Hi!
"As this seems to be a common problem (many posts on this topic), don't wait to have any funny front end noises checked out!!!"
I did check the previous posts but none answered my questions (probably because I know very little about cars).
I wonder what these front end noises sound like because I'm experiencing some now. My 97 Contour SE has about 63K miles on it.
Noise #1) Sounds more like a rattle, possibly coming from the wheel when going over small bumps, pulling into driveways, etc, at slow speeds.
Noise #2) A howling/whistling sound only from a warm start, like after going to the store or something, not first thing in the morning. This happened last summer also but not through the winter. It whines for a minute or 2 then stops. A few technicians I've taken it to had no idea what it was. One guy told me it was a loose air filter. Could that be possible?
Noise #3) Sounds like a thump or thud, possibly like something going in or out of position when starting from a stop or coming to a stop. My front passenger claims he can feel it by his left foot. This just started a couple days ago.
About 3K miles ago, I was told by one technician to replace rusted/pitted rotors. A 2nd technician told me I could wait until the pads wear down then replace it all at once. Could bad rotors cause this? Should I be worried about something else?
thanks for your help!
