Screeching Noise

I have a 2001 Nissan Sentra GXE. For the past couple of months, when turning the wheel to the right, I get a screeching noise. As soon as I straighten out the wheel, the sound disappears. This does not happen if I am making a right hand turn from a stop, only when already in motion and there is a bend in the road. Any ideas what would be causing this and how much I'd be looking at to have it repaired?

Thanks.

Can you eleborate on the screeching? It could be anything from a belt slipping to tires squealing from bad alignment. If you can describe anything else it would help us narrow it down.

The best I can describe it is to me it sound like metal grinding against metal. But as soon as I straighten out from the turn, the sound disappears.

Hmmm. Nothing's popping into my head as an obvious answer, so I'll make some wild guesses. Maybe the guesses will spark something in your head and we'll get there.

It could be a brake wear indicator. Have they been screeching at all? When you go around turns, sometimes things flex enough that the brakes gently touch the rotor and a brake squeal occurs in a turn.

Its possible (although unlikely) that its a bearing. Usually the big press-in ball bearings on FWD cars start sounding like knobby mud tires when they start to fail. Kind of a low growl.

Golly, help me out here folks. Anyone have any brilliant ideas?

Well thanks. Guess I'll have to breakdown and just take it into a mechanic. Since I'm so technically illerate, I had been hoping to go in with an idea of what was wrong and what to expect in the way of billing. Thanks for your ideas. Much appreciated.

Golly, help me out here folks. Anyone have any brilliant ideas?


YOU usually have the best, most detailed answers. Us shadetrees are just pretenders.

YOU usually have the best, most detailed answers. Us shadetrees are just pretenders.
Yeah, well I feel lucky :smile:

I have had this happen with loose/rusty brake rotor splash shields. Sometimes they wobble abound a bit (especially if they are rusty) and rub on the rotor around corners. This effect is amplified if the wheel bearings are a bit loose.

mbr1965's info says he or she live in Hamilton, Ontario, (and seeing as that's about 1 hour drive away from me) I know its just a big rust magnet. I suspect the Hamilton road crews get paid for spreading road salt by the ton.

Curtis you are forgiven for not knowing this..................nothing rusts in southern California.......... :)