Long drive today and about 90 minutes in I noticed a curious noise from the car. Probably a noise outside the car, maybe from a wheel arch/ wheel area or underneath the car. I thought it sounded like it was from the driver's side, my wife thought it was from the passenger side. Not a loud noise but constant and one you have to listen for but once you lock onto it, definitively there, although it seemed to come on when the car was in a straight line, disappearing on sweeping left hand sections of motorway.

The noise is difficult to describe but maybe puts you in mind of a lowly, although more muted, rumbling, pinking refrigerator idea.

Any ideas gratefully received, thanks.

Last edited by pld118 on 19th Jan 2014 6:49pm. Edited 1 time in total

Is it the fridge ?  .
Experience is the only genuine knowledge, but as time passes, I have forgotten more than I can remember
Volvo V70 P2 2006 2.4 Petrol 170bhp Estate SE
MG Midget Mk1 1962

Previous: L322 Range Rover TDV8 3.6 2008; L322 Range Rover TD6 3.0 2002; P38A Range Rover V8 1999

The trail seems have gone cold!

loose brake shield

Wheel bearing? There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
FFRR 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography Santorini Black.
KIA E-Niro 4+
2021 Discovery 5 D300 MHEV commercial

Thanks for the suggestions.

What can I do myself to check if it's either the brake shield or a wheel bearing?

Does it get louder on right hand sweeping sections of motorway?/bends There is nothing that can't be fixed with a hammer😜😜
FFRR 4.4 SDV8 Autobiography Santorini Black.
KIA E-Niro 4+
2021 Discovery 5 D300 MHEV commercial

Does the light me on when you open the door ?

Sorry couldn't resist Growing old is compulsory Growing up is optional

Sorry Ragerover, you and your pals might think you're cool with replies like that but they leave me cold

@NMJ, I will check again today during a 3 hour plus drive.

Usually when a wheel bearing starts to go, other than having play in the wheel when it's off the floor, the centre of the wheel gets warm from the heat from the failing bearings, so if you put the palm of your hand on the centre of the alloys after a run, one May feel warmer than the other 3.

Decided to stay away from any fridge related jokes, as I don't think it's fitting on such a professional forum. Besides, there's been no mention of any elephant footprints in his butter.

 2011 Range Rover Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8

Previous cars :
2003 Range Rover Vogue TD6
1999 Discovery Td5 ES
1995 BMW M5 3.8 6 speed
1992 Range Rover 3.9 Efi Vogue
1992 BMW M5 3.8
1988 BMW 735i SE
1989 Ford Sierra XR4x4 2.9i
1981 Ford Fiesta Supersport

Seriously though

If it disappears on a sweeper
Either it's coming off load or going under load
Sounds like a bearing

Try going in a straight line home into sound
Then feather brakes
If it goes often a bearing too as it takes up slack Growing old is compulsory Growing up is optional

you can check the brake cover by raising it to full off road height and gripping the cover and trying to move it. There's loads of info on here. Washers can be a simple, cheap solution.

Thanks for the replies to date:

After a 3 hour plus drive today:

My original description was 'rumbling/ fridge'. That was in fact Mrs pld's description. The noise is maybe better described as a low whirly type noise (reminds me of the type of noise made when a child swings a hollow piece of flexible plastic pipe around their head but this is quite hard to hear as it's nowhere near as loud as the child with the pipe!)

The noise only seems to come on to my ears when the needle hits 80mph. I repeatedly leaned forward whilst driving when the noise came on and am convinced it's coming from the front central towards the offside area of the car.

I've recently had the headlights out and wondered if it might be wind whistling through the grille?

Anyway, I touched all of the wheels/ insides of the hubs after extended driving. Both rears were not hot and both fronts were warm but only as you would expect if brakes have been getting used and both fronts did feel equally warm.

There is... that almost sickly smell of hot brake that does seem to be more prominent from the front offside arch and I thought yesterday that the brakes did not feel as keen as they have been. However, that smell has been on the car since we got it last April and - as well documented on the forum - just about everything has been investigated to determine that smell which last summer was finally put down to 2 failed radiators that were replaced; and last summer during that 'journey' the MD did also clean the front brakes as they felt they might not have been as sharp as they could have been.

I've currently got the car on the jack with the front offside wheel off.

1. Brake cover checked and appears secure (presume that's the backing plate that goes around the brake disc/ the thing that when the wheel is on shreds ones knuckles when reaching into the spokes to clean inner wheel rims)?

2. Can't see anything obvious/ loose that would catch wind/ otherwise cause a whirling noise?

3. The brake disc looks silver shiny so not scored making me reassured it's not a brake pad issue (large Brembo calliper covers the pads though so can't see much)?

3A. Surprised at how baked in black crud the inner rims are given how often I clean them and having only done a thorough wheels off full clean a few months back (could there be inferior front brake pads lurking beneath the Brembos causing them to disintegrate/ bake crud into the inner rims. Is there anythinf I can do to check this visibly whilst wheel off)?

Thanks