You are moving on the road and hear a pop, you go down to check and think the tire has blown, but everything is still intact?
Car sounds like it has a flat tire but doesn’t? So where does that sound come from? How to recognize these signs? Let’s find out more details in this article.
Car Sounds Like It Has A Flat Tire But Doesn’t – Top 4 Common Reasons
Many types of sounds are emitted when you move on the road made by cars. However, one of the sounds you need to pay attention to is the sound made by the tires as it can warn of serious problems when traveling fast.
1. Obstacle In The Tire
First, you should check for any obstructions such as rocks, nails, screws, or any hard objects in the tires or underbody of your car.
There are many cases, obstructions stuck in tires or bearings cause a continuous sound like the sound of a tire running out of air. However, the owner of the car did not know and rushed to bring it to repair.
Therefore, you should make sure to check carefully for external factors before performing testing for specific issues below.
2. Tire Problems
When the inner wall of the tire begins to separate from the outside, which most people call a “bubble,” it will begin to make a rhythmic gurgling sound as you walk down the road.
That is very dangerous and that tire needs to be replaced because this problem cannot be fixed. If you check along the outside of the tire with your hand, usually on the sidewall near the tread, you can feel bubbles.
Be careful when checking if a tire is so worn that the steel protrudes, it will be very sharp and can make a very painful cut. In addition, tires can pick up small stones, bolts, nails, screws, and other sharp objects and carry them around, while they are not always easily visible.
Especially on cheap tires, part of the outer tread may come loose and you will hear it hitting the road or the fender. That is more dangerous than bubbles.
3. Problems With Rims, Connections, Bearings
If a zigzag belt comes loose but hasn’t broken completely, it will sound like a flat tire, at least until it breaks completely. If your car’s rims are loose, the connections will loosen and they will no longer be reliable to become a unified whole.
Sometimes a wheel bearing that’s too bad won’t rattle or gurgle, but sounds, again, like a flat tire. This can often happen with tires wobbling and showing signs of spinning.
A worn ball joint that hasn’t broken completely can also sound like a flat tire. Excessive and unlubricated rubbing also results in an incomprehensible sound.
The last tire problem you can think of is the balance weight of the tire. If you go too long without servicing and replacing tires and rims, it will not create balance when in contact with the road.
When the tire is fitted to the rim, it must be balanced. If you look at your tires, you may notice small objects clamped to the rims. Those are balanced dumbbells. Sometimes they can fall out and cause the tire to lose its balance.
4. Shock Absorber System Broken
Normally, car shock absorbers will weaken when the car is operating after a long period and can lead to damage. It may sound like a flat tire due to a distorted damper cylinder, rusted springs, or friction between parts.
If you find at the end of the shock absorber body with wet oil or when the car runs through rough roads, it makes a “knock” sound. That is a sign that the shock absorber on the car has opened a connection and the hydraulic oil is leaking out.
The vehicle will sway or skid and deflect on the road even when traveling on flat roads. This is also a warning sign that the shock absorber on the car is malfunctioning.
Therefore, you should regularly check the tires, if you find that the tires are worn unevenly, the ability to grip the road is not guaranteed, this case also needs to be replaced to avoid affecting the shock absorber.
Read more: What Is The Difference Between 245 And 265 Tires?
Summary
If you detect sounds such as a flat tire, you should check for obstructions such as stones, nails, screws in the tires. Then you can check the quality of the tires, rims, axles, bearings, and joints.
Don’t forget to watch for signs of damping as it’s more likely that the sound could be present because of this.
In particular, tire maintenance and replacement are important as it is the part that undergoes a lot of friction and comes into contact with surfaces and obstacles daily.