Howl / Moaning under hard acceleration - 1997 Park Ave

[Greg5150]

Ok, here is the problem: Under hard acceleration in 1st gear my 97 PA emits a what I can only describe as a howling or moaning noise the kind of reverberates througout the passenger compartment. When the noise is present I can also feel a slight vibration. The noise does not happen when (1) the car is in park and the engine is revved (2) in 2nd or third gear, or (3) under light to moderate acceleration. I checked the engine and trans mounts and the look fine. I checked the exhaust system and all the hangers and they look fine.

I searched the internet and found that someone has a similar problem with a I think a Buick Century and after much diagnosis, the cause of the problem was found to be a bad passenger side inner CV joint. One of the needle bearing clusters was bad.

Any input on this situation would be appreciated. The car has 156k miles on it and has served me well over the years. Thanks

[HotZ28]

Have you ever replaced the front hub bearings? You can check for play in the bearings by lifting the tire off the ground and gripping the tire @ 6 o'clock & 12 o'clock & rock back & forth. Any free movement/play would indicate the need for replacement. As mentioned, the CV joint could also be the culprit, but check the hubs first.

[Greg5150]

Thanks for the advice. I checked both wheels like you said and the passenger side has no play but the drivers side definitely has play. I'm going to buy a new hub and I hope this solves the noise issue. I'll keep you updated. Thanks again.

[HotZ28]

Originally Posted by Greg5150

Thanks for the advice. I checked both wheels like you said and the passenger side has no play but the drivers side definitely has play. I'm going to buy a new hub and I hope this solves the noise issue. I'll keep you updated. Thanks again.

Change both at the same time, you be glad you did.