Crackling Sound from Passenger Side

[oddball]

Whenever I come to a stop with my foot on the brake (and sometimes when I'm driving) and the car in drive, I hear a faint but consistent crackling noise coming from the passenger side. If I had to describe the sound I'd say it's at about half the rate of an assault rifle, and sounds almost like a chipmunk eating something, but quieter and more mechanical. It happens much more prominently when it's cold, and is completely gone when in neutral. I had my wife try some different things while I listened in different spots and I came to a few conclusions.

First, the sound is more audible from inside the car than out; I thought it was coming strictly from the engine bay not the interior, and it could be being muffled by the fire wall and amplified by the inner console, but I think the sound is some combination of the 2. Next, you can hear it faintly under the passenger wheel. Finally, it got fainter over the course of the 10 minutes I was checking it.

I checked both belts, and although one has a little wear on it, the sound doesn't seem to be coming from them, and the belts run the same in neutral as they do in park so I don't think that's the issue. My next thought was that it could be a pump (from the sound alone); I haven't ruled that out because I don't know how to confirm or deny it. But my main lead right now is this guy:


The main problem is I don't know what this is or does, but the sound seemed like it was most prominent in the area it runs, and it runs through the firewall, which would explain my interior/exterior confusion. So, what is it, and does it sound like it could be the culprit?

[oakrdrs187]

That's your a/c refrigerant line. Doubtful that's the cause. Sounds are very hard to diagnose over a forum unless sound is provided.

[oddball]

I tried to record it but it doesn't come out well.

What's the light blue knob on the hose control? It sounds like there might be air trapped in the system somehow. One of my first thoughts when I heard the sound was that there was air in the brake line, but there's no physical problem with brakes.


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[oakrdrs187]

I tried to record it but it doesn't come out well.

What's the light blue knob on the hose control? It sounds like there might be air trapped in the system somehow. One of my first thoughts when I heard the sound was that there was air in the brake line, but there's no physical problem with brakes.


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Have you had this checked out by someone who knows what they're doing, to be honest I don't think you do.


You can't hear air in brake lines. And the "knob", whatever you do not remove it the car will bliw up, its like a pin on a grenade.



























































Not really, its just a cap like on your wheels where you add air.

[oddball]

I don't know what I'm doing with this one. I can't diagnose it so I'm just throwing out guesses right now.

I've tried to take it to a shop but the noise was too faint to determine at the time, and was only happening while driving slowly, so they couldn't do any stagnant tests.


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[oakrdrs187]

Well, I too had a crackling sound from my passenger side, turned out to be the wheel bearing. Almost sounded lime jingling keys.

[oddball]

When I took it to the shop they said usually if it's happening when it's warm it's a bearing, and usually if it's happening when it's cold it's a belt. Mines more when it's cold...


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