Why is my car making a ticking noise..?
It would have been a vast amount of help to be told what car it was but the symptoms you describe are classic. You have bad Constand Velocity Joint(s) known as CV Joints for short. These are standard issue on front wheel drive cars and there are four of them, two on each side. Front wheel drive vehicles have transaxles the give motion to the front wheels while the back wheels simply follow along for the ride. There are two axle assemblies in a front wheel drive car; one exits the transaxle on the right and the other exits on the left. Since the front wheels must turn left to right, and bounce up and down, the axles must be able to turn the wheel while also being able to move about in almost all directions. They allow this motion through the use of CV Joints, two per axle. One joint sits near the transaxle (inside joint) while the other joint sits just inside the wheel knuckle (outside joint). The outside joint gets the most wear as it is the one that bears the most movement in all dire
Almost for sure sounds like the speedometer cable. It might not have shown up the last time the car was in the garage, especially if the mechanic did not take it out for much of a test ride. Even then the problem could have been brand new. Depending on the car, the cost will probably be minimal. If you have an acquaitance with a car, do a mileage comparison. Each of you go a route in your own cars. Make sure you each follow the same route. Go at least five miles and then compare your odometers. They sould both read the same distance traveled, within about a half mile or so. If not, the speedometer is even more surely the culprit. If you find this is so, you can call various mechanics to get a good estimate for the repair. When you find a mechanic you can trust, be sure to tell him you THINK that it is the cable. You cannot be sure, and I cannot be sure, sitting here in front of our computers. Let him determine the real problem and then get the estimate in writing. Not much urgancy as t
