Looking for some help in trying to diagnose a problem with my sons 99 I30t. Car is automatic with approximately 62K on it. There is a noticeable pulsating sound coming from the front passenger side. The pulsation varies with the speed and is present in all forward gears and when the car is coasting in neutral. If I drive the car in reverse there is no noticeable sound. Turning left or right and breaking has no effect on sound.
We have tried several things since the sound started with no success. We are about to replace the wheel bearing even though it appears to be fine and I figured I’d check with you folks for any suggestions before we proceed. I always thought a bad bearing would be more of a grinding sound and would be more noticeable when turning the car one way or another. Any help and or suggestions would greatly be appreciated at this point.
Pulsating sound from front pass side of 99 I30t
Re: Pulsating sound from front pass side of 99 I30t
Sounds like it could be the hub bearing. Jack up the front end and see how much play you have on the right wheel. You could even put the car into gear while it's jacked up to see if you can futher diagnose the noise. It would almost have to be hub, bearing, brakes, or tire.
Re: Pulsating sound from front pass side of 99 I30t
Thanks for the quick response. Replaced tires and installed new brakes including new caliper assemblies and rotors so I'm pretty sure it's not them. We already pulled the Hub/Knuckle assembly, but as you suggested we did check for play (no noticeable) and also had car in gear when off ground (no pulsating sound)before we took it out. Hub does not appear to have spun in the bearing and the bearing turns nice and smooth. Again I guess I'm really questioning if it could be the bearing even though it appears to be OK.
Re: Pulsating sound from front pass side of 99 I30t
Replaced bearing and sound remains. At this stage I'm guessing it has to be a problem with the transmission. Any ideas on what may be wrong and a guess on what it would cost to fix?
Re: Pulsating sound from front pass side of 99 I30t
I would take it to a mechanic you trust and see if they can determine a cause and give you an estimate. If it is the transmission, before repairing it, you may want to consider buying a used transmission (depending on the cost of repair) from some place like http://www.lkqcorp.com.