Need help. 1999 Olds Intrigue making sounds.

[1911sw45]

I have a 1999 Olds Intrigue that I just bought with 200290 miles on it. After we bought it, it started making a kinda metal to metal sound. That sounded like it was coming from the right front. Starts to make the sound around 45 mph when I turned the wheel to the left the sound got louder, when turned to the right it got quieter. So I jacked it up felt for play in the wheel bearing. No side to side play. Had a little in and out play. So I order a wheel bearing and hub. I replaced the bearing and hub torqued everything to the specs. When and drove it. Same sound is there as before. I am at my whits end. Oh u don’t hear it with the windows up with the air on. Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks,

Adam.

[Tripplebeards]

Did you check the half shaft and brake pads? Had a couple in the shop that had a rock stuck between the pad and rotor a few weeks ago but it made noise all the time. I'd check the half shaft/spindle for play. When a wheel bearing goes out it makes noise all the time and louder the faster you go(Normally sounds like a mighty moe or buzzing bees) Not at certain speeds. Turn your air on and off. Could be the bearings in the Air conditioning pump. Water pump bearings will make Nasty sound when they start to go out as will pullies and power steering pumps. Without being there to listen it's hard to tell.

[1911sw45]

Pads are like new. No rocks or anything between the pads, calipers or shield. No I did not check the axle. How would I check it. Any time I had a axle go bad it clicked when turning. While it’s making the sound it does not change when u hit ur brakes.

Thanks,

Adam.

[Tripplebeards]

Get under the vehicle. Grip the shaft and try and yank it back and forth. If it moves back and forth or loose it's bad. There is a bearing ring that the shaft plugs into inside the transmission that could be bad and grinding. I would replace the inner bearing and seal when you have the shaft out.

[Tripplebeards]

Turn your AC on and off. See if the noise goes on and off. The bearings in those are loud when they fail.

[1911sw45]

No change turning the air on and off.

What is that bearing and seal called ur talking about replacing?

[rancher1913]

is it front wheel drive or rear wheel, if its front, check the cv joints, they will make noise or not depending on using the steering wheel.

[Tripplebeards]

The half shaft and a cv shaft is the same thing. The cv shaft plugs into the transmission. Inside the transmission where the shaft plugs into there is a bearing...I believe it's called an output bearing if I remember right.

[brass410]

which side wheel brg did you replace? I hope it was the right hand if it was and the noise is still there it is most likely the internal brg in the trans axle as mentioned by trplebeard. Also are you absolutely sure its coming from the front its possible to have a rear wheel brg noise, ghost inside the pass cabin and can be very hard to pin point. I'm baseing this on the fact that you have already made sur that it isn't something simple like a bent dust shield rubbing on the brake rotor or rust on the edge of the brake rotor contacting the caliper hanger.

[Tripplebeards]

If it were a bent or damaged dust shield normally it would be grinding non stop and the op said he here's it at certain speeds...45 mph.

[brass410]

yea I know it was a wild shot of hope for something minor. That output shaft bearing can sometimes be a rude devil to change out.

[1911sw45]

Yes it’s front wheel drive. Tripplebeard would that bearing be called output carrier thrust bearing? Yes I replaced the right front wheel bearing and hub assembly. As far as I can tell the sound is coming from the right front. I had the front and rear windows open and the sound coming from the front. Yes everything is clear of the rotor. My son in law and I took it for a drive a little while ago and it took over 7 miles before it would make that sound. Turning the wheel to the left makes the sound get worse or driving and have a swag omg the road so it puts more down force it get worse. Plus the sound goes away and comes back. No rime or rythm. Starts at about 45mph.

[Marlin356]

IMO a USA car w/FWD and 200K miles is a money pit. I might buy a rust free 1/2 ton p/u with a std trans and V8 w/200K. Once you start getting into the transaxle ----- well.

[rancher1913]

its your cv joint.

