Clicking Noise When Driving

A persistent clicking while you drive can range from annoying to urgent. The trick is figuring out whether it follows your speed, your engine RPM, or something else entirely.

If the clicking speeds up with the wheels (faster as you drive faster), suspect a CV joint, a rock stuck in the tire tread, a bent dust shield behind the brake rotor, or a nail in the tire tapping the pavement. If the clicking follows engine RPM instead, you might have a loose valve lifter, an exhaust leak at a manifold bolt, or a cracked exhaust heat shield rattling against something. A piece of road debris caught in the wheel well or undercarriage can also produce a repetitive click that's perfectly timed with wheel rotation.

Start with the simple stuff — visually inspect the tires for embedded objects and check the brake dust shields for contact with the rotor. If those are clean, a test drive with the windows down helps localize the sound. Clicks that only happen during turns point to CV joints. Clicks that happen over bumps suggest a worn sway bar link or strut mount. Engine-speed clicks need a closer look under the hood at the valve train and exhaust connections.

As a mobile mechanic covering Jacksonville, FL, we can do all of this troubleshooting wherever your car is parked. No need to burn gas and time driving across town when the fix might be as simple as pulling a rock from your tire tread — or we might find something more serious and save you from a roadside breakdown. Give us a call at (904) 788-7272.