as the car accelerates. Your steering wheel may also vibrate when making turns, and your steering itself may feel unusually vague. Your ABS may stop working as well, since many modern cars have an ABS sensor integrated into the wheel bearings.
Failing Transmission
The transmissions in most cars these days are designed to operate smoothly and quietly; ideally, a properly working transmission should make no noise at all. If you do hear any kind of noise coming from your transmission, in that case, you should have it looked at as soon as possible.
If it is indeed your transmission that is failing, there will be plenty of other symptoms to look out for as well. If you feel grinding or a shaking sensation when you shift gears, or if putting the car in gear is a lot more difficult than normal, that’s a sign that your transmission is getting worn out.
You may also notice a burning smell, or find that your transmission is slipping gears. The transmission is one of the most important parts of your vehicle, so you should never let a transmission problem go too long without being looked at.
Summary
There are plenty of issues that can result in your car making a humming noise while driving. However, if you know what other symptoms to look for, it can be relatively easy to diagnose the issue.
Some of these problems can make your car considerably more unsafe to drive, so for your own sake, don’t hesitate to take care of your car’s mechanical issues if you happen to discover any.
Hi, I hope this article was helpful to you. If you've ever owned a car before, it's inevitable that you will deal with your fair share of car issues. I know I have, and that's why my passion is to research common car questions and answer them.
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