[Tripplebeards]

CV joint/half shaft/cv axle...all the same thing, different name. Kinda like cougar and mountain lion. If you have a bad tire (broken belt)in a tire it will buzz and get louder like a wheel bearing. But that noise won't go away and gets louder the faster go go.

I don't know everything but I am normally a good guesser. I've been running auto centers for over 25 years...but my techs are the ones that do the repairs. Years of having to ride in cars and do drive by diagnosis' I normally am pretty close on the $. Yes, I believe the output shaft bearing is what it's called. You can try a half shaft only first but then you have to pull it all apart to do it again so it wouldn't make sense not to do it. It's about $250/$350 if you have a shop do it.

[cayton]

What motor does it have in it? The 3800 or the baby Northstar? If the 3800, check the passenger side lower motor mount. They are fluid filled and have a habit of leaking the fluid out causing the passenger side of the motor/trans to drop about an inch or so. I've never seen the torington bearing on the nose of the differential in a 4t65e go bad unless someone had the diff cover off and put it back on wrong. But 99% of the time if the cover is put back on wrong, you crack the trans case.

[brass410]

I own run a auto value repair centre and am a certified /journeyman mech. I 'm with Tripplebeards diagnosis there are not a lot of things in this drive to make noise's like your describing here. 8 out of 10 times bearing is culprit the other two are halfshaft and output brg, be advised that if you replace bearing it would be prudent to replace halfshaft as well they often have micro galling on the surface where they contact the bearing (this discovery came at the expense of 2 wheel brgs at customer insistence and my 600 dollar purchase of a set of steelman ears a listening device that wirelessly transmits to a headset) if you can find a shop that has a set this will solve your mystery noise very quickly at min charge.

[1911sw45]

It has the 3800 engine. I put the car up on jack stands this morning and ran it 15 miles in the air. At speeds 45 to 55mph. No metal to metal sounds just a low pitch whine. Turned the wheel all the way to the left and right. No metal to metal sounds, no clicking just the same low pitch whine. Could not pin point where the whine coming from. It’s me here so could not be out side the car while up to speed.

[1911sw45]

Also no play in the halfshaft. At the transmission or the wheel bearing end.

[mattw]

The problem I can see with running it on stands is that there is no load on the bearings as the suspension moves around and the half shafts move around. I had a 1989 Cutlass Ciera International that developed a similar issue, front drive. The issue was the bearing at the output of the transmission for the right hand drive. I did replace the bearing and half shaft and the wheel bearing in one shot. I was able to see gall marks on the old bearing and that was what drove me to replace it.

[Tripplebeards]

[QUOTE=mattw;4409573]The problem I can see with running it on stands is that there is no load on the bearings as the suspension moves around and the half shafts move around.

I agree.


With the car on the ground push up and down on the front fenders to see if the struts are making noise while your at it.

[Tripplebeards]

If you can't figure it out there are a few places that still does free diagnosis. But remember, you get what you pay for. Tires plus, which I wouldn't send my worst enemy to I believe still does it to a certain degree along with the few remaining Sears auto centers. The problem you will run into with these places of businesses is finding a good qualified mechanic that can do a proper diagnosis. But by the time you take it to a place that charges for diagnostic time your better off throwing parts at it.

[Tripplebeards]

Did you ever figure out what was making the noise?

[1911sw45]

Believe or not, it’s coming from the right rear. I am thinking the caliper is bad not releasing all the way. Also working it way out some. Only thing is when the sound is happening turn the wheel to the left it gets worse turn the wheel to the right it quits or gets quieter. Also when it’s sounding and u go over a swag in the road it quits or get quieter. Had the back brakes, caliper and rotor off and turn over the wheel hub easy no grinding. Pads are like new. Rotor no grooves only maybe 1/16” of rust around the outer edge.

[Tripplebeards]

Sounds like you figured it out.

[1911sw45]

Hope so. Sometime I get to redo the upper and lower intake gaskets. Going to replace the water pump, belt tentioner, upper intake plenum, upper and lower hoses, thermostat. The 3.8 is very known for the intake gaskets to fail.