When driving slowly, your car may make a creaking noise because your brakes are worn out. It may need to be replaced if the brakes are worn out. Another possibility of creaking noise is that your car’s suspension may be damaged or worn out. If so, you should repair or replace your car’s suspension immediately.
Reasons why my car makes creaking noise when driving slowly
- Bad Bearings of Wheel
- Wear out CV Joints
- Wear down Brake pads
- Loose engine belt
- Bad Power Steering Pump
- Wear out Bushings
- Dirt in suspension component
Bad Bearings of Wheel
If you are hearing a creaking noise during the slow acceleration of your car, the first thing you should look at is the bearing of the wheel. These bearings help to keep the wheel with the axle. They start making noise when the bearing gets worn or rusted with time. Moreover, a low-quality component and rough driving can cause the bearing to get nasty.
A lousy bearing makes noise and can also cause vibration in the steering wheel when accelerating. You should repair or replace the bearing as early as possible. Otherwise, it can cause damage to the steering assembly.
Wear out CV Joints
After the wheel bearing, you can check for bad CV joints. The joints can produce this type of noise if they lack lubrication or the joints get wear and tear. When the rubber protector gets worn out, the lubricant in the CV joints gets dried and can cause friction among the connecting parts and make a rhythmic creaking noise. And over time, the joints get worn out. Mainly the CV joint allows the engine to run your car on the road. A bad CV joint can cause a bouncy ride, even on a flat road.
Wear down Brake pads
If your wheel bearing and the CV joints are okay, it may be other things. Another culprit behind the creaking noise can be a bad brake pad. If the pads are worn out or fit poorly can cause weird noises. With that odd sound, it can also cause excessive vibrations. It allows the Brake discs to wear out over time. Then you will need to replace the brake disc and the brake pad, which can cause you a burden of an extensive repair or replacement cost.
So it’s essential to check when the noise starts and make the necessary replacement as early as possible.
Loose engine belt
A loose engine belt can also be a reason for making noise when driving slowly. These engine belts are made of rubber that runs with a tensioner pulley. The belt slips on the pulley and causes noise if the belt gets loose.
It can also happen if the metal pulley surface gets old and rusted; causing improper tension can cause the belt to produce noises.
Bad Power Steering Pump
If your car’s power steering pump gets bad, it can also cause a creaking sound. It can happen if the oil gets old or the pump gets worn out.
Wear out Bushings
Bushings are a part of your car’s suspension system. It is made of a rubber component. Like other rubber materials, it can wear out over time. When bushings get worn out, they can cause vibration and rattling noises like driving on a rough road. At this time, the drivers may experience poor handling. It can cause damage to both the suspension and the steering system.
Dirt in suspension component
If you habitually drive muddy off-road, the car’s suspension components may get clogged with dirt. This can also cause your vehicle to make noise. Regular cleaning off the car can help you get rid of that sound.