Could a rumbling sound be from my tires?
A: The tires could certainly give you a rumbling noise. If you run your hand over the tires and the tread feels slightly scalloped, it is likely the source of the noise.
Also, if the tires are the original, at 10 years old it is time for replacement.
The other possibility is that the suspension could be starting to age. It is possible the struts or strut mounts are wearing and making a rumbling over uneven roads.
Q: I just purchased a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid. It is my first non-American vehicle. I was wondering about your opinion of the car. I probably should have asked before I purchased it.
Also, what are your suggestions for maintenance? The manual indicates there is no maintenance required for the transmission, which I find a little strange. In the past, I always changed the transmission fluid at 30,000-mile intervals and the AWD transfer case at 35,000 miles. Is there anything on which I should focus?
A: The Hyundai Santa Fe is a very good vehicle, with styling that is somewhat polarizing. Some people love the Land Rover Defender look, while some think it is too boxy. But overall, it's a very good vehicle with a great warranty. The vehicle is well designed with a full complement of advanced driver assistance technology.
Regarding maintenance, follow the suggestions in the owner's manual, which says servicing is required every 8,000 miles.
Q: What do you think of this latest GM V-8 engine recall that is affecting nearly 1 million vehicles? Do you think it is because GM is focusing too much on electric cars and not gasoline cars?
A: I do not think it has anything to do with GM's EV program, but when I read about this recall, it does make me wonder what is happening. GM has been building the L87 V-8 engine (6.2 liter) for nearly 20 years. You would think at this point this engine would be flawless.
Q: I had an oil change done today, and now my speedometer is reading too high. Side note: before I even went there, my mileage does not come up (or it sporadically comes up now and then), so the guy had to ask me my best guess on the mileage, so maybe he was trying to fix something? I have a 2007 Buick Lacrosse. I hope this is not a cause for concern. Any advice would be appreciated.
A: I suspect as the technician was trying to read the odometer, they may have inadvertently switched the speedometer from miles per hour to kilometers. If it is not too out of the way, I would return to the shop and have them check it out.
Q: Can I or should I add water to a battery before charging? My truck's battery is dead, and I have a battery charger. On YouTube, I saw one mechanic who said the best method to charge a battery is on the highest battery charger setting. He said, 'You should smell the battery charging.' This is a vehicle that is only driven periodically.
A: Most batteries are low- or no-maintenance batteries, meaning that you do not add water. In fact, many batteries are sealed and don't have removable caps like the 'old days.' Charging a battery slowly is always better.
If you have a small charger with − as an example, a 2 and 10 ampere setting − use the 2-amp setting. This is better for the battery and helps extend its useful life.
Once the battery is recharged, it should be tested. If the battery tests out OK and the truck is not going to be used for a while, disconnect the negative cable or, better yet, purchase a battery maintainer or even a small solar charger.
Q: I own a 2017 Toyota Corolla SE. I have been looking to possibly buy a Toyota Corolla Cross. I am very pleased with Toyota's cars. Can you tell me anything about the Corolla Cross? I know they are AWD and even come as a hybrid.
A: I have always felt Toyota makes great products. The Corolla Cross has a decent interior, rides well and gets 35-plus miles per gallon. It is a little slow by today's standards but fine for all driving. The all-wheel drive is nice for slippery weather. My only critique is that maybe Toyota was trying too hard to appeal to everyone. Using an old expression, "jack of all trades, master of none."
Is it a great car? No, but it is a good car.
John Paul is the AAA Northeast Car Doctor. He has more than 40 years of experience in the automobile industry and is an ASE-Certified Master Technician. Write to John Paul, The Car Doctor, at 110 Royal Little Drive, Providence, RI 02904. Or email jpaul@aaanortheast.com and put 'Car Doctor' in the subject field. Follow him on X @johnfpaul or on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Could a rumbling sound be from my tires? | Car Doctor
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
GM stock buckles under multiple headwinds and risky bets on EVs
General Motors (GM) is navigating a rocky road as Trump tariffs hit its profits while its EV efforts face an uncertain future. The storied automaker reported that net income dropped 35% year over year, as tariffs hit its profit by $1.1 billion during the quarter. GM warned the toll could grow in the second half of the year, reiterating its previous estimate of a $4 billion to $5 billion hit for the year. Shares dropped 7% during the day, even as the company's adjusted earnings per share of $2.53 and revenue of $47.1 billion beat Bloomberg consensus estimates of $2.33 and $46.27 billion, respectively. Its stock is down 4% year to date. GM said it's 'making solid progress' in mitigating at least 30% of the expected tariff burden through manufacturing and supply chain shifts. Those include a $4 billion investment in US-based assembly plants, which will add 300,000 units of production capacity for light-duty pickups, full-size SUVs, and crossovers. CEO Mary Barra said on its earnings call that "GM expects to build over 2 million US vehicles annually within 18 months." Citi analyst Michael Ward noted it appears GM is "prepared for the worst case scenario, so there's potential for some upside the way we look at it." GM's underlying results showed some resilience. During Q2, it sold 974,000 vehicles, a 7.3% increase year-over-year. It sold 46,300 electric vehicles, up from 31,900 last quarter. RBC Capital's Tom Narayan said in a research note there's a broader market trend where companies report earnings "beats and/or raises are still seeing stock sell-offs." He said it reflects investor concerns about tariffs, rising costs, and a challenging macroeconomic environment. For GM, its EV division's profitability also remains uncertain, as competition heightens and consumer demand slows. The $7,500 federal EV tax credit, key to EV's affordability, expires in September. Barclays analysts Dan Levy said "these changes indicate profitability is probably gonna get a little trickier." GM was supposed to use scale to drive profit for EVs, which is harder to do when sales are slowing, Levy added. Barra, however, reaffirmed the company's commitment to profitability on every EV model. She did not provide a hard timeline, but said "I'm very bullish on where we're gonna be on EVs as we continue to move forward in the next couple of years." Meanwhile, GM is regaining ground in China, with profitable joint ventures, new hybrid models, and tighter inventory control. The company posted year-over-year sales growth in the region for the second consecutive quarter, and returned to profitability this quarter. Francisco Velasquez is a Reporter at Yahoo Finance. He can be reached on LinkedIn and X, or via email at
Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
These are the 3 manufacturing sectors set to be the big winners of Trump's Made in America push
President Donald Trump wants more stuff to be made in America. Upon taking office in January, he implemented tariffs against prominent US trade partners in an effort to bring more manufacturing back to American shores, brushing off warnings of potential pain for companies and consumers. But some industries are likely to see a boost in US manufacturing over others, Oxford Economics said on Tuesday. The firm is predicting that high-tech goods, pharmaceuticals, and aerospace technology will have an advantage. Nico Palesch, a senior economist at the forecasting firm, said these industries are well-positioned to benefit from Trump's policies because they already have a foothold in the US market. "A sector that has significant domestic capacity in the US is much more likely to be able to expand capacity and accrue benefits from changes in tariffs or reductions in taxation because the business case for operating in the US is already strong, as opposed to a sector that would essentially need to be built from the ground up," he stated. Despite high economic uncertainty, Palesch added that Trump's policies are likely to help spur growth for US manufacturing. He also credited the CHIPS and Inflation Reduction Acts of 2022 with helping revitalize US manufacturing in areas such as semiconductors and green technology production. In his view, they will be responsible "for a majority of reindustrialization" in the coming years. Palesch highlighted the advantage that companies with a strong US presence will have, noting that he did not believe Trump's policies would bring back an abundance of manufacturing jobs to the US. "A car maker in the US is more likely to decide to expand an existing production line or set up a new factory to try and capture more market share at the expense of tariffed competition than a firm operating in a sector that has little or no presence in the US," he added. The economist said he sees Boeing as a top pick among aerospace stocks, adding that while the company has experienced some negative publicity of late, "it remains one of the two major international aerospace manufacturers capable of producing the types of aircraft typically used in air travel at scale."
Indianapolis Star
2 hours ago
- Indianapolis Star
IndyCar race at Toronto continues TV ratings lull as Fox's struggles in first year continue
IndyCar's summer lull in the TV ratings game continued this weekend north of the border with a Toronto street race that captured an average audience of 734,000 viewers — the series' fifth consecutive race that failed to reach an average audience of 800,000 fans during the sport's busiest competitive stretch of the season. Sunday's noon Fox broadcast marked the first time the race had been shown to anything but a streaming-only audience since 2019, when it aired on NBC Sports Network and delivered an average audience of 504,000. Dating back to at least 2016, IndyCar's annual visit to Toronto hadn't been watched by an average audience higher than 530,000 (2016, CNBC), and Sunday's race audience was the largest since ABC's 2012 broadcast (1.129 million). The sub-750,000 average audience from Sunday's race won by Arrow McLaren's Pato O'Ward marks the eighth Fox network IndyCar race broadcast that has failed to reach even 800,000 this year, though the calendar has hit above 1 million four times. For comparison, NBC aired eight points-paying IndyCar race broadcasts a year ago, and only two failed to reach 800,000. Of those six that did, two (including the Indy 500) grabbed average audiences above 1 million. During NBC's tenure as IndyCar's exclusive media rights partner, the network registered 10 race broadcasts on network TV with average audiences below 800,000, not counting the pandemic-altered 2020 season. Of those 10, six of those were races up against the first couple weeks of the NFL season, meaning only four failed to eclipse 800,000 during an overlapping timeframe to IndyCar's Fox calendar. No NBC IndyCar season ever had more than one sub-800,000 average audience network race broadcast in a single season. Through 12 non-Indy 500 IndyCar network TV broadcasts on Fox in 2025, the series' new media rights partner sits at 829,833 in terms of its average viewership throughout a race broadcast. That number sits below NBC's 38 network broadcast from 2019-24 (excluding 2020 races, 500s, weather-altered races or ones that ran up against the NFL) of 998,342. When including those race broadcasts that went up against the opening weeks of NFL seasons, that figure drops to 935,408. Insider: Failure at Iowa sparks latest 2026 IndyCar schedule question: Will Penske Entertainment be able to promote? Strictly up against NBC's slate of non-500, non-NFL-conflicting network points-paying race broadcasts a year ago (of which there were 6), this year's Fox slate (minus its Indy 500 figures) trails 932,833 (2024, NBC) to 829,833 (2025, Fox), in terms of average race audiences. When including last year's season finale that ran up against Week 2 of the NFL season, that 2024 NBC figure dips to 868,571, still nearly 40,000 viewers ahead of Fox. Last weekend's IndyCar race at Toronto saw no formal in-race head-to-head competition with the NASCAR Cup series, with IndyCar's race ending just before 2:10 p.m. and NASCAR's green flag falling just after 2:15 p.m., though TNT's pre-race coverage of the Cup race began at 1:30 p.m. Sunday's head-to-head battle for IndyCar will be much more severe, with Cup's Brickyard 400 on TNT set to take the green just after 2 p.m. With IndyCar's estimated green flag time of just after 3:20 p.m., both races are slated to run head-to-head throughout the entirety of IndyCar's race broadcast.
