Okay I am on week 7 of owning my new car and I have a noise.. :unsure:

It's normally after the cars warmed up, and when the car is idle, waiting at a light.. So basically the noise stops when i hit the gas to go.. The car's check engine light isn't on, and the car isnt running rough at all.. It's just the noise! Anyways, it is like a chattering cricket and i can only hear it when my radio isn't on so the sound is barely noticable.

I'm told just tell the dealership when i go in for an oil change.. I know I will tell them for sure.. but should i do it tomorrow, since i have it off, or wait until I change the oil.. Does anyone know what it could be? I think it has to do with a chain/belt myself, but i cant be sure in newer cars :puzzled:

Do you hear what I hear, Do you hear what I hear, same old questions with new cars, Accent is loud, especially the new model, noises galore, unrefined is the problem, Possibley a loose internal engine cover or mount, not a drama for you unless, you are running out of oil. Open the bonnet with the car running, put pressure on areas of the engine, but don't get your fingers caught, to see if this hand pressure reduces the noise, then tell the dealer what you did, usually the owner is the first one to diagnose and in some cases repair it better than the dealer.

Open the hood and see if the car is making the noise just setting, idling, in neutral...and then if it is an automatic, put the car in gear with the emergency brake on, and see if it makes the noise while under the load of the transmission being in gear. If you hear the noise under these conditions try to pinpoint its location by putting your ear close to different parts of the motor. Pay particular attention to the front of the motor (left side of the car as you face it) where the belts are all located.

As the previous poster pointed out, the Accent is a fairly noisy little car. You don't get a Cadillac for the price of an Accent. Little noises don't mean anything is necessarily malfunctioning.

This post has been edited by moonz: Mar 6 2007, 03:53 PM

In the 22,000 miles I've driven my Accent, I've only noticed one abnormal noise, which was with the power steering belt. It would squeal when cold (and moreso when damp) for the first minute or so after startup when you turned the wheel. Took it to the dealer for a quick tighten of the belt and all was well, haven't had any problems since. Although if you get it wet enough thanks to a huge puddle, it may squeal for a few seconds but goes right away. No big deal, usually when it does that, I'm driving in a serious rainstorm and water is everywhere so I can't expect all that water to not have any effect on the belts. Even though there is a splash sheild right under there, a small amount of water good enough to make a lot of noise still finds its way to the belts.

For your problem, I would start with the belts. Unlike most everything else these days that uses one big serpentine belt for everything, we've got a few different belts under there - power steering, A/C, alternator, water pump. I can't recall what all runs off what and how many total there are (I think 3 but can't be sure.) So, each one (or any one) of those belts could possibly get a bit loose. Or, it could be a pulley on one of the components that is making the squeak. I had a bad alternator do that many years ago.

A few things may help you track down what's wrong, such as does the noise differ whether the car is in gear (if you've got an automatic) than it does at idle in park or neutral? Does the A/C running make any change in the noise? Or, if you're turning the wheel as it is chirping? Try to get as much ammo as you can for the dealer - finding out what conditions cause this would help being able to readily duplicate the issue for them.

I don't think your car is going to die anytime soon, you'll probably be safe until your next oil change if the noise isn't getting any worse. But it's never a bad idea to get strange noises checked out pronto, so if you and the dealer have the time, go for it. Good luck, and let us know what the deal is!


This post has been edited by hoosieraccent: Mar 6 2007, 04:00 PM

I already checked. It does it in neutral, in gear, and in park. With the E-break on, I tap the gas a bit and the noise stops only to re-start again once the engine settles.

Well I have a appointment with the dealership on the 13th. I told them the problem, and that I never noticed the noise until a couple of days ago. Not to mention I understand the accent is a bit noisy. It doesn't purr as much as it growls, but likei said the noise just started a couple of days ago.

luckily I am getting my oil changed too before my 600 mile adventure. I get all that done on the 13th and I drive to LA on the 15th. I'll be sure to snap some nice viewpoint stops along the way. I'm driving through the Grapevine on I-5. That pass has taken it's toll on a fair share of cars, so I am not taking any chances in this matter. Not to mention I am driving solo so if anything happens I am screwed.

I'm excited because I will use the O/D button for going up the mountain and not just merging onto the freeway! :57:

This post has been edited by o0kat0o: Mar 6 2007, 07:37 PM

My noise was in fact something with my car, and I sat inside the lobby of the dealership for close to two hours while they tried to figure it out.

