Rumbling/humming noise.

[BerksEd]

So, my 2014 Fiesta has just come back from the garage. They can’t hear it at all, if it wasn’t for other family members experiencing the sound I’d swear I’m going a little crazy. 

I’ve had the car since January 2016 (with only 6k on the clock). Been a brilliant little motor but as of late has developed a low rumbling/humming noise at 40+mph. Most likely from the rear. We’ve (me, my brother and the garage) have ruled out wheel bearings. Garage suggested it could be the tyres but I’ve just had new ones of the back and then swapped with the front wheels. Sound is the same. Not front brakes as I’ve just fitted new upgrades pads and disks a few days ago. Been doing it for a while now (4 weeks) starting to get a bit concerned. Garage said they took the car up to 60 and couldn’t hear anything. Strange as it was doing it on the way to/from the garage.

Any suggestion greatly received. 

Also, the garage overfilled the coolant by an inch, should I be mega concerned?

Thanks!

[BerksEd]

Update - so I’ve now had four new tyres on it, major service (where the garage says there’s nothing wrong with it) new front pads & discs. Still getting the rumbling noise over 40mph, very noticeable at 55-60. Been told not wheel bearings...

If anyone can offer any advice I would be very grateful. Concerned I am causing more damage to whatever it may be by driving it daily (no other option). 

Help!!!

[wild_one]

Have you had the opportunity to travel in a similar car to compare. These cars can suffer from general road noise. Does the noise vary depending on road surface. Does it disappear completely below 40mph. Have you tried sitting in the rear of the car and getting someone else to drive as sounds can be transmitted through the Shell weirdly. Have you confirmed it is 'road speed' related and not 'engine speed'. Can you 'feel' the noise through the steering wheel or pedals?

Good luck

[Westville]

Are they the same make of tyres as the original?

The reason I ask is that I have just swapped cars from a Freelander - the original Tyres (Wranglers) were unbelievably noisy compared to the Scorpions I fitted - I'd heard about that but could not believe the difference until I experienced it myself.

If you haven't already done so try a different brand of tyre

[BerksEd]

Hi, sorry, long reply..

I bought the car in 2016 (14 plate) with 6k on the clock, only started making the noise a little over a month ago, while it was still on the old tyres. Since the noise started I have put new tyres on all round, made no difference at all to the sound. I now have 30k on it and have made many long journeys in it (Berkshire to Leeds every three months plus a recent trip to Holland) never had any problems with noise. 

Seems to start at 40, very prominent at 55-60 and tails off when you drop below 35. Haven’t driven it at faster than 60 through fear of damaging something. Have held the clutch in while driving for a moment in each gear to see if engine revs drop off, which they do. 

Have been out in the car several times with my brother, changed driver, sat in back etc, he swears it’s coming from the front, but I’m useless at pinpointing noise in a car.. My gut reaction is wheel bearings (I’ve had them go on Fords before) but the garage, the tyre shop and my own brother (who is mechanically minded) don’t think it’s the wheel bearings. In the case of the garage, they couldn’t even hear any noise at all. But I’m not sure they took it fast enough as all the local roads are 30s plus they were rather incompetent anyway (did the wrong service on my car...the much more expensive one that I didn’t ask for and wasn’t due).

I have noticed some vibration in the accelerator pedal, but then that makes no sense cos as far as I’m aware it’s drive by wire. No difference in feeling to clutch, and brakes bare perfect since changing the discs and pads - like the tyres, after the sound started. 

If it wasn’t for the fact that some mates, my brother & my dad can hear it, I’d swear I’m going mad.

[jim1976]

my wife and I have a 2019 from new..has 17000 ish on it and we heard the same noise during the test drive..salesman said its normal..have complained numerous times..normal..normal..normal is all they say..going to take it to a friend and mechanic Monday..sounds like bad axle to me.

[liamstears]

Is it a constant noise or does it vary like thrum thrum thrum if you know what I mean? Lol

[Kevin#95]

I had a noisy wheel bearing on my fiesta. The bearing had no play and the wheel was ok at low speeds. As it got over 30mph a noise that sounded like a bus engine hum started. And go louder.

When I jacked the rear wheels up and took the wheels off, one rotated and had a rough feel to it, and you could hear the sound as you spun the wheel by hand. The other wheel made no sound and was smooth to turn.

A test for a bad bearing is to check for excessive play. But they can still be noisy and have no play. Take the wheels off and spin the hubs by hand to feel for and roughness in the bearings.

[Martin-Fiesta-MK6-1.4]

Normally the best thing to do is let it develop, if it gets louder then you know you've got a problem, if not you know its nothing really major, jack the car up and have a tug on the heat shield which surrounds your exhaust, if its loose it may be that, if the car is driving steady and you arnt loosing slight control around corners id say your shocks are fine, possibly could be your strut mounts, pinpointing a noise in a car is a pain, have someone drive it and try and get your ears as close to the footwells front and back as possible, the only real things that can go wrong at the back of a car are suspension related and wheels, so quite easy to fix once you know what it is, maybe upload a youtube video so we can hear what you are hearing

[jim1976]

constant..hasn't increased with mileage.

thanx

 

[jim1976]

Monday the mech specalist is giving it a go...so we'll see.

[RichX]

Hi Jim1976, BerksEd as above I have exactly the same light rumbling noise. Done tires and brakes etc, tested wheels on stand, no solution. This car was whisper quiet on the road when I got it. I should check the transmission oil just to be sure there's not been a loss of lube there which could be a very big issue. Otherwise it might be change rear bearings one by one to look for an improvement. It's not out of the question a bearing is a little rumbly without being detectible at workshop spinning speeds...

Has anyone here figured this out?

Rich
Durban
SA

[Marky146]

If it's a rumbling sound, it's either wheel bearing, engine mount or exhaust related. If it's got feathers, floats on pond and goes quack...it's a duck. So if it sounds like a wheel bearing, it probably is. They are pretty cheap to change, let's face it and Ford are not known for the quality of bearings they fit. My Lad's 09 has had lower arms, top monuts, shocks and brakes all round, plus beam bushes, which are another Fiesta specialty. That's a knocking at the back though, so rule that out, for now.

Best of luck chaps. 

 

[fiestalux]

It may be a bit left field, recently my Fiesta had its annual service, during this time the rear wheel suspension rubber noise dampers were replaced. They sent me some pics, one had disintegrated (which is easy to see when looking underneath). This can cause increased road noise. In general my Fiesta was quiet at low speeds and much noisier at high speeds, it has improved it a bit. The repair cost for both was under €100.

 

 

[Marky146]

17 minutes ago, fiestalux said:

It may be a bit left field, recently my Fiesta had its annual service, during this time the rear wheel suspension rubber noise dampers were replaced. They sent me some pics, one had disintegrated (which is easy to see when looking underneath). This can cause increased road noise. In general my Fiesta was quiet at low speeds and much noisier at high speeds, it has improved it a bit. The repair cost for both was under €100.

 

 

By Rubber noise dampers, do you mean the coffee cup sized bushes that are pressed into the front of the rear arms?  

[fiestalux]

Yes, I think it is them. Although that is via a French translation on Google.

[unofix]

On 12/2/2021 at 9:11 PM, Marky146 said:

If it's got feathers, floats on pond and goes quack...it's a

racing pigeon 🤣

[unofix]

 

[Big daddy]

This happened to me and bugged me for weeks ,then I found a rear window slightly open which was causing a throbbing sound