JasonA Posted February 21, 2007 Report Share Posted February 21, 2007 As I settle in with the new STS, and start listening to quieter music and enjoying the drive, I notice a VERY VERY slight howling noise at speed, but curiously, only in a very specific speed range. About 59-65 mph. I've never had a bad wheel bearing before, but I'd say it sounds SORT of like a bad wheel bearing, but the noise is just EVER so slight (nobody else would hear it), and it only seems to happen at those speeds. If I go a lot faster, it seems to go away. And if I slow down to 58 mph or less, it shuts off like a switch. There is no graininess in the steering wheel or floor, and the noise doesn't change with loading one side of the car or the other (turning the wheel slightly). Very odd. I'm not all that concerned yet about it...just curious as to what it could be. The car is supposedly under the certified warranty through July, so if it is an issue, I hope it gets worse (more apparent) by then so I can take it in and have it checked out. Any ideas? Anyone else have a slight noise like that at speed? Thanks Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenMachine Posted February 21, 2007 Report Share Posted February 21, 2007 Could just be the tires on it, wind passing threw somewhere, could even be the exhaust note at those certain RPMs. Turn the music up or go faster I guess The Green's Machines 1998 Deville - high mileage, keeps on going, custom cat-back exhaust 2003 Seville - stock low mileage goodness! 2004 Grand Prix GTP CompG - Smaller supercharger pulley, Ported Exhaust Manifolds, Dyno tune, etc 1998 Firebird Formula - 408 LQ9 Stroker motor swap and all sorts of go fast stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stsjoe Posted February 21, 2007 Report Share Posted February 21, 2007 Are the air filter box and pipe tight? Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted February 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2007 Thanks guys. Engine speed at that road speed is right at 2000 rpm. I'll keep an ear to it to see if I hear the same noise at a slower speed in a different gear. Yes, air filter box and pipe are tight. It even has a resonator on the intake tube. I'll double-check all that stuff. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ted tcb Posted February 21, 2007 Report Share Posted February 21, 2007 When my front wheel hub went bad on my 99, I couldn't hear the noise at first ... my wife mentioned it, as it was more apparent from the passenger seat ... a very slight howl, only at certain speeds. My mechanic couldn't be sure with a road test, but a stethoscope pointed at the wheel under speed confirmed it. My replacement hub came with an abs sensor ... if its a wheel bearing, it will definitely become louder long before July. I think my hub was about $275 Cdn, for a cheap aftermarket version. I'd give it a few weeks, then have the dealer investigate under warranty. 1989 FWD Fleetwood, Silver 1995 STS Crimson Pearl on Black leather 1997 STS Diamond White 1999 STS Crimson Pearl 2001 STS Silver 2003 STS, Crimson Pearl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadillac Jim Posted February 21, 2007 Report Share Posted February 21, 2007 The howl may be a half-shaft ringing, which can be caused by a wheel bearing, a CV joint, a differential looseness, or anything that couples regular vibration to the half-shaft. That's the way that a hub bearing would generate a hum. Differences: A hub bearing would howl at cerain speeds, or above a certain speed. A CV joint would cause the howl only on slight acceleration or deceleration, and a warble may be present. A gear whine would be present only on slight deceleration, or on slight acceleration, but rarely both, and would be present at any speed at which the engine could prove very slight acceleration or deceleration. A remote microphone that a mechanic uses to listen while you drive will tell the tale. -- Click Here for CaddyInfo page on "How To" Read Your OBD Codes-- Click Here for my personal page to download my OBD code list as an Excel file, plus other Cadillac data -- See my CaddyInfo car blogs: 2011 CTS-V, 1997 ETC Yes, I was Jims_97_ETC before I changed cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted February 21, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 21, 2007 I called my local dealer and they confirmed it was still under the CPO warranty, so I made an appointment next Wednesday. We'll see what they find. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thu Posted February 21, 2007 Report Share Posted February 21, 2007 I have an 03 STS and I hear no howl at any speed. Might be the tires? 2003 Seville STS 43k miles with the Bose Sound, Navigation System, HID Headlamps, and MagneRide 1993 DeVille. Looks great inside and out! 298k miles! