Flat tires usually make rolling and tumbling noise that is easy to detect and solve. But what if you hear a car sounds like it has a flat tire but doesn’t? Hearing a fake flat tire sound is concerning as it indicates lots of serious internal problems.
For example, it can be the result of a bad wheel bearing, a detached tire’s inner wall, loose nuts or lugs as well as dirty tires or tread patterns. Whether you hear fake flat tire sounds during driving, accelerating, or braking, inspect the car by an expert mechanic instead of ignoring the sound.
Article Summary
Why Does Car Sound Like It Has A Flat Tire But Doesn’t?
Car sounds are extremely difficult to analyze as lots of components can make similar sounds. If you hear a flat tire-like sound when it doesn’t, it can be the result of a broken steel belt, clogged cardboard, or due to sitting on a flat surface for a long time. The other possible reasons are:
1. Tread Pattern
If your car has new tires, possibly the sound coming from its tread pattern. Some types of treads particularly the aggressive tread pattern can make a noise like a flat tire. The more aggressive the tread pattern, the louder the noise will be.
The flat spot on the tread of the older tires may also make the noise that you hear during braking hard. The tires may lock up and make a noise.
2. Bad Wheel Bearing
Bearing is the most reliable part of a tire issue. If your car sounds like it has a flat tire but doesn’t, it can be the result of bad wheel bearing. When the wheel bearing tends to fail, it starts making rumbling or roaring sounds depending on the vehicle’s speed.
A damaged wheel bearing may also hum or grind and sound like flat tires and wobble erratically. The broken-off worn ball joint of the wheel bearing can also sound like a flat tire.
3. Detached Tire’s Inner Wall
When the tire’s inner wall tends to disconnect from the outside, it makes a sound like a flat tire while driving on the road. This problem is impossible to fix and it’s very dangerous to continue driving with such a tire. So you must replace the tire.
To verify the problem, run your hand along the tire’s exterior carefully. Check the sidewalls near the treads and you should feel the bubble. Remember, the sharp and worn-out points, as well as collected bolts, stones, or screws, can injure you during checking the tire.
4. Loose Tread
On some inexpensive tires, the outer tread’s section can come loose and produce noise during striking the road. It’s more dangerous than a tire bubble and you might not be able to check it on a parked car. Drive the car slowly so the mechanic can watch the tires and verify the problem.
5. Serpentine Belt
A loose serpentine belt may also make a sound like a flat tire until it breaks down completely. Though a broken belt isn’t much safety issue particularly considering the wreck, it can cause stranded. Driving a vehicle with a broken belt can also damage the engine as the water pump of some cars is driven by belts.
If your car’s power steering pump is driven by a belt, the loose belt can cause you to lose the power steering and make it difficult to steer. Driving with a faulty belt can also damage the battery permanently.
6. Loose Nuts or Lug
Loose lug studs or nuts make a similar noise to a flat tire. Check and fix the problem before the tire comes off. You have to replace the studs that tend to come out of the hub and the nuts that hold on the tire. Otherwise, it’ll make the rim wobble and chew the threads up. So the tires won’t be reliable anymore.
7. Balancing Weight
The tires need to be balanced when mounted onto a rim. There are little oblong objects clipped onto the rim named balancing weights to keep the tire balanced. If the balancing weight comes off somehow, it can throw the tire out of balance and cause a sound like it has a flat during driving.
Can You Drive A Car That Sounds Like it Has A Flat Tire?
No matter if your car’s tires are flat or not, hearing a sound like a flat tire is always concerning. The potential reasons for this issue make it dangerous to continue driving the car sounds like lawnmower it has a flat tire but doesn’t. The tire failure, wheel bearing issues, and damaged belts were all serious issues.
You may even need to replace the tire to fix problems like sidewall bubbling, and worn-out tread particularly if rotation doesn’t work. Wheel alignment problem is also dangerous as it can make the braking and steering difficult.
You shouldn’t also keep driving with bad wheel bearings as it can make driving inconvenient and lead you to lose the car’s control. The tire may also wear out unevenly and end up causing an accident.
So, except for the broken belt, all the possible reasons are very dangerous and you shouldn’t continue driving before diagnosing and solving the issue.
How To Troubleshoot Sounds Like A Flat Tire On A Car?
It’s very difficult to say if the sound coming from bad steering, front or rear of the vehicle. So you have to inspect all the possible components that can make the sounds so you can understand the right thing to do. So drive slowly take the car in the garage and check the tires for any lumps and bumps. You should also look for any large stones that may caught in the tread.
Check bushes in the rear and front shocks, ball joints, and stabilizer bars for an issue. Check the tire pressure of all tires and look for damage or wear out. Make sure the wheel is assembled correctly and the nuts and rims are secured tightly.
You can also take the car to the auto repair shop to diagnose it using a balancing machine and applying the wheel spun technique. This technique spins the tires by applying artificial load and detects any internal tire faults that the typical spin balancer can’t. Problems like faulty wheel bearings, oxidized rims, and uneven wheels also require expert help.
FAQs
Does A Wheel Bearing Sound Like A Flat Tire?
A worn-out wheel bearing can make a sound like a flat tire. The reason is that damaged wheel bearings can’t rotate freely and make a thumping or knocking noise, similar to the sound of a flat tire.
Why is My Car Shaking and Feels Like A Flat Tire?
If you drive a car with damaged wheels or tires, you may feel like the car is shaking and seems like a flat tire. It can happen due to improper tire and wheel balance, separated tire tread, uneven tire wear, loose lug nuts, or out-of-round tires.
Why is My Car Making A Flat Tire Sound When Accelerating?
If you hear a flat tire sound when accelerating, it can be the result of a damaged engine belt. The engine belt may get loose or worn out and the pulleys of the belt may start to fail. However, if you hear a loud rumbling noise when accelerating, there can be a problem with the exhaust system.
Why Does My Car Sound Like A Flat Tire When Braking?
You may hear sounds like a flat tire when braking for plenty of reasons including worn shocks, bad tires, and alignment. If the belt tends to come out loose on the tire, it may also make wobbling. Another possibility is that a large piece of cardboard is trapped under the car while driving over debris. But if you hear a humming noise or high-pitched squealing noise when hit the brake, possibly the brake pad wear indicator is hitting against the rotor.
Final Words
If you hear a car sounds like it has a flat tire but doesn’t, slow the car’s speed and don’t apply brakes or accelerator immediately. Instead, carefully bring the car to the home garage or the nearest auto repair shop.
You can clean the tires, pressure up and rotate the tires, or tighten the nuts to fix the issue. But inspecting the wheel bearing, balancing weight, or wheel belts requires expert help. Make sure the sound disappears before hitting the road even if it costs hundreds of bucks.
