Humming Noise in Car Getting Louder with Speed or When Accelerating (Fixed)

Humming noise in your car getting louder with speed or when accelerating? Well, you’re not alone when it comes to such noises, many have come online seeking answers to such questions.

It’s quite annoying when you are increasing your car’s speed on the highway, all you hear around you is an irritating humming noise.

This kind of noise needs to be investigated. Otherwise, it may be dangerous to you and all those who are in the car.

Here are some of the common causes of Humming noise in cars when accelerating.

humming noise when car is accelerating

Causes of Humming Noise in Car When Accelerating

There are a couple of known common causes of humming noise in cars as you increase speed. We will discuss them in detail here and how to fix such issues to ensure your comfort and safety while driving.

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1). Bad Wheel Bearing

Bad wheel bearing can be one of the main causes of humming noise in your vehicle. And the humming or grinding noise is the main indication of such a problem in the cabin from the direction of the affected wheel.

Sometimes, you may also experience a knocking noise when cornering and some vibrations in the steering wheel or the whole body. In such cases, the louder the humming noise gets at higher speeds.

It’s good to get this detective wheel bearing issue because, in the worst-case scenario, the affected wheel can lock up while you are driving or even tear off.

So what can cause a wheel bearing to fail? It fails because as you drive the bearings have to absorb all the high radial forces. It’s even worst when you are driving on a road full of potholes.

This is because the entire weight of the vehicle rests on the bearings. When driving the speed also creates an additional force. All these factors combined can cause the wheel bearing to fail.

But how soon it will fail depends on your driving habits.

So how do you determine if it defective wheel bearing that is causing the noise?. Well, the number one sign is the humming noise.

The second sign is that you will notice noise change when you are cornering. This noise variation will be dependent on the steering angle and thereby increasing or decreasing the “hum” when turning left or right.

How to Fix the Defective Wheel Bearing

You will need to change the wheel bearing that has the problem. but generally, it is recommended that you change the second bearing on the same axle even if there is only one defective wheel bearing in the vehicle.

The reasoning has been that both bearings were subjected to roughly the same stress and the failure of the second bearing is imminent.

Besides, replacing them at the same time also safe you money and time.

2). Uneven Tire Wear

Defective wheel bearings are not the only common cause of humming noise in cars when accelerating. Uneven tire wear is another cause of the humming noise you are hearing.
Tire cupping or scalloping is a type of uneven wear at is able to cause this kind of noise at higher speeds. Mostly, it’s been mistaken for a bad wheel bearing.
What happens is that, upon inspection of the tires, you will notice scallops or dips formed around the tread indicating an out-of-balance wheel.
What causes uneven tire wear?
The most common causes are unbalanced wheels, improper wheel alignment, overinflated or underinflated tires, and worn suspension or steering parts. Uneven tire wear can also happen if you’ve installed cheap brand tires in your vehicle.
How to Fix Uneven Worn Tires
Replace the uneven tires with high-quality tires. Take your car for proper wheel alignment, and check and replace any worn suspension or steering parts.

3). Tires with Large Tread Blocks

Do you still hear a humming noise from your car when increasing your speed on the highway after correcting the above-mentioned possible causes?.

The possible cause can be large tires and tread blocks. If you’ve started hearing this noise especially after you have installed new tires, then they could be the cause.

Tires with large tread blocks have been known to make such noise, especially on the highway.

Tires such as off-road and winter tires are known to be noisy at high speed because of how much air passes through their aggressive tread patterns.

4). Transmission Problem

In some rare cases, a failed transmission can cause a humming sound in the car to get louder as you increase your speed.

If you are hearing a low-pitched humming noise coming under the body of your vehicle, through the floor, it could be an indication of a problem with the transmission.

A bad seal can also cause the gear shift to be noisy. This can be caused by a leak in the rear differential fluid.

Final thoughts

As you can see above, there are many reasons why a car may be making a humming noise when you are accelerating on the road. The most obvious cause is usually a faulty wheel bearing or damaged tire.

If after you have investigated these causes and the noise still persists, then you will need to check out the transmission, and if you have recently changed your car tires, then the new tires cause be sucking in a lot of air through their patterns when you are increasing your speed on the highway. You may consider changing the tires if you aren’t comfortable.

Please, if you are not handy, it is advisable to consult a qualified mechanic to fix these problems. Otherwise, you may endanger your safety.

Josephine

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