Technical Car/Motor Issues > Vauxhall Astra H estate - 07 1.3 Intermittent high-pitched screech Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Haywain Replies: 14
View Threaded 

New Mon 11 Jun 18 20:35 
 Vauxhall Astra H estate - 07 1.3 Intermittent high-pitched screech - Haywain
Over the past few months, I've noticed a high-pitched screech coming from, I believe, the area of the off-side rear wheel. It seems to happen when the car has done a few miles and has warmed up; it can get quite loud and, at that point, the best cure is to shut the windows and turn up the radio.

I wondered if it could be a piece of grit jammed in the brakes (?) but, the strange thing is that the frequency of pitch does not vary with speed. For that reason, I had discounted a problem with the wheel bearing as well.

Anyone got any ideas?

Cheers H
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Mon 11 Jun 18 22:50 
 Vauxhall Astra H estate - 07 1.3 Intermittent high-pitched screech - bathtub tom
Nervous rear seat passenger?

Seriously, if you've got rear discs I'd be looking for a stone trapped between the disc and dust shield. I've successfully removed such things by reversing a good few yards.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Mon 11 Jun 18 22:54 
 Vauxhall Astra H estate - 07 1.3 Intermittent high-pitched screech - No FM2R
I'm assuming that it does not make the noise when stationary? So it must be related to the speed of the car to some extent.

So I'd still be going for the wheel and probably brakes. Wheel bearings don't tend to screech until just before the wheel falls off.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Mon 11 Jun 18 23:26 
 Vauxhall Astra H estate - 07 1.3 Intermittent high-pitched screech - Zero
My money is on stuck rear pad,
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Tue 12 Jun 18 01:03 
 Vauxhall Astra H estate - 07 1.3 Intermittent high-pitched screech - VxFan
>> My money is on stuck rear pad,

Or a semi seized calliper, most likely caused by the slider pins needing a clean and lubrication with some synthetic brake grease such as Mintex Ceratec. Do not use Copaslip as it attacks the rubber seals.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Tue 12 Jun 18 03:10 
 Vauxhall Astra H estate - 07 1.3 Intermittent high-pitched screech - Pat
>>it can get quite loud and, at that
>> point, the best cure is to shut the windows and turn up the radio.
>>
>> Anyone got any ideas?
>>
>> Cheers H
>>

Let it develop?

Pat
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Tue 12 Jun 18 08:08 
 Vauxhall Astra H estate - 07 1.3 Intermittent high-pitched screech - Old Navy
>> Let it develop?
>>
>> Pat
>>

Cars don't fix themselves, unusual noises only develop into bigger problems.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Tue 12 Jun 18 08:14 
 Vauxhall Astra H estate - 07 1.3 Intermittent high-pitched screech - Pat
*sigh* That was TIC.

I think Haywain will probably understand I was coming from the angle that all fitters seem to say 'let it develop' when they don't know what's wrong.

....and all lorry drivers 'let it develop' until they can reach somewhere suitable to break down with a toilet, coffee and the means of getting food.

Pat
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Tue 12 Jun 18 13:21 
 Vauxhall Astra H estate - 07 1.3 Intermittent high-pitched screech - Old Navy
>> *sigh* That was TIC.
>>

Maybe your sighs should stay in context.

An Astra owner probably does not have transport company supplied mechanics to repair the developed (more expensive) defect that a lorry driver can afford to ignore as the cost of the repair is not their problem.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Tue 12 Jun 18 13:36 
 Vauxhall Astra H estate - 07 1.3 Intermittent high-pitched screech - Pat
Maybe I'll just shut up altogether ON, how about that?

I've enough on my plate at the moment without pussyfooting around my own natural banter to suit anyone else.

So you can have another *sigh*....and that is most certainly in context.

Pat

Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Tue 12 Jun 18 14:52 
 Vauxhall Astra H estate - 07 1.3 Intermittent high-pitched screech - Bromptonaut
>> An Astra owner probably does not have transport company supplied mechanics to repair the developed
>> (more expensive) defect that a lorry driver can afford to ignore as the cost of
>> the repair is not their problem.

Whoaa ON, bit hasty there I think.

All my cars back to first in 1982 have been bought and maintained at my own expense. In that time there must have been a dozen occasions where I've thought something not right but waited to see if it got worse (or disappeared) before doing or paying for investigation. Same where I've reported a fault and been told either nothing found or 'not sure'.

Most recent when the Roomie's glow plug light started flashing in 2016. Fault code suggested EGR issue but agreed with dealer to see what happened before spending £800 of the warranty company's money. Only done it once more since.

Same 10 years before with some sort of turbo valve fault that made the Xantia 'gag' and put on its 'k light' but without going into limp mode. All returned to normal after a stop/restart and code download would find nothing untoward.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Tue 12 Jun 18 at 14:52
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Tue 12 Jun 18 07:55 
 Vauxhall Astra H estate - 07 1.3 Intermittent high-pitched screech - Haywain
Thanks for the replies.

"I'm assuming that it does not make the noise when stationary? So it must be related to the speed of the car to some extent."

That was my starting point - I usually associate a squealing noise with a slipping belt but, with the engine running and the car stationary, the noise doesn't occur. Once the car is moving, it just seems odd to me that the pitch of the noise doesn't appear to alter with increased speed.

My son has borrowed the car today to do the 140 mile trip up to Nottingham so I'll see what he says about it when he gets back.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Tue 12 Jun 18 13:38 
 Vauxhall Astra H estate - 07 1.3 Intermittent high-pitched screech - No FM2R
I can think of nothing moving that could make such a noise at the back of a front wheel drive car other than the brakes and associated kit, and the wheel bearing.

It's not pure coincidence about the being warmed up and something like a handbrake cable touching where it shouldn't after a few bumps, I suppose?
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Tue 12 Jun 18 13:56 
 Vauxhall Astra H estate - 07 1.3 Intermittent high-pitched screech - Haywain
"It's not pure coincidence about the being warmed up and something like a handbrake cable touching where it shouldn't after a few bumps, I suppose?"

I'll have a close look when my son gets back, and I can find out what he has observed. I am now asking myself if the noise could be coming from somewhere else on the car, but appearing to come from the offside rear quarter. There are a couple of 'roundabout to roundabout' stretches near the house; I'll get my son to drive the car past while I have a listen from the roadside.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
New Tue 12 Jun 18 21:06 
 Vauxhall Astra H estate - 07 1.3 Intermittent high-pitched screech - Haywain
"I'll have a close look when my son gets back, and I can find out what he has observed"

Well, the mystery stays for a while longer; my son reported the noise occurring intermittently and he also thought that it came from the offside rear quarter. My wife and I dropped him off in town, then planned to check out the screech on a faster stretch of road but, of course, there was nothing. The noise generally occurs after a few miles when I've been bowling down the A14; unfortunately I can't test it out myself yet as I've still got another 3 weeks post-op of not being allowed to drive.
Reply to this message | Report message
       
Latest Forum Posts