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BodybyFisher Posted February 21, 2007 Report Share Posted February 21, 2007 Also consider that your serp idler wheel or tensioner wheel is making noise, just a thought.. A bad hub bearing should be affected by you doing s-turns, next time you hear it, try doing some s-turns in your lane to see if the noise varies. Pre-1995 - DTC codes OBD1 >> 1996 and newer - DTC codes OBD2 >> https://www.obd-codes.com/trouble_codes/gm/obd_codes.htm How to check for codes Caddyinfo How To Technical Archive >> http://www.caddyinfo.com/wordpress/cadillac-how-to-faq/ Cadillac History & Specifications Year by Year http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeydax Posted February 22, 2007 Report Share Posted February 22, 2007 do you have the oem goodyears? mine did and it stopped when I had new tires put on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted February 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2007 They are new Michelin Energy tires. I had thought about rotating them to see if that helped. The are brand new though...or at least very lightly used take-offs. I dunno...I'll let the dealer decide what to do. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted March 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2007 Slight update: I dropped the car off Tuesday night and I hadn't heard back so I "popped in" on my way home from work tonight and actually spoke to the technician. He has driven the car with a few different other guys there and they all agree it's coming from the right rear (and I agree too, after we both went for a ride together). He didn't seem to want to commit to anything while we were riding in the car (in terms of replacement parts) because they apparently haven't decided what it is at the moment. He has a feeling that it's tire noise. He said after we got back, he would rotate the tires and see if the noise moved. I tried talking him into replacing the bearing if the tire rotation didn't solve it, but he didn't really agree to anything on the spot. He said if the tire rotation didn't help, he'd have to talk to his group manager about what to do next. I said I didn't want to rush them at all, but the car had already been there for two days and that if we still didn't know anything tomorrow that I'd need a more definite idea from them what the path forward is. He was talking about trying to swap the hub assemblies left and right, if that was possible, to see if the noise moved around. That makes me leery...just replace the dang bearing before going to all that work. Probably much quicker and cheaper for them... Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjtjwdad Posted March 2, 2007 Report Share Posted March 2, 2007 He was talking about trying to swap the hub assemblies left and right, if that was possible, to see if the noise moved around. That makes me leery...just replace the dang bearing before going to all that work. Probably much quicker and cheaper for them... Jason, That's called "easter-egg troubleshooting". As the owner you should be the one who ca authorize that because now a known good are of the car is being disturbed? What happens if something goes wrong (and it's always a possibility, remember ... Murphy is an optimist)? If you feel they're a good dealer then all is well (my Cadillac dealer has always treated me well) otherwise I'd be skeptical. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted March 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2007 There was a voice mail on my machine at work that the car is ready. So I'll find out this evening what they did, and if it's fixed. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Nunnally Posted March 2, 2007 Report Share Posted March 2, 2007 Hope they got it in one try. I know it can be frustrating to get a new car and then have an issue. Bruce 2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Follow me on: Twitter Instagram Youtube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted March 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2007 Turns out he rotated the tires and claimed the noise was gone. I was slightly skeptical, but sure 'nuff, no more noise. I thought that odd. The service manager said, "not really, wear patterns can develop in tires, etc." I said I've often had some tire noise after rotating the tires, but it was a constant noise, increasing in pitch usually as speed increases, etc. I've never had a tire noise that came about ONLY at a certain speed. Either way, she's quiet as a cat. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Nunnally Posted March 3, 2007 Report Share Posted March 3, 2007 Hard to argue with success. Hopefully it wills stay gone while you enjoy your 2001 STS. Bruce 2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Follow me on: Twitter Instagram Youtube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjtjwdad Posted March 3, 2007 Report Share Posted March 3, 2007 Hard to argue with success. Hopefully it wills stay gone while you enjoy your 2001 STS. Agreed though my experiences with tires have been more like Jason's analysis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted March 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2007 She got a bath today and we enjoyed some open air cruising (70 outside today). There's not much that tops the feeling of riding around in a clean Cadillac. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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