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Car sounds like it has a flat -- but tires are fine!


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So I just drove my car for the first time in a few months (it's been sitting in a garage)... about 20 minutes in I start to hear a noise that I could have sworn was a flat tire. The car wasn't shaking... the noise was off an on depending on speed (around 40 and 70).

 

There is no flat tire, though.

 

Any ideas?

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So I just drove my car for the first time in a few months (it's been sitting in a garage)... about 20 minutes in I start to hear a noise that I could have sworn was a flat tire. The car wasn't shaking... the noise was off an on depending on speed (around 40 and 70).

 

There is no flat tire, though.

 

Any ideas?

Did you check the tire pressure? Does it sound like it's coming from a particular spot? Fronts? Rears? Left? Right? Is it more pronounced when you hit a bump? Only at those speeds?

-ben
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Did you check the tire pressure? Does it sound like it's coming from a particular spot? Fronts? Rears? Left? Right? Is it more pronounced when you hit a bump? Only at those speeds?

 

pressure is low. i need to fill up.

 

it sounds like it's coming from the rear left.

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you may have flattened a belt from letting the car sit. most flatspots from sitting will go away as the tires heat up. overinflate your tires to around 35-40 psi and drive on the highway. the pressure will rise another 1-2 psi as the tires warm up and if its due to sitting it will go away. you can trhen return to normal tire pressure. be ultra careful of potholes and bridge expansion joints at higher tire pressures though. your vibration could also be due to brake rotors. after sitting and going through temperature changes they can warp and vibrate. can you feel any pulsation in the brake pedal or see any shimmy in the steering wheel?
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Just filled the tires up at like 38 all around. Still there. I'm in Manhattan which makes it tough to cruise at higher speeds to warm them up but hopefully that will happen tomorrow morning.

 

There is no vibration at all. Not in the steering wheel not while braking... If I was deaf I wouldn't think anything was wrong. It just seriously sounds like a flat with no other symptoms. But the sound is only there ar certain speeds.

 

I've just got my fingers crossed that my wheel doesn't fall off or part of the suspension doesn't snap :(:rolleyes::o

 

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 2

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I don't have much over 30psi in my tires. I personally think that's a bit too high but if you feel it's safe and working for you...

 

http://www.spiveylaw.com/images/tireinflation.jpg

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I don't have much over 30psi in my tires. I personally think that's a bit too high but if you feel it's safe and working for you...

 

http://www.spiveylaw.com/images/tireinflation.jpg

 

Um, Subaru specs are 36F/34R... and you need to run higher pressures with some tires (e.g. Continental DW/DWS) because of the soft sidewalls.

 

I personally inflate to 38 psi just so that as I lose pressure due to normal alloy wheel leakage, I'm not too underinflated for too ling.

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I'm well aware of what the specs are. Many people run 38/36 and it works fine for me.

 

Drove the car this morning. It's definitely not getting better. Possibly getting worse. It seems to happen randomly from 20-70mph. Seems like the main speeds that it's consistent is ~35 and ~65.

 

But again, there's no vibration or other shimmy. :nervous:

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I normally run 38f/36r.

 

They're Dunlop Wintersport M3

 

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ahh ha! winter tires are made of a much softer compund then regular all season tires. they do this so they can conform to the pavement in exteme cold without losing much pliability. winter tires are almost always more noisy then all seasons. if theres no vibration, i wouldnt worry about it at all. for peace of mind, switch back over to all season tires and ill bet the noise will go away.

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Yeah, I'm just concerned because I've had the tires on for like 3 years with no issues. And the car has sat for the past 2 years (with me driving it every few months).... and this was actually the shortest time period of the car not being driven, and now this happens. The noise is just scary... literally sounds like something is going to fall off.

 

I think I'll swing by a Subaru dealer just in case. Maybe have them put it up on the lift and see if anything falls out :lol: I'm sure they'll just blame it on being lowered/sways/etc :rolleyes:

 

It needs to warm up so I can put my summers on.

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Um, Subaru specs are 36F/34R... and you need to run higher pressures with some tires (e.g. Continental DW/DWS) because of the soft sidewalls.

 

I personally inflate to 38 psi just so that as I lose pressure due to normal alloy wheel leakage, I'm not too underinflated for too ling.

 

I have very stiff sidewalls on the tires I use but I didn't spot that - Just checked on the door and it says 35 front and 33 rear. I checked my tires and they were 32 all round. I stand corrected on the pressure Thank you Fultonhow.

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Yeah, I'm just concerned because I've had the tires on for like 3 years with no issues. And the car has sat for the past 2 years (with me driving it every few months).... and this was actually the shortest time period of the car not being driven, and now this happens. The noise is just scary... literally sounds like something is going to fall off.

 

I think I'll swing by a Subaru dealer just in case. Maybe have them put it up on the lift and see if anything falls out :lol: I'm sure they'll just blame it on being lowered/sways/etc :rolleyes:

 

It needs to warm up so I can put my summers on.

:lol: I dont think anythings gonna fall off. since you rarely get a chance to drive on the highway, its posssible that every time you drive the car and then let it sit again withuot the tires building up any heat, you create a new flatspot on each tire. before you pay the dealership to tell you its because of the sway bars and lowering, its worth swapping back to all season tires and saving some money. winter tires arnt really meant for dry pavement, so even if its cold out as long as the roads not covered in snow you can run your summer tires. but yes it really does need to warm up i want to roll with the windows down already!:cool:

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even if its cold out as long as the roads not covered in snow you can run your summer tires.

 

False. Summer tires lose traction very quickly below 45 degrees, even in the dry. Wouldn't hurt to put them on to test, but I'd take them off immediately afterwards.

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hmm... maybe i'll go home this weekend and swap the wheels to see. I hope you guys are right and it's just a flat spot that isn't going away.
If you don't vote Trump, out, you're a bigot who hates america.
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Car's got only got 40k mi. But it has been sitting, and I am lowered (eibachs). Anything's possible.

 

I really hope it's not a wheel bearing.

If you don't vote Trump, out, you're a bigot who hates america.
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