Saturn Vue question

phat46 · July 13, 2012, 07:14:02 PM

My wife drives an '07 Vue and it's developed a rotating noise while driving. I was thinking it was tire noise (this thing is really loud on the highway anyway, always has been since new) but I tried the spare on all four corners with no change. Tires aren't original and the noise started well after a new set of tires was put on. Then I was thinking it was a wheel bearing, seems to be a common problem with these things from what I read online. None of the bearings show any sign of wear with the tire off the ground and dong the push/pull bearing check. Just wondering if anyone here has had any experience with a Vue making this noise. It's AWD with about 95,000 miles if that makes any difference.

wayne petty · July 13, 2012, 08:38:18 PM

is that a model with the CVT transmission?

probably..

have you had the transmission serviced??
have you had the REAR end devices serviced

Saturn 2007, Vue, Brakes-rear axle-propeller shaft-wheels, 2006-2007 LE DIFFERENTIAL CARRIER-AWD(MJ8) (ZL05-002)

they normally when servicing the rear axle
drain and refill the special lube... not cheep...

take it for a short test drive to circulate it through the system..

drain and refill it again... ... usually twice will do it.. some times you need to get it done 3 times.. to dilute the old fluid enough to restore it to proper lube and grip abilities..

stethoscopes are used to listen to wheel bearings..

or moderate speed around corners that turn left and right..

if the noise changes when you turn left verses when you turn right... its probably a wheel bearing...

the CVT transmissions really expensive to rebuild.. i hope yours is not bad.. but you are in the KNOWN failure range..

if the transmission was serviced earlier it might have lasted longer.. i have not viewed the Vue owners manual to see transmission service recommended times... it might say lifetime ... which means the life of the transmission... (until it fails)

there is also a bunch of stuff in the rear diff area.. that can make noise... as the front and rear wheels tend to operate at slightly different speeds except when going absolutely straight down the road..

there is a TSB on this noise...

do you have access to TSBs.??

phat46 · July 13, 2012, 09:31:43 PM

Wayne, no CVT, it wasn't offered on the '07 V6 Vue. This thing has a Honda driveline. I believe the noise is coming from a wheel related area. It is a light "wup-wup-wup" sound that matches vehicle speed. I have experienced this sound from tires with shifted belts and also from bad wheel bearings on other vehicles. I can't tell which corner it's coming from; when I sit up front it sounds like left front, when i sit in the back it sounds like right rear......

348tripower · July 14, 2012, 03:43:58 PM

I did a wheel bearing in an 04 about 4 months ago. It was just making noise.
Did Monte Carlo during the winter. Same thing.

phat46 · July 14, 2012, 05:12:32 PM

Quote from: "348tripower"I did a wheel bearing in an 04 about 4 months ago. It was just making noise.
Did Monte Carlo during the winter. Same thing.

How did you determine which one was bad? I can't go by sound alone and all they all "feel" o.k. My nephew is coming over later and we're going to try to get the car on jackstands and listen with his stethoscope. He said it's obvious when you do it that way. I have changed several hub/bearing units including both fronts on my Dodge truck...if you can change those ones most others are a piece o' cake!

58 Yeoman · July 14, 2012, 07:56:08 PM

My '08 Subaru Forester had that noise in the right rear at about 45k. Dealer rotated tires thinking that would help...it didn't. Changed the right rear wheel bearing and the noise went away. Later, the noise came back, and they changed the rear end...and the noise went away. Noise came back yet another time, this time in the left rear, and they changed the wheel bearing...and the noise went away, again. The car only has 55k on it now.

I've read online that Subie's have a lot of trouble with the rear bearings. Geez. My wife told me today that she saw our old Subie going up the street the other day. It was an '01 and had over 100k on it, and the only major job was two auto transmissions (the second one wasn't so hot when it went in...used).

Good luck with yours.

Arnold · July 15, 2012, 12:42:36 PM

Have you tried listening with one or all windows down?

My car right now has the wup wup noise..and the rotating noise. Mine comes and goes.It was diagnosed as "rotor knock". Needs new rotors. They are not worn..but they warp..and most likely develop hot spots when hot. It DID have other wup wup noise haha..and had the feel of bad bearings when the wheel was turned back and forth. Again..I thought it was wheel bearings. It was diagnosed with wheel bearing noise(no play or feel to it) AND "rotor knock". They told me at the time there were 2 very similar noises and 1 would go away with new bearings(it did). That garage that does a lot of my work is seriously top notch!

My neighbour's car had the same wup wup and rotating noise..he changed the rotors and the noise went away. 1 year later the noise is back..time for some more new rotors.

My buddy's truck had the same noises..although both his and mine had the worst bad squealing noise imagineable..they said the full metallic brake pads were only not even half worn..but they said that with some pads long before they are worn.."case harden"/glaze inconsistently to a point..either because of how they have worn..or manufacturing defects in the consistency of the material. New pads no more noise.

My own truck developed what I thought was the very beginning of
pad wear sensor noise..but it then quickly developed a more metallic grinding sound. I thought that it was the wear sensor..and that the inner pad must have worn down to zero due to some seizing of the caliper/bushing/o ring thing. But there was really good pedal..and not the clunk or feel of seized up stuff. Then I started to get the wup wup noise..and figured..ok..now it needs rotors,pads,wheel bearings,calipers.
Got the stuff and set out to do it. May as well do the backs too. Rotors $200 each drums $200 each the heavy duty pads almost $200 the heavy duty rear linings..almost $200. Ouch. Off came the front wheel. Pads have about 75% left. Rotor was ok. Bearings felt ok.Decided to try a cheap set of semi metallic front pads. ($40) Noise gone and the brakes have way more bite when cold..and are just about as good when hot. Who knows how long they will last. Rear drums were ok..new semi metallic linings..$40 and new hold down kits.

enjenjo · July 15, 2012, 09:48:08 PM

You might take a look on line for brake break in proceedures. My Dad was going through brakes in anout 10,000 miles. I showed him how to break them in, and he is getting 40,000 plus out of the last two sets. The newer brake pads have "cohesive" friction elements, where material is transfered to the rotors.If there is not enough heat during break in, it never happens, and the brakes don't last.

phat46 · July 16, 2012, 07:56:07 AM

Quote from: "enjenjo"You might take a look on line for brake break in proceedures. My Dad was going through brakes in anout 10,000 miles. I showed him how to break them in, and he is getting 40,000 plus out of the last two sets. The newer brake pads have "cohesive" friction elements, where material is transfered to the rotors.If there is not enough heat during break in, it never happens, and the brakes don't last.

I just went through this with a neighbors van. He said his brakes weren't working well and had recently been replaced by his son in law. When I replaced them they were severely glazed and barely worn and the rotors were warped from heat. The pads were ceramic and obviously not "broken in" correctly. I replaced everything and broke them in myself. The neighbor, who's about 84, said he didn't know you had to break in brakes.

Arnold · July 16, 2012, 11:36:46 AM

Thanks for the info! yes..I had heard that brake pad composition had changed..I did not know about the "cohesive" transfer. I had also heard about brake break in.
This was not the case with my vehicles..as my car..I bought it and it looked like it had new rotors,pads on it. I put about 70k(km) on it before the noise started. Rotors and pads still look fine..just NOISY!. My truck..looked like it too had new rotors,pads and I put over 100k(km) on it before it started with it's noise. It had about 75% pad life left when I changed them.
As for my neighbours and buddies vehicles..that may very well have been the cause as I don't know how they drive.