Your car, of course, makes noise as it moves down the road, but most drivers generally understand the difference between regular car noise and an odd sound that you should not be hearing. If your car has been acting up with some strange noises lately, it's important to get your vehicle to a car repair shop as soon as possible before that strange noise turns into a large repair bill. To that end, here are some of the different types of noises you might be hearing that might indicate that all is not well under the hood.

Hissing or Sizzling Noises

If you ever hear a noise coming from under the hood that sounds like eggs or something greasy sizzling in a frying pan, this likely means you have some kind of leak that will need to be fixed. This type of noise is most commonly heard when first turning the engine off after a long drive. The leak, which could be anything from oil to coolant, will drip down onto your hot engine, and the sizzling will begin.

Scraping or Grinding When Turning the Wheel Around a Sharp Bend

To be clear, we don't mean noise from the tires but from within the car itself. If you hear strange noises that seem to be coming from your steering column when turning the wheel all the way to the left or right, this could mean your column is badly in need of lubrication or just straight up has a busted part. You are hearing the parts within your steering column grind against each other, and it won't be long before something breaks outright, and you will be hard-pressed to turn the wheel at all. Get off the road and to a car repair shop to get your steering column re-lubricated or replaced.

Rubbing or Flapping

If you hear the repeated sound of something rubbing or flapping from under the hood, this is almost always a belt issue. You might have a belt that is loose or one that is frayed and is hanging on for dear life at this point as you drive down the road. You'll either need to get the belt put back into place or replaced entirely. Don't wait too long to get this fixed because once the belt actually breaks, you might not be able to get the car anywhere at all without help from a tow truck.

If you car is making a noise, contact a repair shop like Huntington Beach Transmissions.