The found that it was the water pump.. First of all my reaction was like this :blink: WTF???! I was almost yelling, 'how does a water pump start going bad after 9 weeks of owning the car?!' because I was thinking that a water pump is routine maintenance after so long, that I would have to put money into the car already.

They said it was defective and are ordering me a new replacement (at no cost to me) since they didn't have any in stock at the moment. I'm thinking 'I wounder why.. How many other accents have had to get their water pump replaced after 8-10 weeks?'

Anyways they tell me its safe to drive, the engine isn't running any hotter then normal and the water is still moving through the lines. I was worried I would blow my engine or something.

Anyways I was in such shock over the water pump, that i spaced on the door panel. Not to mention the service technician (they aren't called mechanics anymore I guess) looked younger then me so i was worried for my car.

Good news is they detailed her after they finished putting her back together so she is all clean.

Hi, I hope someone can help me. I have a 2001 elantra. Back in January i heared a faint scraping noise. now it is worse. It isn't when i step on the brakes, it is when I come off the highway and slow down, then i go and accelarate it makes that sound again. I thought brake problems occur when you step on the brakes not the gas?

please help!

Sounds to me like the dealer did exactly what they should have - they diagnosed the concern, found an issue and ordered the part to correct it. And if they didn't return the car with grease and dirty handprints all over the place, they did a good job to me. :grin: Having to wait for a part stinks, but dealers of any brand don't stock jack anymore, so that isn't surprising. Anymore, if you need a part, it takes two trips to get it - one to check the car out, and one to replace.

Yeah, it sucks to have anything die prematurely, but this stuff just happens - they're just mechanical items and anything of that nature will die at some point. :( I've heard stories of brand new cars with blown engines, trannies, you name it. Myself, I've had all kinds of parts die an early death and even had problems where the dealer installs brand new OEM replacement parts that were defective right out of the box so they had to order another part right after they received the first. A few died shortly after being installed, such as with two A/C compressors and a power steering pump on the last car - they were shot within only a few thousand miles. And those parts were Toyota parts, which everybody always says should be better than everybody else's parts. :P

I wouldn't be too hard on the dealer, they were just doing what they should have been doing. They could have easily said "what noise?" or "that is a normal design characteristic," or - and i know this sounds pitiful but I did have a dealer tell me this once: "we can't go throwing parts on your car just because they're broken!" :wacko: I've wasted so many of my days in the shop waiting for them to find a problem but were always too lazy or just didn't care to help so I would have been better off just staying home. And a few times, after the brushed me off, something catastrophic would happen that could have been prevented by them listening to me and fixing what was wrong to begin with. It could always be much, much worse. At least they're taking care of ya!

The Cadillacs are not noisy?
Mechanics hate Cadillacs 'cause they have to take out stupid plastic covers and other parts to get to the parts that they are interested in. It takes too much time to fix any Cadillacs.
They have quiet rides but they can be quiet a bit noisy sometime later.

heeh...no matter how articulate you try to be at making a point on these internet forums, there inevitably is someone that will come along and misconstrue your intent.

I was in no way endorsing Cadillacs....I was just using a Cadillac as a comparison. I could just as easily said BMW, or Mercedes, or even Rolls Royce...I guess the Accent is no noisier than any of those cars either?

:innocent:

According to consumer reports the 07 Accent won quietest idle amongst small cars. I agree you cant really even hear mine idle even with intake

Yes...mine idles very quitely, now that the lash adjusters have settled down, but it wins no quiet contests when the motor is under a load. It is the loudest new 4 cylinder car I've owned yet, when accelerating.. A real buzzbomb going through the gears. This is a stick, mind you. Maybe an automatic is not so buzzy.

Edmunds called the motor buzzy in their review, and I'd have to agree. But it is not so loud as to be objectionable.

The auto is a lot quieter than the manual from everything I've read, several reviews in car mags or sites pointed that out. Even though the manual has the extra gear, it still ends up at a higher RPM at cruise than the four speed auto... *shrug*

Mine is very quiet (and smooth) at idle, accidentally tried to start it up a time or two since I thought it wasn't running. And with the auto, at cruising speed, it isn't all that loud either. Upon acceleration it's a bit noisy indeed, so it's best to just take it easy on it which I do almost all of the time... But all in all, engine / road / wind noise are all quite a bit lower than what I was expecting and is the quietest car I've owned in a while...

This post has been edited by hoosieraccent: Apr 2 2007, 04:24 PM